Putting mission command into action

The U.S. Air Force has released three doctrine publications to emphasize reoptimizing for Great Power Competition efforts: Air Force Doctrine Publication 3-0, Operations; AFDP 3-0.1, Command and Control; and AFDP 5-0, Planning.?

This doctrine realignment builds upon the foundational work of AFDP 1, The Air Force, which adapted airpower’s central tenet to mission command philosophy and a Centralized Command-Distributed Control-Decentralized Execution framework. It also incorporates AFDP 1-1, Mission Command, which explores the principles and cultural elements of Air Force mission command.??

These publications formed the basis of the Air Force culture, and the current evolution of doctrine ensures the service can continue to transition to a “One Air Force” operational mindset to enhance warfighting effectiveness further.??

Furthermore, as the only Service without a distinct planning process, we released a new publication devoted to planning and orders production. These three documents fuse mission command with the practical application of airpower.

• AFDP 3-0, Operations, is updated with core airpower principles in the context of the competition continuum. It renewed the focus on the Air Force’s core functions and distinct capabilities while strengthening connections to joint operations.
• AFDP 3-0.1, Command and Control, (superseding AFDP 3-30) includes entirely new content on the command and control function. It matures our understanding of the mission command framework and describes decentralized operations through distributed control.
• AFDP 5-0, Planning, introduces the Air Force Planning Process to equip Airmen with tools to solve complex problems, empower units of action, and prepare for future joint planning.

The realignment of this doctrine marks a significant milestone in the Air Force’s journey to reoptimize for Great Power Competition and empower Airmen to deter and prevail in conflict.

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