In 2022, Air Force Chief of Staff (CSAF) General Brown signed the Air Force’s doctrine publication on “Agile Combat Employment” (ACE). A core element of ACE is command and control (C2), the ability for a commander to issue an order with intent and expected end results. A sub-tenet of the ACE concept, with special emphasis for mobility aircraft, is hub and spoke distribution. This is the ability to operate, in theater, in several different locations from one centralized point. For C2 to effectively operate using the hub and spoke deployment concept, mobility aircraft must possess the capability to send and receive information across unknown distances with a high level of reliability.

Across the Air National Guard, there are 40 C-130J aircraft that do not posses the Block 8.1 upgrade. Current Block 6.0 software suite only provides UHF/VHF/HF/Satcom communications, limited beyond line of sight (BLOS), over the horizon communication capability and no datalink capability. Currently, Block 6.0 aircraft do not have a Dynamic Re-tasking Capability (DRC), or the ability to receive information real-time in flight. In accordance with Air Mobility Command programs of record, C-130J Block 6.0 wings are highly reliant on web-based portals and applications for dissemination of mission packages, flight information and mission planning tools. In the ACE concept, the ability to access and receive information inflight is vital to the Dynamic Re-tasking Capability (DRC).
Air Force plans to address this shortfall will not begin until 2030.

To meet the CSAF direction on ACE, recommend congressional appropriations request in the amount of $2 million for FY26 to secure commercial off the shelf, DoD vetted equipment for 40 Block 6.0 C-130J-30 aircraft with 12-month subscriptions for access to satellite constellation. This appropriation would enable the purchase of secure, DoD vetted COTS technology to address organic asset communication shortfalls in order to provide a multi-capable mobility asset for deployment. This course of action would address current shortfalls in the C-130J Block 6.0 fleet’s ability to deploy, as envisioned through the ACE concept, while minimizing cost to the government.