{"id":24738,"date":"2018-09-18T17:13:49","date_gmt":"2018-09-18T17:13:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/09\/18\/three-star-expect-future-mobilizations-and-transits-to-be-contested\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:44:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:44:03","slug":"three-star-expect-future-mobilizations-and-transits-to-be-contested","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/09\/18\/three-star-expect-future-mobilizations-and-transits-to-be-contested\/","title":{"rendered":"Three-star: Expect future mobilizations and transits to be contested"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fighting near-peer adversaries isn\u2019t all about the front line. In fact, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2017\/09\/13\/if-russia-started-world-war-iii-heres-how-it-would-go-down\/\" target=_blank>logistical nightmare of fighting across continents<\/a> could get a lot worse as opponents learn to disrupt baggage trains without ever making a physical footprint on their target\u2019s shores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe expect any mobilization and transit to be contested,&#8221; Lt. Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of the 12th Air Force, told a crowd of Air Force leaders Monday at the 2018 Air, Space and Cyber Conference in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur mobilization to and from a fight is unopposed right now,&#8221; Kelly said. &#8220;No one opposes airmen driving to BWI [Baltimore-Washington International Airport]. No one is in the computer systems tracking their luggage. No one is in [Air Mobility Command\u2019s] computer systems that keep the equipment flowing forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBut if great powers can get into your election networks, then trust me, they can get into your baggage handlers,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/08\/27\/us-air-force-tests-base-in-a-box-in-poland-to-prep-for-future-wars\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Dining.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US Air Force tests \u2018base in a box\u2019 in Poland to prep for future wars<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The U.S. Air Force is getting more expeditionary thanks to a new kit that will enable the service to rapidly move to a partner nation\u2019s airfield, set up a squadron and begin flying combat missions.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The capabilities of near-peer adversaries won\u2019t be limited to cyber attacks, and could extend to anti-access, area denial for transport aircraft, refuelling tankers, ground transport and more. The pace of combat in a theater of operations and the level of accessibility of that environment could all add to a logistical nightmare for war planners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That change in mobilization needs to be addressed. Units need to be self-sufficient, self-sustaining and self-defending, Kelly said. And a certain level of autonomy for squadron and wing commanders needs to be reached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kelly\u2019s warnings may sound like a new challenge for the Air Force, but he stressed that it\u2019s really a return to airpower\u2019s origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kelly used the example of World War I German Air Force commander Manfred von Richthofen\u2019s \u201cflying circus,&#8221; a mobile squadron of forward-deployed aircraft and crew that maintained air superiority for German ground forces when and where it was able to put down tent stakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/09\/18\/bombers-fighters-and-tankers-unite-will-the-air-force-rebuild-composite-wings-to-fight-near-peer-foes\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"158\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Screen-Shot-2018-09-17-at-14.53.09.png.png?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Bombers, fighters and tankers unite: Will the Air Force rebuild composite wings to fight near-peer foes?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Air Force is looking at new ways to prepare its airmen to deploy and fight. One possibility could be the return of composite wings, or some similar method of bringing fighters, bombers , tankers and other aircraft together to challenge near-peer rivals.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That dislocated German squadron, making due with what little resources they had, and facing new and violent threats \u2014 in their case, chemical warfare agents \u2014 is a good historical reference for what will be expected in a modern fight with a near-peer threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRichthofen didn\u2019t build this circus just because it was fun to drive around,&#8221; Kelly said. \u201cHe was only constrained by the rail networks of the Western Front &#8230; his logistics lines. If he had the force he needed, he could have built permanent bases, but he didn\u2019t.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo how do we present forces in the future? That\u2019s probably the best snapshot I can give you,\u201d Kelly added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-524072554.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-40289\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-524072554.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-524072554.jpg.jpg?resize=300,157 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-524072554.jpg.jpg?resize=768,402 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-524072554.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,536 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An US Air Force F-22 Raptor (L) is parked next to a Romanian Army MIG 22-Lancer (R) at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, near Constanta, Romania, on April 25, 2016. \rTwo F-22 Raptor aircrafts landed on Mihail Kogalniceanu air base as part of the Operation Atlantic Resolve to demonstrate the commitment to the collective security of NATO and dedication to the enduring peace and stability in the region, in light of the Russian intervention in Ukraine specifically. \/ AFP \/ DANIEL MIHAILESCU        (Photo credit should read DANIEL MIHAILESCU\/AFP\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The struggle for the Air Force as it heads into the next fight is learning how to maintain air superiority across a wide swath of battlefield, like Europe, knowing that its logistics train will be challenged constantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThey say great tacticians think of tactics, but great strategists think of logistics,\u201d Kelly said. \u201cDefending and supplying a base is about the hardest thing we\u2019ll have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2018\/05\/29\/why-poland-wants-a-permanent-us-military-base-and-is-willing-to-pay-2-billion-for-it\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4243843.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Why Poland wants a permanent US military base, and is willing to pay $2 billion for it<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Poland wants a full U.S. armor division to help deter Russian aggression.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One example of that thought-process can be found in the Air Force\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/09\/15\/the-effort-to-counter-russian-aggression-in-europe-is-growing-daily\/\" target=\"_blank\">Deployable Air Base System<\/a>, or DABS, which was tested in Poland this summer, according to Gen. Tod Wolters, U.S. Air Forces Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa commander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DABS provides \u201cenhanced pre-positioning of U.S. equipment, increases responsiveness and readiness by pre-positioning ammunition, fuel and equipment, and improves infrastructure to enhance our ability to provide a rapid response,\u201d Wolters said during a media teleconference in July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States has also been pre-positioning Air Force basing assets in NATO member-states \u2014 to include Germany and the United Kingdom \u2014 and making significant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/nato-priorities\/2018\/06\/25\/poking-the-bear-us-air-force-builds-in-russias-backyard\/\" target=\"_blank\">airfield improvements in former Eastern Bloc countries<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some other capabilities to assist with forward deploying aircraft already exist. Air Force special tactics operators, for instance, regularly practice directing aircraft like A-10s and C-130s to land on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/2018\/06\/14\/this-is-why-a-10s-have-been-training-to-land-on-highways-near-russia\/\" target=\"_blank\">unimproved, austere airfields<\/a>. The operators also train to set up forward air refueling points for those aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kelly said these capabilities and assets all tie together to offer the United States as many options as possible in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/09\/13\/air-force-chief-lays-out-future-fight-against-peer-level-adversaries\/\" target=_blank>multi-domain fight of the future<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cExpect every phase and expect every domain to be contested, and be happy when one of them is not,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fighting near-peer adversaries isn\u2019t all about the front line. In fact, the logistical nightmare of fighting across continents could get a lot worse as opponents learn to disrupt baggage trains without ever making a physical footprint on their target\u2019s shores.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":50643,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","middle-column","home"],"primary_category":"your-military"},"10":{"categories":["air-force-association","digital-show-dailies","digital-show-daily","newsletters"],"primary_category":"air-force-association"}}},"categories":[101,24,89,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3277],"class_list":["post-24738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"FB33VPBOO5DV7BSLM65SWNAKIM","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2018\/09\/18\/three-star-expect-future-mobilizations-and-transits-to-be-contested\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Three-star: Expect future mobilizations and transits to be contested - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Fighting near-peer adversaries isn\u2019t all about the front line. 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