WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Department of the Air Force 2023 Vice Chief's Challenge begins Feb. 21. Its goal is to find innovative responses to challenges affecting Agile Combat Employment.
ACE is designed to increase survivability while generating combat power in geographically dispersed locations. Announced last year, ACE intends to be both proactive and reactive in addressing threats.
Airmen can submit their ideas here. Submissions are due between Feb. 21–May 22.
“We have heard the call to Accelerate Change or Lose from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr.; he has set the vision for the force we need to become. Through the Operational Imperatives, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall has refined our focus on delivering threat-informed capabilities that the force needs to prevail,” said Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin. “The changing character of war will privilege lethality, speed, agility, and resilience – acceleration matters.”
This year’s challenge focuses on two key areas:
- Rapidly transitioning to a wartime footing and delivering combat power to the point of need at the speed of relevance
- Operating in a highly contested environment consistent with the concept of ACE
Operationalizing ACE aids four areas: codifying repeatable and understandable processes; forces that are suitably organized, trained, and equipped; theaters that are postured with the appropriate equipment, assets, and host nation agreements; and joint service and partner nation integration and interoperability.
Idea selection will be based on which have the broadest appeal and highest probability of delivering impacts toward designing, improving, and employing ACE.
“The imagination and creativity resident in our Airmen is vital,” Allvin said. “Airmen are our critical advantage. Airmen have the ideas and ingenuity required to help us accelerate and fly, fight and win…airpower, anytime, anywhere.”
Airmen whose ideas move forward in the Vice Chief’s Challenge will be paired with innovators from across the force, to include key players on the Air Force headquarters staff who advocate to adopt similar concepts. Morpheus innovation team will take 6 to 12 promising ideas and directly shepherd Airmen and ideas through the innovation adoption process.
A Platform One account is required to participate in the Vice Chief's Challenge. Instructions can be found here.
For additional support available by email, visit here.
To learn more about the Vice Chief’s Challenge visit here.