Pat Host
Legacy software considered outdated and uncommon is hindering the U.S. Pacific Air Forces’ ability to share data and information with allies and partners, according to a key official.
David Peña, PACAF chief for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems enterprise division and senior technical advisor for ISR directorate, said on April 24 at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Digital Transformation Summit that some PACAF units rely on legacy systems that require manual data entry and extremely fragile databases that reside on local servers. Some units use different sets of software and data that hinders their resilience and collaborative efforts.
Peña said the character of warfare is changing into one that privileges speed, tempo, resilience and lethality.
“We believe … that intel drives operations and we will not be successful without the right data and analysis presented to our joint commanders,” Peña said. “What is missing today is a seamless transition that includes our allies and partners.”
Learn from DOD leaders about the department’s latest software modernization requirements at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Cyber Summit on May 15. Get updated on the newest GovCon industry cyber tools and learn what DOD is doing to leverage advancements in cybersecurity. Tickets are selling fast, don’t miss out!
Indo-Pacific More Contested in Great Power Competition Era
Peña said the Indo-Pacific region has become a very complex international environment, much of it due to China embracing technological innovation and evolving its warfare style. China, he said, has studied U.S. warfighting for more than 30 years and has developed capabilities to offset or disrupt DOD’s military advantages. Additionally, not only have advanced weapons and other globally-connected technologies proliferated, but China has added Russia as a strategic partner and North Korea has become emboldened and aggressive, he said.
PACAF’s top priority, Peña said, is investing in counter-command, control, computing, communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting, or C5ISRT. It is also prioritizing expanding its early warning and indications to ensure it has a true common intelligence picture to enhance its C5ISRT cycle. Peña said this would require continual investment in strategic communications and long-range over-the-horizon fires and employing multi-spectral, multi-domain and multi-transport capabilities.
DDIL Dogs Air Force
PACAF is seeking solutions to help it operate when its communications become degraded and disconnected; a concept called denied, degraded, intermittent or limited, or DDIL. The U.S. Air Force, he said, needs to evolve its battle management and command and control, or BMC2. He said although the service’s doctrine is a bit dated, new agile combat employment strategies and new technology will help the service accelerate AI and machine learning to augment and automate solutions.
“Our modernization requires expeditionary automation, regional and tactical-based data and intuitive interfaces to synergize operational planning execution, shared awareness and decision advantage at the tactical layer,” Peña said.
Peña believes the multi-lateral, multi-domain Tradewinds 25 exercise that focuses on U.S. security cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean will help the USAF with its broader operational planning and shared awareness needs. The 40th version of the annual Tradewinds exercise, which started on Saturday, is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored, U.S. Army South-led exercise that features the U.S. and 26 partner and allied nations.
Tradewinds 25
Tradewinds 25, hosted by Trinidad and Tobago and taking place through May 8, features joint, combined and interagency training across ground, air, sea and cyber domains. The exercise is designed to improve regional partnerships, strengthen interoperability and boost the readiness of participating nations to fight counter transnational threats and perform humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.
Training throughout the exercise will focus on ground operations, cyber defense, maritime interdiction and interagency coordination. DOD said these are all foundational to confronting evolving regional issues including disaster response, illicit trafficking and cyber threats.
Tradewinds 25 is likely to be a topic of conversation at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Cyber Summit. Hear firsthand from government leaders and industry titans about how they are successfully implementing robust cybersecurity solutions and adopting cyber technologies in GovCon to solve the toughest issues. Buy a ticket today!
