1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910220101003321

Autore

Snyder Don <1962->

Titolo

Sustaining the U.S. Air Force nuclear mission / / Don Snyder [et al.]

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Santa Monica, CA : , : Rand ; , 2013

ISBN

0-8330-8354-6

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xiv, 22 pages) : illustrations

Disciplina

358/.390973

Soggetti

Nuclear weapons - United States

Weapons systems - United States - Maintenance and repair

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di contenuto

A mission-based view of sustainment -- Budgetary constraints -- Scope ; what is unique about the nuclear enterprise? -- Approach and perspective -- The framework -- The nuclear system of systems -- An integrated view -- Challenges and policy options to meet them -- System-level sustainment plans -- Nuclear command, control, and communications -- Other system-level sustainment plans -- An Air Force nuclear architecture and mission sustainment plan -- Improved interagency coordination and advocacy -- Maintaining human capital -- Metrics -- Summary.

Sommario/riassunto

The United States' nuclear deterrence is no more effective than its ability to carry out nuclear operations and other states' perceptions of this ability. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has prioritized the reinvigoration and strengthening of its nuclear enterprise. However, there are inherent challenges to sustaining the capabilities of nuclear systems of systems. Perhaps the most pressing challenge currently facing the Air Force nuclear enterprise is sustaining the mission in the face of budgetary constraints. This report proposes possibilities for addressing this challenge. Coordination is key to this approach. Individual platforms must work together seamlessly for the nuclear system of systems to perform successfully. Any slippage in one system may cause schedule delays and increased costs for all other systems working in concert. This report outlines a double-layered framework for managing nuclear sustainment. This framework consists first of a set of sustainment



plans for each system that follow a common format. The second layer, an overarching Air Force Nuclear Architecture and Mission Sustainment Plan, pulls together salient information from the individual, system-level plans to compile a master schedule for long-term mission sustainment. This framework should strengthen future nuclear deterrence capabilities through better planning and programming for the sustainment of these missions in the present.