The Armed Forces in the 21st Century : The Air Force, future Challenges and Adaptation
On March 17th, 2015, INCIPE organized a breakfast conference on the topic The Air Force: Future Challenges and Adaptations at which Air Force Chief of Staff Francisco Javier García Arnaiz spoke about the challenges the Air Force is currently facing.
The Chief of staff opened his speech by juxtaposing rhetoric from a military document published three years ago and that from a current document. By doing so, he accurately displayed how the direction of the Air Force has evolved since he first took his position in 2012, maintaining that it has always been the utmost priority of the Spanish Air Force to adapt and transform as geopolitical tensions arise and subside.
Before discussing the challenges the Air Force is currently facing, Mr. García Arnaiz discussed the strengths and successes of The Force. The Chief of Staff highlighted Spain’s demonstrated ability to be flexible, readily available, fast and prepared. The Air Force is notorious for its speed and ability to disperse. Despite these successes, the current economic, social and political climate has forced the Air Force to adapt and make crucial changes in order to maintain its effectiveness.
The most obvious challenge the Air Force currently faces is Spain’s economic crisis and its impact on the diminishing defense budget. Though the economic crisis is residing, its negative impacts are far from disappearing. Austerity measures have forced the Air Force to focus on maintaining current resources instead of developing new ones. The impacts of a diminished budget are most clearly demonstrated in the Air Force’s reduced operational and training flight times.
Even with this reduced budget, the Air Force has incremented their international presence. Currently, they are working in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Dakar, Astonia, Gabon, Libya and Iraq. It is clear that in order to serve to the best of their ability on the international level, an increased budget is essential.
While Chief of Staff García Arnaiz explained that immediate threats remain at a fairly normal level, he did admit that current threats to national safety have a new nature, and that the Air Force must develop a strategy to best respond to these new kinds of threats. Given Spain’s geostrategic location, bordering both the Atlantic and Mediterranean, coupled with its proximity to Africa and the Middle East, is optimal for influencing the current political climate.
In order to meet these goals, the armed forces are currently reorganizing in order to be more effective. Through this reorganization, paths of communication among the different forces will become clearer; with clarity comes support and success.
The debate following Francisco Javier García Arnaiz’s speech was both dynamic and interesting. Some of the topics discussed include Spain’s role as an equipment manufacturer, military training and education, the relationship between Russian and NATO air forces, women’s presence in the armed forces and the future of the F18 and Eurofighter.
Madison Ordaway
INCIPE
