Air Combat Command’s deputy director for requirements visited here June 6, 2023, to discuss the command’s priorities and Kessel Run’s role in designing command and control applications the Air Force needs.
John Vona, the deputy director of ACC’s Plans, Program and Requirements Directorate, spoke to more than 300 Kessel Runners in person and online and provided an update on programs relevant to the software factory. Vona leads operational requirements functions for combat air force weapon system acquisition, modernization, sustainment, and test for more than 140 programs. He also serves as senior acquisition and engineering advisor on the command and control programs Kessel Run aligns with.
Kessel Run primarily develops and maintains programs centered around the air operations center weapon system which is within Vona’s purview.
During the talk, Vona discussed a variety of topics centered around the Air Force’s need to evolve its ability to respond to and deter adversaries via its ability to rapidly project air power. He’s confident that Kessel Run’s applications will give Airmen the edge they’ll need to win tomorrow’s fight.
“Everything is software today, even the F-35 is a flying computer. That’s where the world is going and you are at the epicenter of that,” Vona said. “If you think about the things the Air Force uniquely brings to the fight, we bring the ability to project air power anywhere on the globe within 48 hours of being directed to do so. What enables that are our command and control systems, and our ability to do complex planning to bring together the force package that we need in time and space.”
Vona also spoke on how Kessel Run is helping meet the challenges and opportunities outlined in the 2022 National Defense Strategy, which places a primary focus on the need to sustain and strengthen U.S. deterrence against China.
“We need systems that can distribute information to support Airmen sitting in different locations. That results in requirements for Kessel Run to build distributed applications,” he said. “We need that kind of data environment. We need a resilient capability that's deployable across the globe with a touch of a button.”
The event also gave Kessel Runners the opportunity to ask Vona questions about ACC’s needs and better understand how Kessel Run applications can help shape the future of air power.
“Your role is helping us learn how to do things better and faster, discover how to use the latest technologies, get to a continuous software model, and help us deploy and scale applications globally,” he said. “People are excited about what you're doing here and they want more of it.”