LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- Recently, Air Combat Command Directorate of Cyberspace Operations and Warfighting Communications, A6, hosted a training demonstration of an Agile Communication Package (ACP) for cyber airmen at Langley Air Force Base.
The ACP is a rapidly deployable suite of communication equipment designed to provide secure and reliable connectivity in expeditionary settings.
“We originally developed the Agile Communications Package as a lightweight and rapidly deployable capability to support Agile Combat Employment (ACE), but the original iteration was overly complex,” said Maj. Brett Cox, ACC/A6 chief of the Expeditionary Communications Branch. “We worked with our program office and experts from the 5th Combat Communications Group to improve the usability of the system.”
During the training demonstration, ACC/A6 identified an opportunity to integrate the field experience of the 5th Combat Communications Group from Robins Air Force base, Georgia, with Langley AFB cyber personnel. This allowed them to train 633rd Communications Squadron airmen on how to set up and utilize an ACP, enabling members from the 633rd CS at the tactical level to increase their readiness and refine their command and control capabilities.
According to Cox, it was imperative to get the ACP in the hands of communication squadron airmen at the installation level to assess this system’s user-friendly capabilities and how this system would equip our airmen not currently in an expeditionary capacity.
Base communications squadrons are traditionally focused on maintaining fixed communication infrastructure located on an established installation. By working alongside the 5th CCG as facilitated by ACC, 633rd CS airmen received training on how to utilize the ACP, expanding their capabilities and support within ACE operations.
“Training on the ACP exposes airmen to something that they would not otherwise see and in a way, forces them to think about the bigger picture of what they are doing,” said Senior Airman Joshua D’Imperio, 633rd CS senior network infrastructure technician. “With thorough training, most reasonably experienced 5-level airmen would be able to utilize their skills to establish a functional network anywhere in the world, within an hour or less.”
To increase readiness and lethality, the Air Force has charged its warfighters to be Mission Ready Airmen, which means they need to be skilled in a broad set of capabilities, enabling them to support agile combat employment schemes of maneuver in contested environments.
The Air Force's Mission Ready initiative emphasizes airmen who can perform tasks outside their traditional specialties, enhancing flexibility and adaptability. The support ACC/A6 provides through various training opportunities, like exercises or demos for their communications airmen, helps prepare them to operate in smaller, dispersed teams, rapidly establishing and maintaining critical communication capabilities in austere locations.
“Our mission doesn’t stop with delivery of the ACP; our next action is to further enhance the capabilities of the ACP to meet command and control requirements,” said Cox. “We’ve demonstrated our technology is ready, now we need to get it in the hands our airmen, train them, and give them the opportunity to develop the TTPs for combat wing operations through high intensity exercises.”
In the ever-changing landscape of modern warfare, ACC/A6 continues to focus on providing tools and training to the warfighter, increasing survivability and communication capability to ensure a lethal force.