DAF PEO C3BM unveils new strategic framework to counter emerging threats

Published July 30, 2025
DAF PEO C3BM Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Department of the Air Force Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management announced new strategic anchors July 30, designed to deliver resilient decision advantage to joint and coalition forces facing evolving challenges.

Maj. Gen. Luke Cropsey, C3BM program executive officer, said the initiative addresses three critical requirements: create credibility and responsiveness with operational partners, develop a comprehensive DAF BATTLE NETWORK-wide technical strategy, and expand “lethal enablers” to overcome bureaucratic obstacles slowing down delivery.

Building operational credibility and responsiveness

Maj. Gen. Luke Cropsey unveils his new strategic anchors for the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications and Battle Management here, July 30, 2025. The initiative addresses three critical requirements: create credibility and responsiveness with operational partners, develop a comprehensive DAF BATTLE NETWORK-wide technical strategy, and expand “lethal enablers” to overcome bureaucratic obstacles slowing down delivery. Cropsey is C3BM’s program executive officer. (Official Air Force Photo by Richard Blumenstein).

The first anchor implements a “deliver to depreciate” strategy targeting operational gaps through rapid capability deployment, even when solutions aren't considered perfect.

“At stake is ‘mission utility,’” he said. “Can the program office delivery better capability than what the operator has now for immediate use on the way to a longer-term solution?

“We have to push capability out today, not in months or years,” Cropsey added. “If we’re going to deliver on closing mission threads, we’re going to need a much more robust operational prototyping and experimentation effort operating in concert with integrated assessments.”

Implementing DAF BATTLE NETWORK-wide strategies

The second anchor identifies key technologies to address mission requirements. Specifically, the PEO is driving the planning and execution needed to converge the technical underpinning of the DAF BATTLE NETWORK, or “The Stack,” in a way that allows an acceleration of new technology adoption while simultaneously controlling costs at scale.

“The key technologies needed to close mission threads have to be actively managed,” he said. “We must define the specific weapons platforms, associated development items, communications, and the weapons needed by each kill chain, driving their respective schedules and budgets to deliver on those advertised capabilities.”

Targeting lethal enablers

The third anchor aligns supporting activities required to execute the first two efforts. Cropsey emphasized the need for the PEO to move quicker than adversaries, requiring acceleration across acquisition, requirements, and resource enterprises.

“Our goal is to define a clear list of priorities by program, align our manpower with those priorities, engage with our key stakeholders, and codify our plan and the resulting resource decisions to deliver capabilities to our warfighters now,” he said.

The announcement represents the latest evolution in the department’s efforts to modernize lethal DAF BATTLE NETWORK capabilities.

The DAF BATTLE NETWORK is the integrated system-of-systems connecting sensor, effector, and logistics systems providing better situational awareness, faster operational decisions, and decisive direction to the force.

It integrates roughly 50 programs of record across the department, ensuring resilient decision advantage needed by the Air Force, Space Force, Joint, and Coalition forces to win against the pacing challenge.

It is the DAF’s contribution to Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control.