Joint Vision 2020
builds upon and extends the conceptual template established by
Joint Vision 2010 to guide the continuing
transformation of America’s Armed Forces. The primary purpose
of those forces has been and will be to fight and win the
Nation’s wars. The overall goal of the transformation
described in this document is the creation of a force that is
dominant across the full spectrum of military operations –
persuasive in peace, decisive in war, preeminent in any form
of conflict.
In 2020, the nation will face a wide range of interests,
opportunities, and challenges and will require a military that
can both win wars and contribute to peace. The global
interests and responsibilities of the United States will
endure, and there is no indication that threats to those
interests and responsibilities, or to our allies, will
disappear. The strategic concepts of decisive force, power
projection, overseas presence, and strategic agility will
continue to govern our efforts to fulfill those
responsibilities and meet the challenges of the future. This
document describes the operational concepts necessary to do
so.If our Armed
Forces are to be faster, more lethal, and more precise in 2020
than they are today, we must continue to invest in and develop
new military capabilities. This vision describes the ongoing
transformation to those new capabilities. As first explained
in JV 2010, and dependent upon realizing the potential
of the information revolution, today’s capabilities for
maneuver, strike, logistics, and protection will become
dominant maneuver, precision engagement, focused logistics,
and full dimensional protection.
The joint force, because of its
flexibility and responsiveness, will remain the key to
operational success in the future. The integration of core
competencies provided by the individual Services is essential
to the joint team, and the employment of the capabilities of
the Total Force (active, reserve, guard, and civilian members)
increases the options for the commander and complicates the
choices of our opponents. To build the most effective force
for 2020, we must be fully joint: intellectually,
operationally, organizationally, doctrinally, and technically.
This vision is centered on the
joint force in 2020. The date defines a general analytical
focus rather than serving as a definitive estimate or
deadline. The document does not describe counters to specific
threats, nor does it enumerate weapon, communication, or other
systems we will develop or purchase. Rather, its purpose is
to describe in broad terms the human talent – the
professional, well-trained, and ready force – and operational
capabilities that will be required for the joint force to
succeed across the full range of military operations and
accomplish its mission in 2020 and beyond. In describing
those capabilities, the vision provides a vector for the
wide-ranging program of exercises and experimentation being
conducted by the Services and combatant commands and the
continuing evolution of the joint force. Based on the joint
vision implementation program, many capabilities will be
operational well before 2020, while others will continue to be
explored and developed through exercises and experimentation.
The overarching focus of this
vision is full spectrum dominance – achieved through the
interdependent application of dominant maneuver, precision
engagement, focused logistics, and full dimensional
protection. Attaining that goal requires the steady infusion
of new technology and modernization and replacement of
equipment. However, material superiority alone is not
sufficient. Of greater importance is the development of
doctrine, organizations, training and education, leaders, and
people that effectively take advantage of the technology.
The evolution of these elements
over the next two decades will be strongly influenced by two
factors. First, the continued development and proliferation
of information technologies will substantially change the
conduct of military operations. These changes in the
information environment make information superiority a key
enabler of the transformation of the operational capabilities
of the joint force and the evolution of joint command and
control. Second, the US Armed Forces will continue to rely on
a capacity for intellectual and technical innovation. The
pace of technological change, especially as it fuels changes
in the strategic environment, will place a premium on our
ability to foster innovation in our people and organizations
across the entire range of joint operations. The overall
vision of the capabilities we will require in 2020, as
introduced above, rests on our assessment of the strategic
context in which our forces will operate. |
