Former Space Force Technology Chief Highlights JADC2 Opportunities, Challenges

The Department of Defense’s next-generation battle management network will provide the U.S. military a major advantage, a retired U.S. Air Force official said.

Retired Maj. Gen. Kim Crider, the Space Force’s former chief technology and innovation officer, said the Pentagon has been heavily investing in the budding capabilities of its Joint All-Domain Command and Control concept, FedScoop reported.

JADC2 aims to connect the military services’ shooters and sensors into a single network. The network is expected to allow the warfighter to keep pace with the growing volume and complexity of data in modern warfare, the DOD said in a summary of its JADC2 implementation plan.

Crider, a speaker at a past Potomac Officers Club event, said the DOD seeks to maximize its ability to use the future network.

“JADC2 — I think it keeps a lot of people up at night because it’s such a huge opportunity. We all see it. It’s almost as if we can taste,” Crider told FedScoop.

She added that JADC2 still needs to overcome cultural and technological challenges. For instance, the government has not made the necessary investments to maintain the high-speed networks and computers that JADC2 needs, Crider said.

The military also uses different networks for ground, air and space. She said the DOD should build its infrastructure to bring its existing assets together.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, a two-time Wash100 winner, signed the Pentagon’s JADC2 strategy in June 2021. His deputy, Kathleen Hicks, signed off on the strategy’s implementation plan in March 2022.