Pacific Fleet Chief to Industry: Offer More Battlespace ‘Clarity’

HONOLULU — U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Stephen Koehler said his fleet faces command-and-control challenges across all domains when mixing manned and unmanned systems.

“The challenges that we have with that, and where I need [industry’s] help is one, command and control across domains, and to ensure that we have an integrated capability to do that,” Koehler said.

Koehler delivered the keynote speech at the AFCEA TechNet Indo-Pacific conference where he said he’s focused on U.S. forces operating with speed, persistence and inside an opposing military’s weapons-engagement-zone.

The Pacific theatre spans half the globe and delivers unique challenges that Koehler said he hopes emerging technologies like AI and unmanned systems can offer new solutions to strategic advantages.

These new technologies, though, offer new problems and certain levels of complexities that can reduce clarity for commanders. Koehler challenged industry officials in the audience to develop systems that will offer a clear view of the battlespace with the addition of unmanned systems.

“We realize that war in general, or conflict in general, doesn’t provide clarity,” Koehler said. “That’s half the issue … but the ability to sequence and see how all these manned-unmanned teaming systems are executing in the battlespace and a level of presentation to the commander to see that and assimilate that in a time and space that enables decisions is the North Star gold.”

Securing the radio frequency spectrum in combat becomes a top priority to ensure U.S. forces can use these technologies. Koehler confirmed his fleet is prepared to conduct operations if the “RF spectrum is a contested medium.”

“I can take the fight to the enemy and win,” Koehler said. “This will be a challenge. I continue to need the ability to operate with this challenge. But I would be misspeaking if I said I couldn’t conduct operations when challenged.”

Koehler didn’t avoid the most popular technology topic in the Pentagon — artificial intelligence. He emphasized the importance of data and his fleet’s focus on establishing the foundations to capitalize on AI gains.

“We are using AI on nearly everything in our network today to develop familiarity with our team and improve decision-making for our commanders. We’re embracing a hybrid government commercial approach that partners with private-sector leaders to accelerate innovation in AI,” he said.

He said he sees AI as a decision advantage for his fleet in the Pacific theater.

“Going forward, I envision a future where the Pacific Fleet is empowered by our artificial intelligence, where sailors and commanders at every level balance the art and science of warfare to make more effective decisions with superior outcomes faster than the adversary,” Koehler said. “A future where AI further accelerates the cycle of action between maneuvering and fires for a decisive combat advantage. That is the North Star I give my team every day.”