The Nation and its allies face a strategic turning point that necessitates the optimization of joint and multinational airborne joint forcible entry (JFE) capabilities to meet future security challenges. The security environment has been shaped more by surprise than inevitability, and the future presents “a complex and uncertain security landscape in which the pace of change continues to accelerate”—thus the ability for the United States and its multinational partners to respond quickly with assured access to introduce the capabilities required to secure its interests.
After more than a decade of ground combat with its tremendous investment of national blood and treasure, many policymakers are unable to envision a future requiring the commitment of ground forces. However, the contrary is more likely, with scenarios that could arise from traditional state-based military threats, “disorder” from intrastate conflict and failing governments, transnational threats, violent extremist organizations, disasters, and hybrid combinations. Clearly, most of these circumstances, particularly those involving the loss of control of weapons of mass destruction or the protection of threatened American lives or interests, will require the rapid introduction of ground forces, employed in uncertain to nonpermissive conditions as part of a suite of interdependent joint force capabilities