Today, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is outpacing the U.S. in fielding warfighting capability. The U.S. averages sixteen years to deliver a major weapons system. The PRC delivers systems in approximately seven years. The difference means nine more years of production; nine more years of modernization; and nine more years of practicing tactics, techniques, and procedures for the PRC. That’s nine years of the PRC being in the game before the U.S. even takes the field. This disparity in integrated capability delivery timelines must change—or the U.S. will lose.

There is no time for antiquated serial processes, inadequate teaming, or lifecycle and functional stovepipes. The Air Force relies on Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) to deliver war-winning capabilities. AFMC must shatter existing paradigms and adopt enterprise Digital Materiel Management (DMM) capabilities to radically accelerate our fielding, sustainment, and modernization. Models must replace documents. Structured data must replace disparate information. Digital collaboration must break down decision stovepipes. Through these practices, AFMC will execute DMM to accelerate integrated capability delivery across the materiel lifecycle and functional disciplines to counter the PRC’s pace and win.