NC3 Integration

Mission — NC3 Integration, Assessment, and Improvement source

Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) is critical to our Nation's nuclear deterrence. Nuclear Deterrence Operations (NDO) is an Air Force Core Function. Within this core function, Nuclear Command and Control (NC2) is the exercise of authority and direction by the President, as Commander in Chief, through established command lines, over nuclear weapon operations of military forces. The President's authority and direction are exercised through the Nuclear Command and Control System (NCCS). The NCCS is the designated combination of flexible and enduring elements including facilities, equipment, communications, procedures, personnel, and the structure in which these elements are integrated, all of which are essential for planning, directing, and controlling nuclear weapon operations. These functions are accomplished through the NC3 system of systems. The NC3 system of systems provides connectivity from the President or Secretary of Defense through the National Military Command System (NMCS) to nuclear execution forces worldwide. To enhance NC3 mission success, the Air Force (AF) formalized AF NC3 elements as a specified AF Weapon System (WS), AN/USQ-225. Activities funded in this Program integrate legacy systems, ongoing NC3 programs, and future capabilities for the overall AF NC3 WS. The AF Nuclear Weapon Center NC3 Integration Directorate (AFNWC/NC) ensures current, new, and future NC3 capabilities are fully integrated as part of the Air Force's overall effort to sustain, modernize, and recapitalize the nuclear enterprise. AFNWC/NC is responsible for integrating NC3 materiel management across Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) to include authority and responsibility for weapon system architecture, weapon system configuration management, weapon system state-of-health reporting, risk management, supply chain management, overall integration, system test, verification, and certification. AFNWC/NC is responsible for analyzing, defining, building, and sustaining current and future AF NC3 WS system of systems configuration baselines, and marshaling necessary Supporting Centers in AFMC and other units/agencies in the Air Force and the Department of Defense (DoD) to support and/or accomplish these tasks. AFNWC/NC collaborates with AFMC Supporting Centers to champion the full spectrum of doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy (DOTMLPF-P) efforts, in support of U.S. Strategic Command as the Enterprise Lead for NC3, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment as the NC3 Enterprise Capability Portfolio Manager, and Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) as the Lead Command championing NDO requirements for all Combatant Commands. This program funds activities for integrating AF NC3 WS materiel, authority and responsibility for model-based systems engineering (modeling, simulation and visualization) of the NC3 WS, digital engineering, configuration management, change management, risk management, weapon system state-of-health and mission worthiness assessments and reporting, supply chain supportability and risk management, and overall AF NC3 WS integration, development, system test, experimentation, modeling and simulation of capability gaps with potential solution alternative trade space assessments, verification, fielding, and certification. This program also supports capability gap analyses, predictive analysis of impacts to the weapon system, modernization and integration activities in support of AFGSC's Capability Development Process (ACDP), Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) and Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) initiatives. Starting in FY25, this PE will also be supporting NC3 baseline integration into the Sentinel Weapon System Program, to include new equipment purchases and the transfer of Minuteman III (MMIII) NC3 equipment to the Sentinel Weapon System. The FY 2026 request was reduced by [1.586] million for Advisory and Assistance Services to promote efficiencies and advance the policies of the Administration in alignment with Executive Order 14222, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Cost Efficiency Initiative.” The FY 2026 total adjustment was an increase of 15.022M. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY 2024 0.000M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2025 0.000M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (1)