6
ACE FRAMEWORK
To provide a common lexicon with joint partners, ACE consists of five core elements:
posture, C2, movement and maneuver, protection, and sustainment. The latter four
align with the joint functions. Together with the remaining joint functions (information,
intelligence, and fires), the five core elements form the whole of ACE’s operational
framework.
POSTURE
Posture is intrinsically tied to all other elements. It is the starting position from which
subsequent actions take place. Forces must be able to rapidly execute operations
from various locations with integrated capabilities and interoperability across the
core functions. When executed properly, posture establishes a deterrent to conflict by
being strategically predictable, but operationally unpredictable. An effectively tailored
posture provides commanders with expanded force employment options and mitigates
operational risk. It enhances defensive posture by increasing the scope and scale of
friendly force locations, boosts deterrence to adversary aggression, and assures allies by
presenting a credible combat force.
Posture redistributes both theater-assigned and follow-on forces to positions of
advantage to best support operations plan execution. Enduring locations should be robust
and should have the ability to support further dispersion to smaller CLs while maintaining
integrated capabilities and interoperability across MG, C2, and BOS functions.
Operational unpredictability is enabled through the agility of forces across pre-postured
locations, increasing the number of locations an adversary must target. The increased
number of dispersed locations presents adversaries with challenges from the tactical to
the strategic level. It does this politically through nation agreements and financially by
increasing the numerical offensive capability required to achieve intended effects.
Operational locations should be identified based on the ability to support warfighting
requirements and sustainment opportunities while balancing risk to force. Risk to force
may prohibit massing personnel at locations inside enemy weapon engagement zones
(e.g., unconventional ground forces, small unmanned aircraft systems [sUAS], ballistic
missiles, cruise missiles, and hypersonic weapons). Risk management is critical to
balance survivability with combat operations tempo by stationing forces at varying
proximities to the fight and associated threats. Providing the flexibility to rapidly reroute
forces and equipment inbound to the theater is critical to successful ACE.
Access, basing, and overflight are essential to the successful application of ACE. Theater
operational planners should focus ACE efforts in day-to-day operations and activities on
strengthening alliances through trust, and increasing partner capacity and capabilities.
Planners should also understand partner nation access agreements, and may seek
opportunities to increase the number and range of those aggreements through a “whole
of government” approach. To achieve optimal sourcing decisions and enable ACE
objectives, planners should consider acquisition and cross-servicing agreements, host-
nation support agreements, and integration of operational contract support equities