JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii -- U.S. Air Force Gen. Kevin Schneider, Pacific Air Forces commander, has signed the 2025 Data Strategy, a plan that focuses on five core goals aiming to deliver the whole of PACAF to even greater heights of operational capability and resiliency, and went into effect on Jan. 17, 2025.
Data, more than ever before, is shaping modern military operations and warfare. The USAF has long since valued driving operational and cultural changes though innovation initiatives, but the goal of irrevocably meshing air power and data-centric tools has become essential for success.
“We’ve moved beyond the era of industrial warfare—this is the era of information warfare,” said Ray Pia, PACAF Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence officer.
The PACAF strategic data goals are:
• Establish interoperable and resilient data infrastructure
• Create a data governance framework
• Operationalize data for analytics
• Empowering the workforce
• Cultivate a data-centric culture
The data strategy aligns with the PACAF 2030 Strategy Priorities and is issued as guidance to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge data infrastructure, analytics, and AI capabilities to maintain decision advantage and enhance operational capabilities at all levels of the organization.
“To succeed in the future fight, we must fully operationalize data and harness the power of artificial intelligence across every aspect of our mission,” Pia said. “Dominance today isn’t about numbers alone; it’s about speed, insight, and decision superiority. To preserve our asymmetric advantage, we must transform data into actionable intelligence and integrate AI-enabled tools to augment human decision-making, while cultivating a culture of data-driven operations across the command.”
A data-driven future strengthens PACAF’s readiness to conduct integrated deterrence with increased lethality, more efficient operations allies and partners, and to ensure regional stability and security. Implementing these goals extends the U.S. Department of Defense’s approach to include technological, human, and data culture elements essential for transformation now, and into the future.