In a comprehensive restructuring aimed at enhancing readiness for potential conflicts with China, the U.S. Air Force is transforming its deployment approach.

Departing from the previous method of deploying forces on a squadron-by-squadron basis, which involved assembling personnel and aircraft from different units, the Air Force is now adopting a strategy where wings train and deploy as cohesive units.

Under this new plan, termed “units of action” by the service, future Air Force wings will undergo preparations that involve ensuring entire units are ready for conflict.

This shift represents a fundamental change in deployment tactics, streamlining the process and fostering greater unit cohesion in anticipation of potential challenges posed by adversaries such as China, Defense One reported.

“We need to ensure that our combat wings are coherent units of action that have everything they need to be able to execute their wartime tasks,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin.

Unveiled on Monday at the Air & Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium in Colorado, the reorganization of air wings stands out among a series of changes.

Representing the most substantial alterations to the Air Force’s existing structure in decades, this announcement signals a departure from the deployment methods employed in the Middle East.

Officials argue that the previous approach, unsuitable for a larger conflict with China, necessitated a significant shift in the service’s operational framework.

Written by B.C. Begley