Charles Q. Brown Jr.: Leading the Air Force's Technology Transformation

Three ‘Action Orders’ That Reshaped the Air Force’s Technology Strategy

General Charles Q. Brown Jr. issued his first action order, Accelerate Change or Lose, in August 2020, just weeks after becoming Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The directive mandated a cultural shift toward agility, risk-taking, and faster technology adoption across the service. It set the tone for a tenure defined by deliberate, structural modernization.

“We must accelerate change or lose the ability to compete and win in a future conflict,” Brown wrote in the order’s preamble, signaling the urgency that would characterize his leadership.

• Action Order A (May 2021) established the Air Force’s first Chief Data Officer and mandated that every major acquisition program include a data strategy, pushing AI integration across all domains.
• Action Order B (2022) refocused the force on great-power competition, prioritizing investments in hypersonics, directed energy, and autonomous systems.
• A fourth order on improving diversity and inclusion complemented these tech-focused directives, ensuring the workforce itself adapted alongside the technology.

Together, these four action orders created a framework for continuous transformation—one that Brown would later extend to the joint force as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Breaking the Acquisition Molasses: Brown’s Push for Faster Tech Adoption

Brown openly criticized the Pentagon’s acquisition system as too slow to keep pace with commercial innovation. He advocated for digital engineering and prototyping to collapse development timelines, arguing that the Air Force could not afford five-to-ten-year procurement cycles when adversaries were innovating in months.

• He championed the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) as a replacement for legacy command-and-control platforms, building a cloud-based, networked architecture that could integrate AI and fifth-generation fighters.
• Under his direction, the Air Force partnered with Silicon Valley firms through programs like AFWERX and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), procuring commercial off-the-shelf AI tools for predictive maintenance and logistics.
• Brown pushed for DevSecOps practices across software development units, enabling continuous delivery of updates to systems like the F-35’s mission data files.

The results were measurable: the Air Force fielded its first operational AI-based targeting system within 18 months of program start, a fraction of the traditional timeline. Brown’s emphasis on speed over perfection became a model for other services.

From the Cockpit to the Cloud: Brown’s Vision for a Data-Centric Air Force

As a former F-16 pilot and commander of Pacific Air Forces, Brown understood firsthand the value of real-time data sharing. His vision for a data-centric Air Force centered on the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiative, which aims to connect sensors, shooters, and command nodes across all domains through a unified cloud architecture.

• Brown required that all new systems be secure by design, embedding cybersecurity from initial requirements rather than bolting it on after deployment.
• He expanded the Air Force’s cyber force by 20%, creating specialized teams focused on offensive and defensive cyber operations under the 16th Air Force.
• In 2023, the Air Force launched a pilot program using machine learning to autonomously manage satellite communications bandwidth, demonstrating the potential of AI-driven network resilience.

Post-retirement, Brown continues to shape these ideas as Executive in Residence at Duke University. In July 2026, he co-authored The Military and the Republic in Foreign Affairs, arguing that technological modernization must be paired with a strong civil-military relationship to preserve democratic accountability. 

Key Takeaways

• Charles Q. Brown Jr. used his tenure as Chief of Staff to implement four action orders that collectively drove the Air Force toward a digitally transformed, AI-enabled force.
• He prioritized speed in acquisition, breaking traditional bureaucracy to field technologies like cloud computing and autonomous systems more rapidly.
• Under his leadership, the Air Force embraced data-centric operations, with JADC2 as a cornerstone for connecting sensors and shooters across domains.
• His post-military role at Duke reflects a continued commitment to ensuring that technological modernization serves democratic institutions and public trust.
• As the first African American to lead a U.S. military service and later as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Brown’s legacy includes both technological and cultural changes.