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Jan. 30, 2020
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Edited by Amy McCullough with Rachel S. Cohen, Brian W. Everstine and John A. Tirpak
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By Brian W. Everstine
The Pentagon on Jan. 29 identified the two airmen killed in the Jan. 27 crash of an E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node aircraft in eastern Afghanistan. They were: Lt. Col. Paul K. Voss, 46, of Yigo, Guam, and Capt. Ryan S. Phaneuf, 30, of Hudson, N.H. The E-11A went down in Ghazni Province and officials have said there is no indications the incident was caused by enemy fire. US forces recovered their remains from the crash site on Jan. 28, and destroyed the aircraft.
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By Rachel S. Cohen
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. John Hyten on Jan. 29 provided a nugget of insight into how the Pentagon will structure its first budget request for the Space Force since the new service was created in December, saying the process will shed light on previously hidden parts of the military space enterprise. Setting up a budget that adequately reflects the Defense Department’s space investments will be one of the hardest challenges for the military as it stands up the Space Force, Hyten said at an Air Force Association breakfast on Capitol Hill.
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By John A. Tirpak
With two pre-solicitations, the Air Force has begun the process of buying the first eight F-15EX fighters, meant to complement the existing fleet of aging F-15C/D fighters. The new jets will have General Electric F110-129 engines, and USAF is also looking to "refresh" its F-15C/Ds as well.
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By Brian W. Everstine
March ARB, Calif., will help with the quarantine of Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, after the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the Pentagon announced Jan. 29. The base will house almost 200 US citizens—Department of State employees, dependents, and other Americans—who left the country this week. The Department of Health and Human Services will quarantine and evaluate personnel. Military personnel will not be in direct contact with the evacuees, and they will not have access to any base location other than assigned housing.
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By Brian W. Everstine
The Pentagon now says 50 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following the Jan. 7 ballistic missile attack on al-Asad AB, Iraq. Of those, 31 were treated in Iraq and have returned to duty; 18 were transported to Germany for treatment, and nine of those returned to the United States for continued treatment. One was taken to Kuwait and has returned to duty. The updated tally is a “snap shot in time” and could change, the Pentagon said in a statement. The Defense Department initially said no one was injured in the attack and later updated that number to 34.
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Radar Sweep
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US Deploys New Low-Yield Nuclear Submarine Warhead
Federation of American Scientists
The US Navy has now deployed the new W76-2 low-yield Trident submarine warhead. The first ballistic missile submarine scheduled to deploy with the new warhead was the USS Tennessee (SSBN-734), which deployed from Kings Bay Submarine Base in Georgia during the final weeks of 2019 for a deterrent patrol in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Air Force Space Adviser Barnes Assumes Key Role in Standup of U.S. Space Force
Space News
Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett’s space adviser Shawn Barnes has emerged as a main point man in the standup of the U.S. Space Force as a separate military branch under the Department of the Air Force. Barnes has been Barrett’s right hand on all things space since she took office in October and worked with her during the confirmation process.
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Pentagon Seeks a Way to Shoot Down Putin’s ‘Invincible’ Hypersonic Missiles
Defense One
On Jan. 28, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced that it had awarded $13 million to defense contractor Northrop Grumman for its Glide Breaker program, an experimental effort to develop interceptors to take out highly advanced and highly maneuverable hypersonic missiles.
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Kenya Base ‘Surprisingly’ Undefended During Attack, US Officials Say
Defense One
The Jan. 5. attack by al-Shabaab killed three Americans came as the Pentagon considers a further drawdown of its African presence.
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Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Conduct Airstrike against Al-Shabab Terrorists
USAFRICOM release
In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting an al-Shabab terrorist in the vicinity of Jilib, Somalia, Jan. 27.
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52nd Fighter Wing Arrives in Portugal for Flying Training Deployment
USAF release
U.S. Air Force aircraft and Airmen assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem AB, Germany, are participating in a flying training deployment to Monte Real AB, Portugal. The training will focus on maintaining joint readiness while building interoperability capabilities with NATO and other U.S. Air Force assets.
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Final DOD Cybersecurity Certification Model Due Soon
Nextgov
The Defense Department official leading the development of an ambitious plan to independently certify military contractors’ cybersecurity practices will review a final version of the plan on Jan. 31 and shared key details for its implementation.
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AFRL and Blue Origin Partner on Test Site for BE-7 Lunar Lander Engine Development
USAF release
The Air Force Research Laboratory and Blue Origin are developing a new test facility for the Blue Origin BE-7 lunar lander engine at the AFRL rocket lab at Edwards AFB, Calif. Capital improvements, funded by Blue Origin, will allow BE-7 testing in a simulated space-like environment. Planned work includes adding liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen propellant capabilities, along with other facility upgrades.
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Details Emerge about the Secretive RQ-170 Stealth Drone's First Trip to South Korea
The Drive
More than a decade after the Air Force officially confirmed its existence, details about the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone and its operational exploits remain extremely limited. Now, newly released documents offer additional insights into the deployment of some of these secretive flying-wing unmanned aircraft to South Korea in 2009.
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