COVID-19 Impact on Industry | Promotion Testing Delayed

March 24, 2020

Edited by Amy McCullough with Rachel S. Cohen, Brian W. Everstine, Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory and John A. Tirpak

Preston Dunlap, Air Force Chief Architect, briefs Department of Defense senior leaders on how the ABMS works during the first ever ABMS live demonstration at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Dec. 18, 2019. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia.

Coronavirus Outbreak Puts More than 500,000 Aerospace Jobs at Risk

By John A. Tirpak

More than 500,000 aerospace production jobs are at risk in the COVID-19 slowdown, wrote the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the principal aerospace workers’ union, in a March 23 letter to members of Congress. The union has asked for government help to preserve the nation's skilled aerospace workforce. At the same time, senior Defense Department leaders emphasized that defense work is "critical" and must continue, and that progress payments will be paid in a timely manner to maintain cashflow for strapped contractors.

Roper: Defense Acquisition in ‘Uncharted Territory’

By John A. Tirpak

Air Force acquisition specialists have handled the COVID-19 crisis well, but will have to get more inventive to keep the system running smoothly, service acquisition chief Will Roper said. He predicted that pushing more authority down to lower levels of decision-making is coming. “Looking ahead, defense acquisition is in uncharted territory,” and the challenges “evolve daily," he said in a message to his organization.

USAF Promotion Testing Postponed Due to COVID-19

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The Air Force has paused Weight Airman Promotion System testing through May 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an Air Force Personnel Center release. The decision to close a testing center is up to commanders. If a center is still open, Airmen may still take the test, but those who’ve already sat for the exam may not retake it.

Airlifters Deliver Aid for Coronavirus Outbreak, Ferry Americans Home

By Brian W. Everstine

The U.S. Air Force recently deployed aid to nations in Europe to help counter the spread of the new coronavirus and brought home Americans stranded abroad. “The COVID-19 pandemic requires that we work with our allies and partners to meet the challenges together,” U.S. Air Forces in Europe boss Gen. Jeffery Harrigian said in a release.

Field Medical Centers, Hospital Ships Deploying Soon as Pandemic Continues

By Brian W. Everstine

The Pentagon is preparing to deploy field hospitals in addition to the Navy’s two hospital ships to help alleviate pressure on the medical communities fighting the new coronavirus outbreak, but Defense Secretary Mark Esper maintains that the military’s impact will be limited. Esper said he has spoken with multiple state governors, but he emphasized the Pentagon “can’t meet everybody’s needs” in helping with the coronavirus outbreak. On March 24, the military is expected to release new guidance to military health facilities to limit elective surgeries to “free up medical capacity and resources” to focus on COVID-19, Esper said.

Trump Authorizes Title 32 Activation of Guard in 3 States Battling COVID-19

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

President Donald Trump’s March 22 approval of a Title 32 activation of Guard troops to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the states of California, New York, and Washington won’t impede the National Guard Bureau’s ability to support theater-based operations, since troops who take part in the response will be "in dwell," NGB Chief Air Force Gen. Joseph Lengyel said March 22. While the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security will collectively foot the bill for this activation, its ultimate price tag depends on how many Guard personnel are utilized and how long the tasking lasts, Lengyel said.

Beale Uses Tag-Teaming to Mitigate COVID-19 Risk

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., is implementing a tag-teaming system to help halt the spread of the new coronavirus. “Beale AFB has postured in a manner that will help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by shifting to a two team system that will alternate duty location every two weeks,” said Capt. Joseph Homan, deputy director of the Commander’s Action group at 9th RW in a March 21 email to Air Force Magazine. “For two weeks, ‘Green’ Team will work on base to maintain our Recce Operations Mission, while ‘Gold’ Team will telework from their place of residence.”

Space Force’s Weather Experts Adjust to New Launch Era

By Rachel S. Cohen

Weather experts at Florida's Space Coast will feel the pinch of an increasingly crowded launch schedule as higher demand requires more forecasting services. Employees of the Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron include civilian launch weather officers who are tasked to work with a particular launch provider like United Launch Alliance or SpaceX, Active-duty personnel who fill in as needed on launch days, and enlisted forecasters who work around the clock. “We could have a rocket that’s on a countdown to launch,” Maj. Jeremy Hromsco, an operations officer with the 45WS, said. “We could have another rocket that’s being stacked when we move that to a pad. Twice in the past year, we actually had a whole crew supporting a launch and another … supporting a particular exercise or event.”

Radar Sweep

Snapshot: DOD and COVID-19

Air Force Magazine

Here's a look at how the Defense Department is being impacted by and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pentagon Will Not Split JEDI Award

Breaking Defense

The Defense Department didn’t rule out changing its mind about whether Amazon or Microsoft gets the cloud computing contract. What it did rule out, unambiguously, was splitting the award between them.

Pentagon Seeks Comment on Extended Contractor Reporting of IT Counterfeit Components

Inside Defense

The Defense Department is seeking public comment on extending reporting requirements for contractors under acquisition rules related to the purchasing of information technology services and products, including measures to protect against counterfeit components that could pose cybersecurity risks.

Russia Has New Tool for Massive Internet Shutdown Attack, Leaked Documents Claim

Defense One

Moscow’s latest cyber weapon would target a wider array of devices than previous denial-of-service tools: the growing internet of things.

Lockheed Martin Selects SEAKR to Help Develop SATCOM Payload for U.S. Space Force

Space News

Space electronics supplier SEAKR Engineering, based in Colorado, was tapped by Lockheed Martin to help develop a satellite communications payload for the U.S. Space Force. SEAKR will join Lockheed Martin’s team for the Protected Tactical Satcom program, industry sources told SpaceNews. The companies are expected to officially announce the partnership this week.

Air Force Base Decision Raises F-35A Noise Debate in Tucson

Associated Press

Voices are being raised in Tucson about the possibility of a squadron of new F-35A fighters being stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., where the multirole aircraft would replace relatively quiet A-10 attack jets. The southern Arizona base is a dark horse in the Pentagon’s consideration of where to locate an Air Force Reserve squadron of 24 F-35As because the Air Force already said in 2017 that it favored Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas.

American Woman Rescued in Secretive Military Op, Trump Says

Military.com

President Donald Trump said March 22 that an unspecified military operation had been conducted in a "certain area" overseas to rescue a female U.S. citizen who was being "horribly treated." Details on the operation and where it was conducted were initially being kept "somewhat private," Trump said, but he added that "we got her out and she's OK, and she's back with her parents."

One More Thing

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Airplanes!

Google Patents

March 23 marked the 117th anniversary of the Wright Brothers filing a patent for their so-called “Flying Machine.” Check out the patent images via Google Patents.