Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for March 27, 2020

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

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Private Tankers Could Help USAF Keep Up With Demand
By Brian W. Everstine

Air Mobility Command is pursuing a contract for privately operated tankers to
meet the unrelenting need for booms in the air as the service proposes cutting
29 KC-135s and KC-10s. The command is wrapping up a feasibility study on the
plan this month with the goal of a contract solicitation in June. The initial
requirement would be about 5,000 hours annually, totaling about 1,100 sorties,
but eventually the Air Force would like to contract nearly 30,000 hours, the
vast majority of which would support training and exercises.

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Military Facing Operational Impacts of Coronavirus
By Brian W. Everstine

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The new coronavirus is starting to have operational
impacts in the Indo-Pacific, as the Navy sidelines a carrier that was previously
underway. There were 280 current U.S. military cases of COVID-19 as of March
26—73 more than the previous day—and 600 cases total, including civilians,
dependents, and contractors. Within the Air Force, 92 Active-Duty Airmen have
tested positive, and the service has 159 cases total, including dependents,
civilians, and contractors. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, in a video to
Airmen released March 26, said the outbreak is “a challenge we have not faced
before,” and though the coming weeks “will test us,” the services will
lead through the crisis. The Air Force is responding in several ways, including
flying aid to Italy and evacuating U.S. citizens from Honduras, and the Air
National Guard is activating across the country.

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Empowering Disaster Response and Recovery From Space
When a natural disaster or emergency occur, an immediate and seamless response is necessary to
save lives. Operational and situational awareness becomes increasingly important to responders.
If critical infrastructure is down in the disaster zone, then the systems and networks required for
powering the relief efforts are compromised. Ground operations must look to space to solve their
communication needs. Read the full story.
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Air Force to Lease T-50A Trainers Ahead of T-7As
By John A. Tirpak

Though the Lockheed Martin/KAI T-50A lost the T-X competition, the Air Force
will lease a handful of the jets to train pilots ahead of their instruction in
the new Boeing T-7A, according to a Korean newspaper. The pricing for the jets
is being negotiated, according to The Korea Herald. The jets are to provide
3,000 sorties, or 4,500 flight hours, over five years.

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Think Tank Urges USAF to Dial Back RDT&E, Buy In-Production Hardware
By John A. Tirpak

The Air Force should prioritize buying new hardware over new concepts like the
Advanced Battle Management Systems, because it has an obligation to meet
National Defense Strategy requirements and the service already is too old and
small to do so, a new Heritage Foundation white paper argues. “The Air Force
should prioritize procurement well ahead of research, development, test, and
evaluation,” according to the Heritage Foundation white paper. Senior USAF
leaders have been arguing the exact opposite, saying the service must accept
risk now to buy future capability.

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Final AEHF Satellite Launches After Brief Delay
By Rachel S. Cohen

The Space Force and United Launch Alliance successfully launched the sixth
Advanced Extremely High Frequency communications satellite from Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station, Fla., around 4:15 p.m. March 26. AEHF-6, the final piece of
the protected satellite comms constellation, will reach its destination after
about six hours. Its launch is the Space Force’s first National Security Space
Launch event since the new service was created in December.

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Radar Sweep

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Snapshot: DOD and COVID-19

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

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At Spangdahlem, U.S. F-16s Are Flying as Airmen Adjust Exercises Around the Coronavirus

The 52nd Fighter Wing has been taking advantage of a late-March string of
crystal-clear, sunny days in southwestern Germany and launching F-16 sorties as
part of a base readiness exercise—modified, of course, because of the
coronavirus.

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Space and Missile Systems Center Taking Action to Help Contractors During Pandemic

The U.S. Space Force’s main procurement arm, the Space and Missile Systems
Center in Los Angeles, Calif., shifted into telework mode more than a week ago,
as did many of its contractors. But as the state of California moved to shut
down non-essential businesses during the coronavirus outbreak, SMC worked with
state and local authorities to make sure facilities that manufacture satellites,
launch vehicles, and other critical equipment stayed open.

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Military Families Overseas Say They Can’t Order from Amazon Anymore

Military families were surprised March 25 when Amazon refused delivery for
certain items, including diapers, electronics, and clothes, to their
international APO, FPO, and DPO addresses. "This item requires special handling
and cannot be shipped to your selected location," appeared in red on Amazon's
order page for items such as children's games, shampoo, and dog food when the
military installation shipping address was to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Italy; or
Bahrain.

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Army & Air Force Exchange Services Scale Back Cash Purchases to Halt Spread of COVID-19

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service is moving to cut back on cash purchases to
help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Instead, exchanges are requesting customers
complete purchases with credit or debit cards, gift cards, or a MILITARY STAR
card, according to AAFES.

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Raytheon Strikes Strategic Sourcing Deal with Aerojet Rocketdyne

Raytheon said its missile systems business has agreed to a $1 billion, five-year
deal to buy propulsion systems from Aerojet Rocketdyne for Standard Missile
products.

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U.S. Air Force Sets April Deadline for 3DELRR Replacement

U.S. Air Force officials want defense companies to submit prototype proposals
for the revamped Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR)
system by April, as part of the service’s effort to get the beleaguered
program back on track.

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Faster Acquisition

The Air Force is leveraging emerging technologies and new legislation to
accelerate acquisition decisions and streamline sustainment. Read more here.

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One More Thing...
When Secret Mystery Planes Landed at the Air Bases Where I Was Stationed

“It may sound like fiction, but on rare occasions, ordinary air bases have
extraordinary mystery visitors,” writes Stephen Walker, a USAF veteran,
airline transport pilot, and commercial helicopter pilot. “It happened to me,
twice.”

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