Wednesday, August 14, 2019

To view the Daily Report in a browser, go to ([link removed])

Road Ahead for the MQ-9 Enterprise; F-35s Forward Deploy in the Middle East; Lockheed Pitches Cyber Protection Model

—Rachel S. Cohen, Brian Everstine, and Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory
([link removed] 2019/August 14 2019/DR_08142019.jpg)
​Airmen from the Tiger and Reaper aircraft maintenance units with the 432nd Aircraft Maintenane Squadron compete in an MQ-9 Reaper weapons load compeition at Creech AFB, Nev., Jan. 18, 2019. Air Force photo by A1C Haley Stevens.

​MQ-9 Enterprise Matures as “Get-Well Plan” Faces Hurdles
The 432nd Wing’s new commander at Creech AFB, Nev., says the MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft community is reaching a turning point in maturity even as the Air Force continues hammering those airmen with a demanding workload. After the RQ-1 was first assigned to the Air Force in 1996, the service pulled pilots from other careers to make up an RPA workforce instead. Now, Col. Stephen Jones says the majority of MQ-9 pilots have graduated from an RPA training program, compared to earlier years when most airmen came from other programs. It will be up to that new community of organic pilots to decide what RPA culture looks like going forward. The wing’s culture is also shaped in part by the Air Force’s RPA “get-well plan,” which went into effect in 2016 to help drone operators achieve a healthier work-life balance. While it has spurred positive changes for the MQ-9 enterprise, there is more work to do, Jones said. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen. ([link removed])

F-35s Practice Adaptive Basing in the Middle East
F-35As stationed in the Middle East practiced how they can participate in combat operations from a temporary base by deploying from the United Arab Emirates to another, undisclosed location, the service said Aug. 12 ([link removed]). An undisclosed number of Joint Strike Fighters deployed to the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing and operated out of an austere area with a skeleton crew of support airmen as part of an adaptive basing exercise called “Agile Lightning” from Aug 4-7. Airmen and support equipment piled into a C-17 to stand up operations for the stealth fighter, and once established at the base, they flew “essential missions” to protect US assets in the region, according to an Air Forces Central Command release. The aircraft and airmen are from the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deployed to AFCENT from Hill AFB, Utah. “By executing the adaptive basing concepts we have only practiced at home until now, we increased the readiness, survivability, and lethality of the F-35A in a combat theater,” 4th EFS Commander Lt. Col. Joshua Arki said. “The Agile Lightning team worked hard to coordinate with multiple bases and across US Air Force core disciplines, such as logistics, munitions, force support, communications, air mobility, Combined Air Operations Center staff, etc.” —Brian Everstine


Lockheed Using New Matrix to Vet Cyber Risks for Current, Future Systems
Lockheed Martin wants the Defense Department to adopt its recently designed framework that shows how well a military system can hold up against cyber attacks, amid growing recognition that the Pentagon’s weapon and business software is vulnerable to 21st-century threats. The contractor is using its “Cyber Resiliency Level” model on about 10 undisclosed test cases that include proposed, developing, and legacy military systems. Those pilots will wrap up by the end of 2019. When the pilots end, Lockheed expects it will inform its military customers of the results so the findings can help shape the programs. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen. ([link removed])

Pentagon Report Details Shortfalls in Afghan Air-to-Ground Capabilities, Training
The US-led Train Advise Assist Command-Air mission in Afghanistan has not effectively taught Afghan forces to perform airdrops and airstrikes on their own, according to a new Pentagon watchdog report. The Defense Department Inspector General, in an Aug. 12 report ([link removed]), stated that the Afghans’ inability to coordinate airdrops “increases the risk that [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] units operating in areas without airfields or helicopter landing zones will not receive critical supplies.” Additionally, the inability of air liaison officers to coordinate strikes “could result in an increase in unsuccessful air-to-ground missions, as well as an increased risk of civilian casualties and fratricide,” the report argued. TAAC-Air fell short of its goal to develop capable tactical air coordinators because of a decision to stop training Afghans on airdrop skills. The DOD watchdog added that TAAC-Air did not ensure that the contractor-developed curriculum was detailed enough for the Afghan air liaison officers those contractors train. Going forward, the IG recommended NATO Air Command and TAAC-Air improve Afghan training by developing a plan with specific objectives and milestones to measure those forces’ air-to-ground capability. —Brian Everstine
Hill Airmen Help Move, Rebuild Alaskan Town
As thawing permafrost forces out the inhabitants of a small Alaskan town, Air Force Reservists are helping give them a new home. Twenty-three Reserve airmen from the 419th Civil Engineer Squadron at Hill AFB, Utah, are spending their two-week-long annual tour training this month assisting with the process of moving and reconstructing the town of Newtok, Alaska, which became unlivable due to the phenomenon, a 419th Fighter Wing release ([link removed]) said. The effort is part of the DOD’s joint Innovative Readiness Training initiative, through which service members from the Air Force, Army, and Navy support “key community services” throughout the country, the release states. Some permafrost thaw is typically seen each year, but “thawing is expected to increase with climate change,” according to the National Park Service ([link removed]). Thawing permafrost is an expensive threat to infrastructure in Alaska, which is warming up faster than any other US state, according to the US Global Change Research Program's Fourth National Climate Assessment ([link removed]). A January 2019 Pentagon report ([link removed]) on select DOD installations’ vulnerability to climate-related risks deemed thawing permafrost a significant threat. However, none of the Air Force installations studied were found to be endangered by its effects. —Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory



––––––––––RADAR SWEEP

Most Grounded C-130s OK’d to Fly Again
The Air Force has inspected, and cleared to fly again, most of the 123 C-130 Hercules that were grounded last week due to concerns about potential cracking in a crucial wing joint. Air Mobility Command has returned 74 C-130s to service as of Aug. 9, AMC spokeswoman Alexandra Soika said on Aug. 12. Just one of those grounded C-130s has been found to have a defect so far, she said. Air Force Times ([link removed])

Pentagon’s Watchdog Vows to Move Fast in Cloud Contract Probe
The Pentagon’s Inspector General is “expeditiously” conducting an extensive review of the Defense Department’s JEDI cloud-computing project, including potential conflicts of interest and misconduct in the competition that may generate as much as $10 billion in revenue. Bloomberg ([link removed])

Unsafe At Any Speed: Multiple Vulnerabilities Afflict 5G
US government agencies, especially the military, need to be wary of embracing 5G network technology, despite its benefits, simply because so many vendors are based in China. That means military networks may lag behind capabilities widely available to ordinary citizens with the latest smartphones. Breaking Defense ([link removed])

Security Assistance: US Agencies Should Improve Oversight of Human Rights Training for Foreign Security Forces
The US Government Accountability Office made three recommendations, including that the Secretary of Defense establish a process to systematically track mandated human rights training and develop a timeline for implementing monitoring and evaluation. GAO report ([link removed])

ULA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman Submit Bids for National Security Launch Procurement Contract
United Launch Alliance, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and Blue Origin have submitted their proposals for the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 Launch Service Procurement. Bids were due Aug. 12. Space News ([link removed])

NORAD Commander: Space Sensing Layer Critical to Protecting North America
Find out the highest priority that NORAD's leader has for American missile defense. Defense News ([link removed])

Russian Air Force Commander Details Trials of New Aircraft
The Russian Air Force (VVS), an integral part of the Aerospace Forces (VKS), will activate several new aircraft in the coming years, VVS commander Lt Gen Sergey Dronov told the Ministry of Defence’s official newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda, on Aug. 12. Jane’s Defence Weekly ([link removed]) (partial paywall)

One More Thing …

3 Things Not to Bring to the Pentagon: a Loaded Shotgun, a Rusted Machete, and Jim Beam Vanilla
Strange things were afoot in the Pentagon's southernmost parking lot on Aug. 6 when a man approached Pentagon Police Sgt. Kyle Murdock. During the course of the conversation, the man admitted he had a loaded firearm in his truck and gave police permission to conduct a search, said Pentagon spokeswoman Heather Babb. Sgt. Murdock discovered a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, a rusted machete, two pocket knives, marijuana and a bottle of alcohol and arrested the individual, Babb said on Aug. 12. Task and Purpose ([link removed])

FOLLOW AIR FORCE MAGAZINE ([link removed])

About Us ([link removed])
Contact Us ([link removed])

Advertise With Us ([link removed])
Get the Daily Report ([link removed])
News ([link removed])
Air Force Magazine ([link removed])
Accident Reports ([link removed])
Air Force Association ([link removed])

Air Frame ([link removed])
Editorials ([link removed])
Contributor Guidelines ([link removed])
Join AFA ([link removed])

Reprint Permission ([link removed])
Almanac ([link removed])
Defense Writers Group ([link removed])
CyberPatriot ([link removed])

Hangar Store ([link removed])
Mitchell Institute ([link removed])

Published by the Air Force Association airforcemag.com material is under copyright by the Air Force Association. All rights reserved. The Air Force Association, 1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, Va., 22209-1198 To unsubscribe or to change your preferences, please visit options ( [link removed] )