Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for May 14, 2020

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

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Light Attack Providers Get Second Shot with SOCOM
By Rachel S. Cohen

Multiple companies who faced off in the Air Force’s light attack experiment
will again compete for a similar contract from U.S. Special Operations Command.
Textron Aviation, Air Tractor, and Leidos are offering aircraft for a
three-phase armed overwatch competition that ends with live-fly demonstrations
in November. That demo follows the Air Force's nearly three-year light attack
effort that ultimately fell short of a full-fledged buy. SOCOM Acquisition
Executive James Smith told reporters May 13 the command is very pleased with
industry’s response so far. He declined to say how many proposals SOCOM
received.

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USAFE Puts Agile Combat Employment to the Test
By Amy McCullough

U.S. Air Forces in Europe will test its Agile Combat Employment concept of
operations later this month, moving F-16s forward to another USAFE base where
maintainers who typically work with mobility aircraft will apply their skills to
fighter support. USAFE commander Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian told Air Force Magazine
on May 13 the command recently shared its ACE concept of operations with NATO
allies "and a couple key partners," saying successfully implementing the plan
requires collective buy-in.

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Commander of Peterson’s 21st Space Wing Found Dead at Home
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Col. Thomas Falzarano, commander of the 21st Space Wing at Peterson Air Force
Base, Colo., was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at his home on May 12,
the wing announced in a May 13 release. “The cause of death is under
investigation, but initial indications are that it was due to natural causes,”
the release stated, adding that no signs of COVID-19 were discovered.
Falzarano’s deputy, Col. Sam Johnson, is now commanding the wing, the release
added. Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond recalled Falzarano as “an
incredible leader, mentor, and friend who will be remembered for his warm
personality and dedicated service to our nation."

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Budget Crunch Expected to Shrink AFSOC Investments
By Rachel S. Cohen

Don’t expect much investment in new fleets of special-operations aircraft as
the Pentagon braces for a budget crunch, the head of Air Force Special
Operations Command said May 13. “We acknowledge that we are at a strategic
inflection point,” Lt. Gen. Jim Slife said during the National Defense
Industrial Association’s annual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference.
“This strategic environment is going to require us to transform ourselves from
the AFSOC that we needed into the AFSOC that we will need.” Adding new
development programs, and revamping the command into a more digitally savvy,
influence operations-focused organization, will be tougher as military funding
is expected to decline.

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Lakenheath F-15Es Deploy to the Middle East
By Brian W. Everstine

F-15E Strike Eagles and Airmen from RAF Lakenheath’s 492nd Fighter Squadron
deployed to the Middle East in early May as part of ongoing combat operations in
U.S. Central Command. The undisclosed number of aircraft and personnel from the
squadron, nicknamed the “Bolars,” deployed to the 332nd Air Expeditionary
Wing at an undisclosed location, U.S. Air Forces in Europe announced. “Last
week we sent the 492nd Fighter Squadron and Maintenance team downrange to
continue the fight,” 48th Fighter Wing boss Col. William Marshall said in a
statement. The wing replaces the 389th Fighter Squadron from Mountain Home Air
Force Base, Idaho.

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ARCWERX Will Leverage ANG, Reserve Innovation to Enhance Total Force
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

A new innovation organization has quietly joined the military’s WERX universe.
ARCWERX—an innovation organization specifically created for the Air Force's
reserve component—looks to leverage the proverbial superpowers hidden within
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve ranks, as well as strategic
partnerships, to mold a more effective, ready, and lethal Total Force.

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License-Plate Readers Come to USAFA
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Every vehicle that passes through the U.S. Air Force Academy's North and South
gates will now have its license plates scanned in an effort to detect potential
risks sooner, but the school says the extra base security isn’t expected to
cause regular gate delays. In addition to giving security forces a heads-up if a
driver is wanted by law enforcement authorities, the readers can alert them if a
car is stolen or involved in the abduction of a minor, a May 12 USAFA release
noted.

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Virtual Events: Examining COVID-19’s Impact on Defense Aircraft Programs
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Today, the Aviation Week Network will host a free webinar entitled "How COVID-19
Is Affecting Top Defense Aircraft Programs." You can learn more and register for
the event <a
href="[link removed]">here</a>.

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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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Pentagon Task Force Turns to Data to Shape COVID-19 Response

The Defense Department’s COVID-19 Task Force is leveraging data analytics and
advanced modeling to heighten military readiness, taper uncertainty, and enable
a more informed response throughout and beyond the coronavirus pandemic.

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U.S.-China Commission Urges Tougher Space Cooperation Restrictions

"Ham-fisted U.S. policy has proven counterproductive in the past, and will
likely continue to do so in the future," said Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor
at the Naval War College.

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Space Force Vice Commander: China Can’t Be Allowed to Buy Bankrupt U.S. Space Companies

Lt. Gen. David Thompson, the service’s vice commander, said the Defense
Department is working with the White House and plans to work with Congress to
help space companies that face bankruptcy.

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Support Growing for Review of Ligado Interference Information

As the Department of Defense and its allies attempt to stop Ligado from moving
forward with plans the Pentagon says will harm the Global Positioning System,
consensus is growing around the idea of an independent review of the testing the
Department had completed for interference.

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OPINION: The GAO Is Wrong about the Air Force’s Next-Gen Battle-Management System

“The ABMS needs to evolve quickly, not conform to industrial-age requirements
and schedules,” writes Heather Penney, senior resident fellow at the Air Force
Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

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Adm. Munsch Moving to Joint Staff

Vice Adm. Stuart Munsch, who currently leads the Navy's new warfighting
directorate, will move to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Defense Department
disclosed Munsch's nomination for the role of director for operational plans and
joint force development, or J7, in a May 13 flag officer announcement.

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Meet the First Lady of Space Force: An Interview with Mollie Raymond

Mollie Raymond is the wife of newly appointed Space Force Chief Gen. John
“Jay” Raymond, making her the first military spouse in the newly created
sixth branch of the military. Military Times freelance reporter Natalie Gross
recently interviewed Raymond about what it’s like helping to shape a new
branch.

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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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Air Force Has 3 Programs Recognized by NCAA for Academic Progress Rate

Air Force had three athletic programs recognized by the NCAA for their latest
multiyear NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate (APR). Football, women's
gymnastics, and wrestling teams all ranked in the top 10 percent for their
sport. The NCAA will release the scores for each sport later this month.

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One More Thing...
Air Force Band Covers ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Theme with Japanese Musicians to Lift Spirits During Pandemic

Air Force musicians teamed up with Japanese troops and a local high school band
to record a music video intended to lift people’s spirits during the
coronavirus pandemic. The project yielded a version of “Tank!,” the theme
song for the popular Japanese anime TV series “Cowboy Bebop.” The Air Force
Band of the Pacific-Asia used social distancing to produce the project with a
Tachikawa city FM radio station, Hamura city high-schoolers, and Japan Air
Self-Defense Force musicians.

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