Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for May 28, 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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Hinote: COVID-19 Accelerated Modernization ‘Day of Reckoning’

The Air Force can't afford to keep the force it has and modernize it, so it must
choose new technology over force structure, Brig. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote, acting
director of the Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability, said May 27.
Modernization was put off too long, and pressure on federal spending from
pandemic relief will compel the Air Force to choose a robust or modern force, he
said, with no choice being the "worst possible" outcome. Dispersal of forces and
migrating away from large, fixed operating bases is also in the future, posing
targeting challenges to adversaries and imposing costs that will aid in
deterrence, he said during an AFA Mitchell Institute streamed event.

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For Clues About Space Force’s Future, Look to Crew Dragon
By Rachel S. Cohen

Some space watchers say NASA’s return to launching astronauts from U.S. soil
this week could shape the far future of military manned spaceflight, though
others say the new Space Force doesn’t need to aim for “boots on the
Moon.” SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will carry NASA astronauts Robert
Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the International Space Station using a Falcon 9
rocket, marking the first time since 2011 that the U.S. has not relied on
Russia’s Soyuz program to take people to space. The Space Force, and Air Force
Space Command before it, does not handle human spaceflight, and does not have
its own cadre of astronauts. But NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, for which
Crew Dragon’s planned May 30 launch is the first manned mission, could still
spur ripple effects for military space.

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Many Cadets to Return to Air Force Academy This Summer
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The U.S. Air Force Academy intends to bring back about three-quarters of its
Cadet Wing—basic cadets included—this summer, USAFA Graduate Liaison Nicole
Cox wrote in a May 27 email to alumni that was obtained by Air Force Magazine. A
USAFA spokesperson confirmed the email’s validity. “Cadets will be brought
back in multiple waves based on timing for their summer programs,” Cox wrote,
adding that the Academy will implement COVID-19 risk-mitigation measures
including a restriction of movement, social distancing, and keeping certain
groups of cadets separated from one another within two of its dormitories. Over
the summer, the Academy plans to conduct academics, airmanship programs, Basic
Cadet Training, and Air Force Academy Preparatory School Basic Military
Training, Cox wrote.

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USAFE Units Converge over North Sea as International Exercises are Canceled
By Brian W. Everstine

The sky above the North Sea in Europe filled with dozens of USAF aircraft on May
27 as fighters from multiple bases joined together in red vs. blue teams to
prove that U.S. Air Forces in Europe crews are ready for a high-end fight, even
as the COVID-19 pandemic forces the command to change its schedule. Since the
outbreak began, USAFE has cancelled or suspended 14 exercises, leaving a
shortage in its crews ability to train at a high-level outside of their own
local airspace. The May 27 “large force employment” event was the
culmination of about a month and a half of planning, led by the 48th Fighter
Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England. All told, 38 aircraft came together including
F-15Cs and F-15Es from Lakenheath; KC-135s from RAF Mildenhall, England; F-16s
from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; F-16s from Aviano Air Base, Italy; a NATO
E-3 AWACS; and the 603rd Air Operations Center at Ramstein Air Base, Germany,
monitoring the action.

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Military Coalition Asks Congress to Stop Downsizing of DOD Medical Facilities
By Brian W. Everstine

A coalition of military and veterans associations is urging lawmakers to reverse
Pentagon plans to close or downsize military medical facilities as the COVID-19
outbreak spreads. In February, the Pentagon said it planned to close or downsize
50 medical clinics, including 12 on Air Force bases, to focus more on the
“readiness of our operational and medical forces” and less on serving
families and retirees. The Military Coalition, a collection of more than two
dozen groups including the Air Force Association, on May 18 sent a letter to the
chairs and ranking members of the Senate and House Armed Services subcommittees
on personnel urging them to adopt a provision in the fiscal 2021 National
Defense Authorization Act to stop the downsizing. “The COVID-19 pandemic
demands medical readiness requirements be reassessed and updated with lessons
learned from the whole of nation response to the coronavirus emergency,” the
coalition wrote.

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CMSAF Wright to Serve as Air Force Aid Society’s Next CEO
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright will succeed retired Air
Force Lt. Gen. John Hopper Jr. as CEO of the Air Force Aid Society—the
service’s official charity—on Oct. 1, the organization announced May 27.
“I’m excited about this next chapter following my retirement from the U.S.
Air Force,” Wright said in an AFAS release. “It’s been an invaluable
experience to serve alongside so many great Airmen over the past 31 years. I
admire Lt. Gen. Hopper and look forward to building upon the success and great
things he and his staff have done at the Society to help so many of our Air
Force families.” Wright, whose retirement date from the Air Force has yet to
be announced, has served as CMSAF since February 2017.

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Virtual Events: Esper, Milley, Colón-López Talk COVID-19, and More
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Today at 9:30 a.m. EDT, Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, and Senior Enlisted Advisor to the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Ramón Colón-López will field questions
from U.S. troops, Defense Department civilians, and military family members
about the new coronavirus pandemic during a virtual town hall. Individuals may
submit questions by posting their name, duty location, and query on <a
href="[link removed]">DOD's Facebook page</a>. The
event will be streamed <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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How the Pandemic Is Helping the Military Prep for World War III

A local coronavirus response functioned as a crucial test of a new data network
concept intended to deter Russia and China.

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Air Force Releases RFI to Study COVID-19 Impact on Operations, Investments

The Air Force is starting a new effort to assess the COVID-19 pandemic's
long-term impacts on operations and readiness that could affect the service's
financial investments. A request for information the Air Force released May 22
will help come up with a solicitation to potential contractors on behalf of the
service's deputy chief of staff for operations, who is overseeing the effort.

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COVID, OneWeb, and How the Space Development Agency Has Coped

Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear sat down (virtually) on May 19
with C4ISRNET’s Nathan Strout to discuss his agency’s progress, the health
of the industrial base, and the impact of COVID-19 on his plans.

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Space Acquisition: Speed May Not Fix Problems, Critics Say

The latest version of the Air Force’s long-overdue report to Congress on space
acquisition reform fails to address a number of foundational questions, critics
say, including: go fast to do what; who gets to decide the what; and who is
accountable if things go pear shaped?

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Air Force Admits 'Persistent and Consistent' Racial Bias Against Black Airmen, Records Show

Air Force officials have privately acknowledged racial bias against young black
airmen in judicial proceedings while also fighting the release of documents
detailing the problem and their response, according to documents and a study
released May 27.

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MQ-9 Drone Crew Awarded Air Force Achievement Medals After RPG Attack

Drone operators who participated in a supply airdrop mission over Afghanistan
last fall and avoided a rocket-propelled grenade in the process have received
awards for the mission.

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VIDEO: Two Russian Fighters Make Unsafe Intercept of Navy P-8A Over Eastern Med

Russian pilots flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while intercepting a
U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance aircraft over the
Mediterranean Sea, U.S. 6th Fleet said on May 26. The intercept was the third
such incident in two months, Navy officials said.

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Three European Air Forces Approve Performance Benchmarks for Next-Gen Fighter Jet

The air forces of Germany, France, and Spain have agreed on a set of performance
benchmarks to help their governments guide the development of a next-generation
fighter jet set to fly in 2040, the German military announced May 26 in a
statement. The document, approved earlier this month, is meant to help officials
identify what features from a collection of 10 possible system architectures are
worth keeping when the time comes to settle on a path forward for the
Next-Generation Weapon System, or NGWS.

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Rapid Acquisition & Sustainment

The Air Force and U.S. defense establishment are breaking down barriers and
injecting speed, innovation, and creativity into the procurement system. Check
out our new page to learn more about these efforts.

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How the Taliban Outlasted a Superpower: Tenacity and Carnage

The Taliban stand on the brink of realizing their most fervent desire: U.S.
troops leaving Afghanistan. They have given up little of their extremist
ideology to do it.

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Boeing to Cut Nearly 10,000 Jobs in Washington, More than 12,000 Overall

Boeing announced to employees May 27 a first batch of almost 7,000 involuntary
layoffs in the U.S. Added to more than 5,500 voluntary buyouts, that means it
will cut almost 12,300 U.S. jobs. Washington state takes the biggest hit: 9,840
Boeing jobs will be cut before July 31 in a combination of buyouts and
involuntary layoffs, the company said.

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One More Thing...
Military and Intelligence Personnel Can Be Tracked with the Untappd Beer App

Surprise! The beer-rating app Untappd can be used to track the location history
of military personnel. The social network has over eight million mostly European
and North American users, and its features allow researchers to uncover
sensitive information about said users at military and intelligence locations
around the world.

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