Window to Transfer to USSF Closing | B-1s Fly Over Black Sea

June 1, 2020

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

127th Cyber Operations Squadron joins the fight

The April 1 activation of the 127th Cyber Operations Squadron adds another cyberdefense capability to the Defense Department’s arsenal as information systems become the battlegrounds of the future. The 127th COS is one of 68 other teams within DOD providing network defense against cyber-attacks that pose serious threats to U.S. interests. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Lauren Penney.

Space Force’s Plan for Cyber Warriors

By Rachel S. Cohen

The Space Force is hashing out how to incorporate offensive cyber operations into its future combat plans, as the new service charts a path forward for the cyber-focused Airmen who transfer in, officials said during a recently livestreamed town hall. The Space Force at first is looking at bringing in about 130 cyber officers and around 1,000 enlisted members. Those transfers will largely handle defensive cyber operations, though Space Force cyberspace operations division chief Col. Aaron Gibson indicated that may change. Offensive cyber operations are “definitely something we’re looking at as we’re starting to write our cyber strategy,” Gibson said.

15 States Activate Guard to Help Quell Unrest

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

About 5,000 National Guard personnel—including more than 375 Air National Guardsmen—had been activated as of the morning of May 31 "in response to civil disturbances" that erupted after the death of George Floyd, according to the National Guard Bureau. An additional 2,000 Guard forces were on deck if the situation demanded, the bureau noted. “The situation is fluid so those numbers can change rapidly,” an NGB release stated.

B-1s Fly with Ukrainian, Turkish Jets over Black Sea

By Brian W. Everstine

Two B-1B Lancers on May 29 flew another long-range bomber task force flight to Eastern Europe, integrating with Ukrainian fighter jets and Turkish KC-135s for the first time, as well as with multiple other allied nations. The flight of B-1s from the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., marked a rare trip into the Black Sea region. In response, Russia scrambled Su-27P and Su-30SM fighters to intercept, the Russian Defense Ministry announced, posting a video of the intercept on their YouTube channel. The B-1s flew direct to the region, first integrating with Polish F-16s and MiG-29s, then Romanian F-16s and MiG-21s. The Polish and Romanian aircraft provided escort and combat patrol overwatch while in the Black Sea region, U.S. Air Forces in Europe said in a release.

USAF Official Song Now Completely Gender Neutral

By Brian W. Everstine

The Air Force finalized updates to its official song to be more inclusive, removing male-only references to reflect the “central role that women play” in the service. USAF Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein announced the changes in late February, saying “we are a profession of arms, we do the nation’s business, and it has to reflect all of us and who we aspire to be.” The service in March changed the third verse of the song, and on May 29 announced all male-only references have been changed. Goldfein, in a release, said the changes were made with “careful consideration” to ensure they are adding to, not subtracting from, the service.

Four COCOMS Join Forces to Test U.S. Air Defense Capabilities

By Amy McCullough

A B-1B Lancer will play the bad guy and try to penetrate U.S. airspace in a large force exercise that will bring together assets and players from four combatant commands, as well as North American Aerospace Defense Command and the Navy’s Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, U.S. Northern Command announced on May 29. The command did not release a date for the air defense exercise, but said it’s “a first of its kind” aimed at demonstrating U.S. and Canadian capabilities. “Leading complex multi-combatant command operations across multiple domains demonstrates our readiness to defend our homeland regardless of COVID-19,” NORTHCOM commander USAF Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy said in the release. “The high-end training we are conducting enables integration between strategic-level organizations who all play a significant role in the most important mission for our nation—defending our homeland.”

Ramstein Airmen, Spangdahlem F-16s Practice Agile Combat Employment

By Brian W. Everstine

Agile Combat Employment, a push to expand Airmen's capabilities beyond their regular job so they can be more flexible in a fight, will quickly become second nature in U.S. Air Forces in Europe, as wings are tasked with practicing the idea multiple times per month. This played out May 28 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where Airmen with the 435th Contingency Response Squadron, whose main job is maintenance on mobility aircraft, quickly refueled F-16s from the 52nd Fighter Wing while the engines were running for a quick combat turn. USAFE and Pacific Air Forces officials recently met to develop a joint summary on the concept to present to the Air Staff, explaining how ACE can be spread across the force, USAFE boss Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian told Air Force Magazine earlier this month.

Virtual Events: Flournoy Kicks Off CSIS’ Future Strategy Forum, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On June 2, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy, the co-founder and managing partner of WestExec Advisors, will deliver a keynote as part of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' "Future Strategy Forum: Cooperation and Conflict in the Time of Covid-19." Viewers can pose live questions here, and register for or watch a livestream of the event here.

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.

U.S. Space Force to Expand Presence Inside the Pentagon

Space News

The headquarters of former Air Force Space Command in Colorado Springs, Colo., will be phased out. The Space Force headquarters is being stood up in the Pentagon.

NASA And SpaceX Launch First Astronauts to Orbit from U.S. Since 2011

National Public Radio

The mission, which sent Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station, is a bold new venture for the space agency's plan to allow commercial companies to take its astronauts into low-Earth orbit.

Army Invites Air Force ABMS To Big Network Test: Project Convergence

Breaking Defense

Called Project Convergence, the exercise will test sharing of targeting data amongst the Army’s newest weapons, including aerial scouts, long-range missile launchers, and armored vehicles. The Army also wants to plug in its new anti-aircraft and missile defense systems, Army Futures Command head Gen. Mike Murray told reporters, but those technologies are at a critical juncture in their own individual test programs—some of which was delayed by COVID—and they may not be ready on time for this fall.

19th Airlift Wing, Air Mobility Command Receive Final C-130J

USAF release

With the historic aircraft delivery, which is the final C-130J to arrive from the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Ga., Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., continues to be the largest C-130J operator in the world —Home of Herk Nation. The base now boasts a C-130J fleet of 47 aircraft between both the 19th Airlift Wing and 314th Airlift Wing.

Researchers Choose SoarTech to Develop Artificial Intelligence for Manned and Unmanned Dogfighting

Military & Aerospace Electronics

U.S. military researchers needed a company to find ways of increasing trust in combat autonomy using human-machine collaboration in aircraft dogfighting. They found their solution from SOAR Technology Inc. (SoarTech) in Ann Arbor, Mich. Officials from the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, announced a $4.8 million contract to SoarTech on May 27 for the Air Combat Evolution (ACE) project.

Faster Acquisition

Air Force Magazine

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

Trump to Nominate New NBC Leader as White House Eyes Nuke Tests

Breaking Defense

President Donald Trump intends to nominate Lucas Polakowski as the next assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs, the White House said May 27, as the administration debates whether it will resume nuclear testing “within months.”

Annual DOD Warrior Games Canceled amid COVID Concerns

USMC release

As the lead planners for the 2020 Warrior Games, the Marine Corps announced the decision to cancel the Games, citing the paramount concerns for the health and well-being of the 300 U.S. military Active-duty and veteran athletes, international military teams, and residents within the greater San Antonio area.

5,000 National Guard Troops in 15 States and D.C. Activated to Help Quell Growing Civil Unrest

Military Times

The National Guard troops are responding under the direction of their governor are traditional part time guardsmen operating under State Active Duty orders with state and local law enforcement as the lead agency, according to Army Master Sgt. W. Michael Houk, a National Guard Bureau spokesman.

Martha McSally Didn’t Want to Be a Fighter Pilot—Until She Was Told No

Military.com

McSally spoke with Military.com about the debut of her first book, "Dare to Fly: Simple Lessons in Never Giving Up," which explores her career in the Air Force, loss, grief, being a rape survivor, her unwavering purpose, and championing women. She launched the book along with the website daretofly.us, where readers can contact her and share their personal stories.

One More Thing

Ben & Jerry's Launches New Limited Flavor ‘Boots on the Moooo'n’

Space.com

What do NASA, Netflix, and Ben & Jerry's now have in common? They all have orders to put boots on the moon. "Boots on the Moooo'n," Ben & Jerry's latest Limited Batch flavor, is inspired by Netflix's newest original, "Space Force," which launched on the streaming video service on May 29.