Can a Drone Beat a Human Pilot? | Guard Presence Builds in DC

June 5, 2020

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

DOD CIO, JAIC Director Brief on Ethical Principles for Artificial Intelligence

Defense Department Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy and Joint Artificial Intelligence Center Director Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan brief the press on the adoption of ethical principles for artificial intelligence at the Pentagon on Feb. 24, 2020. Defense Department photo by Lisa Ferdinando.

Air Force to Test Fighter Drone Against Human Pilot

By Rachel S. Cohen

Air Force researchers are designing an autonomous aircraft that can take down a manned plane in air-to-air combat, with the goal of pitting the two against each other in July 2021. Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, head of the Pentagon’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, said the Air Force Research Laboratory team is pushing the boundaries of what the military can build, compared to the aircraft that already fill the service’s squadrons. “[Team leader Steve Rogers] is probably going to have a hard time getting to that flight next year … when the machine beats the human,” Shanahan said during a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event. “If he does it, great.”

10 States Send Guardsmen to Assist Law Enforcement in D.C.

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory and Rachel S. Cohen

National Guard troops—including Air National Guardsmen—from 10 states are deployed or slated to travel to Washington to reinforce the District of Columbia National Guard’s support to local and federal law enforcement, amid ongoing civil unrest following George Floyd’s May 25 death in police custody, the National Guard Bureau said in a June 4 release. As of the morning of June 4, more than 32,400 Guard personnel from 32 states and the nation’s capital had been tapped to back up law-enforcement responses to these civil disturbances, the release stated.

Hickam, JBSA, Tinker to Host Next 5G Tests

By Brian W. Everstine

The Defense Department is rolling out 5G technology for experimentation and testing at seven more military bases, including the Air Force’s main training base. The second tranche of bases includes Naval Base Norfolk, Va.; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Joint Base San Antonio, Texas; the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif.; Fort Hood, Texas; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; and Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. These bases, in addition to the first tranche announced last year, make 12 total military installations that will explore potential uses for 5G.

Guam’s Global Hawks Move to Japan for Typhoon Season

By Brian W. Everstine

A contingent of RQ-4 Global Hawks are now flying out of Yokota Air Base, Japan, after making their regular trip from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to avoid bad weather. The RQ-4s often move to Japan to stay safe from Andersen's typhoon season. A Pacific Air Forces release said the unmanned surveillance aircraft, owned by the 319th Reconnaissance Wing, started heading to Yokota on May 30. Having alternate locations to perform the Global Hawk mission allows the Air Force to continue collecting reconnaissance images while supporting Japan and keeping peace in the Indo-Pacific, said Lt. Col. Ben Craycraft, commander of 319th Operations Group's Detachment 1.

Virtual Events: Roper on Mitchell Institute’s ‘Aerospace Nation,’ and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On June 9, Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics, will appear on the "Aerospace Nation" series hosted by AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. Event video will tentatively be posted on Mitchell's website and YouTube page following the event.

Radar Sweep

Historic Nomination of First Black Service Chief to Move Forward after Lawmaker Lifts Secret Hold

Defense News

As the country is gripped by civil unrest over racial injustice and the death of George Floyd, the U.S. Senate has been poised to confirm the first black chief of a military service branch. But the nomination was being quietly delayed by one senator as leverage in a basing decision for the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker.

Trump Expected to Keep Esper on Despite News Conference Flap, Sources Say

NBC News

President Donald Trump on June 4 appeared to be standing down for now on firing Defense Secretary Mark Esper, said sources familiar with the situation, after threatening to do so the day before.

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.

Air Force Preparing for Furloughed Commercial Pilots to Request Return to Duty

Military.com

Nearly 200 pilots have chosen to stay in the U.S. Air Force as major airlines operate in a limited capacity during the COVID-19 outbreak, sharply reducing the number of commercial flights around the world. While the service is still gathering data, "171 pilots have been approved to stay past their original retirement or separation dates" since March, Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Malinda Singleton said in an email June 4.

DOD Reviewing New Data on Pandemic Impact on Space Industry Suppliers

SpaceNews

The Pentagon’s Space Acquisition Council is reviewing early results of a survey of space industry suppliers that asked companies to identify specific impacts of the coronavirus crisis on their businesses.

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.

U.S. Air Force Begins Search to Replace General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper in 2030

FlightGlobal

The U.S. Air Force has formally launched its search for an unmanned air vehicle to replace the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper beginning in 2030.

Army Reservist, Navy and Air Force Vets Plotted to Terrorize Vegas Protests, Prosecutors Charge

The Associated Press via Military Times

Three Nevada men with military experience and a connection to a loose movement of right-wing extremists advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government have been arrested on terrorism-related charges in what authorities say was a conspiracy to spark violence during recent protests in Las Vegas.

Iran Frees American, U.S. Allows Dual Citizen to Visit Iran in Deal

Reuters

A U.S. Navy veteran who said he contracted the coronavirus while detained in Iran since 2018 was freed June 4 as part of a deal in which the United States allowed an Iranian-American physician to visit Iran, his lawyer and a U.S. official said. Iran’s decision to release American Michael White and the U.S. move to let dual citizen Majid Taheri visit Iran, both of which were confirmed by Iran’s foreign minister, appeared to be a rare instance of U.S.-Iranian cooperation.

One More Thing

The XB-70 Looks Like a Giant Metal Swan in This Incredible Shot Taken from a Chase Plane

The Aviationist

The aircraft in this photo collided with a civilian registered F-104N flown by famous test pilot Joe Walker, who tragically died in the accident during a photo flight.