F-16 Pilot Killed in Crash | Goldfein: Race Discussions Need to be Here to Stay

July 2, 2020

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

An F-16 Viper takes off from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., during exercise Agile Lion on Jan. 16, 2020. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Destinee Sweeney.

Editor’s Note

In honor of the Fourth of July, the Daily Report will not publish on Friday, July 3. We will resume publication Monday, July 6.

F-16 Pilot Killed in Shaw Crash

By Brian W. Everstine

A pilot was killed late June 30 when an F-16CM crashed upon landing during a routine training mission at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. The crash occurred at the base around 11:30 p.m., with videos posted online showing emergency crews attempting to put out a large fire on the flightline. Col. Larry Sullivan, commander of the 20th Fighter Wing, in a video posted on the wing’s Facebook page, said the next of kin notification process is ongoing, and asked for privacy for both the pilot’s family and the squadron. The cause of the crash is not yet known, according to the base.

Goldfein: Race, Diversity Discussions Must Have Staying Power

By Brian W. Everstine

Discussions on race relations, including disparities in the application of military justice and promotions as well as Airmen's own experiences, can’t end when the country shifts its focus onto other issues, such as the election in the fall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein said. With just one month left in his tenure as the leader of the Air Force, Goldfein said the service is making strides, but it has come late, noting progress must continue after he's gone. “We were doing a lot of work towards becoming a more diverse force, but we have an opportunity in front of us right now to put our foot on the gas and really move forward in the ways we need to move,” Goldfein said during a virtual Brookings Institute event on July 1.

USAF Taps 18 More Companies to Develop New Combat Network

By Rachel S. Cohen

The Air Force awarded contracts to 18 additional companies this week to develop and connect a plethora of technologies as part of the Advanced Battle Management System, after the first round of 28 contracts went out May 29. The ABMS network looks to connect the Air Force’s aircraft, cameras and sensors, computer systems, and other technologies into a more responsive warfighting web. For example, some will offer software to let different systems communicate or to visualize combat data, while others could pitch hardware that collects intelligence in new ways.

Bunch: Small Fleets Pose Big Challenges, Conversion to Century Series Unclear

By John A. Tirpak

Bigger fleets of aircraft are easier and less costly per aircraft to manage than small ones, but that may change as the Air Force moves toward the new Digital Century Series, Air Force Materiel Command chief Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr. said July 1. The move toward small fleets only kept for a decade or so will require a mindset change, he said, but it won't lead to a major change in how AFMC does business on older systems that will be around for years to come. Bunch also talked about how the Air Force is now thinking about mission capability rates, and keeping aircraft available.

Congress Questions Need for New Armed Overwatch Planes for SOCOM

By Rachel S. Cohen

Congress wants to pump the brakes on U.S. Special Operations Command’s effort to buy a new plane for armed overwatch in remote areas, after many lawmakers recently supported a similar Air Force program. Lawmakers call on Pentagon leadership to describe why SOCOM would need such an aircraft, and whether there’s another way to get the benefits of a new plane without buying one. Members in the House and Senate, who are pushing to cut the program's funding, worry that SOCOM doesn’t have a valid requirement for the platform and that the purchase wouldn’t be cost-effective.

Lockheed Delivers F-35 Distributed Mission Training Capability to the Air Force

By Brian W. Everstine

The Air Force formally accepted delivery of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Distributed Mission Training capability, following a capstone event at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., where four Joint Strike Fighter pilots flew alongside F-22s, F-16s, and an E-3 Sentry virtually for the first time. The DMT system connects F-35 full mission simulators to other training systems across the Air Force over a network to be able to fly together in large-scale events. F-35s at Nellis connected with other trainers from different bases bases to fly a virtual mission in a simulated contested environment during the June 18 final test.

Air Force Streamlines Exceptional Family Member Support

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

A new division within the Air Force Personnel Center will provide better, more streamlined customer service to the families the Air Force Exceptional Family Member Program serves. “Your voices were heard,” said Kimberly Schuler, who heads up humanitarian, Exceptional Family Member Program, and expedited transfer reassignments policy at the center, in a June 30 release. “Integrating all EFMP components under one division prevents families from having to navigate through a complex process and engage multiple organizations to respond to a singular EFMP request.”

GE Gets Contract for First Batch of F-15EX Engines

By John A. Tirpak

General Electric's F110-129 engine will power the first batch of F-15EX fighters for the Air Force, under a $101.4 million contract announced June 30. The first batch was not competed because of the urgency of getting F-15EX testing underway, and the GE engine is the only one certified for "advanced" F-15s. However, subsequent batches will be open for competition. Pratt & Whitney plans to offer its F100-229.

Virtual Events: Soofer on Mitchell’s Nuclear Deterrence Forum, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On July 6, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a Nuclear Deterrence Forum featuring Robert Soofer, deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy. Event video will tentatively be posted on Mitchell's website and YouTube page after the event.

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.

Pentagon Report Says Russia Working with Taliban, Others to Expedite U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan

CNN

While the U.S. military has long accused Moscow of maintaining links to the Taliban, the latest Pentagon assessment comes amid ongoing scrutiny about the Trump administration's response to intelligence indicating that Russian operatives had offered bounties to Taliban linked militants for killing U.S. and U.K. service members in Afghanistan.

House Committee Leader Wants Oversight of Pentagon’s Handling of Banned Chinese Gear

Nextgov

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) proposes requiring the Government Accountability Office to complete a report on federal agencies’ procurement of equipment from certain Chinese companies, or entities using such equipment, which was blacklisted in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019.

These Are the 7 Anti-Drone Weapons the U.S. Military Plans to Invest In

Military.com

The systems fall into three categories: fixed and semi-fixed systems, mobile mounted systems, and handheld dismounted systems, the Army said.

AFWERX Fusion 2020 Goes Virtual

USAF release

The AFWERX Fusion 2020 Base of the Future will be virtual this year in response to the current global health crisis. The annual Fusion event will be held July 28-30 and will feature more than 300 teams from the public and private sector participating in the Base of the Future Showcase to present their innovative solutions to Air Force leadership and key military decision-makers and operators.

SpaceX Launches a U.S. Space Force GPS III Satellite, Recovers Rocket’s First Stage

SpaceNews

This was the first time SpaceX recovered a booster following a National Security Space Launch mission.

‘Minutes, Not Months’: Texas‑Based Hypergiant Partners with USAF on Satellites That Update in Real Time

Dallas Innovates

A fleet of mini-satellites working together in space will update actions and tasks ‘on the fly’ based on emerging scenarios and mission needs, says CEO Ben Lamm. That’s something that’s never been done before.

Northrop Grumman to Continue Virtual Training Mission for USAF

Airforce Technology

Northrop Grumman has secured a single-award contract extension from the U.S. Air Force for Mobility Air Force Distributed Mission Operations. Under the $64 million contract, Northrop Grumman will continue as the Operations and Integration prime contractor to provide a distributed training solution for training missions. These cyber-secure solutions will include virtual air refuelling, formation flight, airdrop and tactical training for Air Mobility Command crews.

SASC Pushes Cyber Overhaul In New NDAA

Breaking Defense

Sen. Angus King, co-chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, thinks a cyber threat could be as dangerous—or worse—than the COVID-19 pandemic. The Senate Armed Services Committee is listening and has incorporated 11 of the commission’s recommendations in the 2021 NDAA, with another 18 ready to be introduced as amendments.

PETA Wants USAFA to Stop Using Live Falcon Mascots

Military Times

Animal rights advocates with the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals voiced their displeasure with the U.S. Air Force Academy in a June 30 letter denouncing the use of live falcons as the academy’s mascot.

Trailblazers: AETC Honors First Women Pilots in Air Force History

USAF release

In honor of the first women who became USAF pilots, Air Education and Training Command officials renamed the Martin Hall Conference Room in its command headquarters main building the “Trailblazer Room” during a virtual ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph on June 29. “The women of class 77-08 truly broke barriers,” said AETC Commander Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, who presided over the ceremony. “They lived the fact that glass ceilings were a reality simply because they were women. These trailblazers paved the way for future generations of female pilots and their influence on our Air Force is still felt today.”

One More Thing

Airlifters Packed with Paratroopers Just Practiced a Sudden Long-Range Invasion of Guam

The Drive

As tensions in the Pacific Theater continue to increase, the U.S. military is flexing its muscles and reminding its potential enemies that it can reach out over vast distances and put boots on the ground on an island within a very short amount of time. Case in point, an emergency deployment readiness exercise that just saw paratroopers from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division out of Alaska descend onto Guam via airdrop from C-17 Globemaster III transports.