Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for Aug. 11, 2020

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

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First Space Force Doctrine Lays Foundation for Future Ops
By Rachel S. Cohen

The Space Force on Aug. 10 rolled out its inaugural policy document that will
govern how it organizes, trains, and equips service members for military space
operations. The new doctrine solidifies the interdependence of civil, military,
intelligence, and commercial players as the U.S. tries to return to the moon and
push farther to Mars, as well as protect its satellites and other spacecraft
from attack and support a growing number of private-sector ventures past the
Earth’s atmosphere. “Preserving freedom of action in space is the essence of
military space power and must be the first priority of military space forces,”
said the Space Capstone Publication, the product of a year’s worth of work.

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Air Force Assesses Education Quality, License Portability Near USAF Installations
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The Department of the Air Force recently released an assessment of public
education quality in school districts serving USAF installations, and of how
supportive states are of Airmen, space professionals, and their families when it
comes to transferring professional licenses. The department will use the
findings, based on 2019 data, to inform future basing decisions, and hopes the
results will motivate communities to lessen the challenges military families
face in the areas of education and military spouse unemployment, a background
document about the effort explained. “In turn, these efforts will strengthen
member retention, improve quality of life and ease transitions for our Airmen
and Space professionals,” the document stated.

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Hypersonic ARRW Wraps Early Testing Phase
By Brian W. Everstine

The AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), the Air Force’s first
hypersonic weapon, completed its last captive-carry test flight on a B-52 on
Aug. 8. During the test, which was conducted off the coast of Southern
California, the AGM-183A Instrumented Measurement Vehicle-2 transmitted
telemetry and GPS data to ground stations at the Point Mugu Sea Range verifying
the weapon’s integration with the B-52. During the test, the AGM-183A also
practiced a concept of operations that will be used in its first Booster Test
Flight, to be held later this year, according to an Air Force release. The
AGM-183A ARRW is a rapid prototype effort, with initial operational capability
expected by 2022.

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DOD Space Policy Boss to Depart Aug. 21
By Rachel S. Cohen

Stephen L. Kitay, deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy, will
leave his job at the end of the month, he said in an Aug. 8 letter posted to
social media. “While the department’s critical mission will never be
complete, I have a very exciting opportunity in the private sector that my
family and I decided to pursue,” he wrote. Kitay’s resignation as one of the
Pentagon’s top space policy officials takes effect Aug. 21. The Defense
Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on who will fill
the position once he leaves. He has held the job since June 2017.

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The Air Force Challenged Hackers to Break into a DOD Satellite
By Alyk Russell Kenlan

Eight groups of hackers attempted to to take control of a Defense Department
satellite on Aug. 9. The weekend-long event, called “Hack-A-Sat,” was
intended to spur interest in cybersecurity and help the DOD and the Air Force
learn about unforeseen security risks. The event was in collaboration with DEF
CON Safe Mode, an annual hacking convention that was run virtually this year due
to COVID-19 concerns. The competition consisted of five hacking challenges that
culminated in taking control of an active satellite and taking a photo of the
moon. “Letting experts hack an orbiting satellite will teach us how to build
more secure systems in the future,” Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air
Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics said in an Aug. 3 press
release.

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Virtual Events: RCO Directors on Mitchell’s Space Power Forum, and More
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On Aug. 13, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
will host its “Space Power Forum: DAFRCO/SpRCO | The Need for Specialized
Acquisition Offices” event, featuring Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office
Director and Program Executive Officer Randall G. Walden and Space Force Rapid
Capabilities Office Director and Program Executive Officer Michael W. Roberts.
Event video will tentatively be posted to the think tank's <a
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and <a href="[link removed]">YouTube
page</a> afterwards.

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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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Esper Says US Troop Presence in Afghanistan Will Be ‘Less than 5,000’ by November

Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said in an interview broadcast late Aug. 8 that
no more than 5,000 U.S. troops would remain in Afghanistan by the end of
November as the Trump administration looks to move forward with a reduction of
forces in the region.

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Russia Warns It Will See Any Incoming Missile as Nuclear

Russia will perceive any ballistic missile launched at its territory as a
nuclear attack that warrants a nuclear retaliation, the military warned in an
article published Aug. 7. The harsh warning in the official military newspaper
Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) is directed at the United States, which has worked to
develop long-range non-nuclear weapons.

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Alaska-Based Long-Range Ballistic Missile Defense Radar Fielding Delayed by a Year

The fielding of a U.S. Air Force radar to detect ballistic missile threats,
currently being installed at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska, is delayed by
roughly a year, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.
Information provided by the Missile Defense Agency in June to the GAO indicated
all construction and integration activities for the Long Range Discrimination
Radar had stopped in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Pentagon Updates Electronic Warfare Handbook with New Cross-Branch Approach

The U.S. military has updated its handbook on electronic warfare, changing it
to a more all-encompassing, cross-branch approach for planning, executing, and
assessing operations on the electromagnetic spectrum. The document, which is
dated May 2020 but was not made public until late July, eliminates and replaces
the previous joint publication for electronic warfare and provides principles
and guidance related to joint electromagnetic spectrum operations, or JEMSO.

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Retiring CMSAF Wright Talks Candidly about the Future of the Air Force, His George Floyd Post, and ‘Enlisted Jesus’ Memes

When Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright retires after 31
years of service, he will leave as one of the most consequential chief master
sergeants of the Air Force. Not only did he lead the way on the diversity
issue, but Wright also helped push the Air Force to do more on suicide
prevention and improving Airmen’s emotional resiliency.

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White House Agrees to Cover All Costs for Guard Coronavirus Missions for Three More States

White House officials agreed to cover all of the costs of National Guard
coronavirus response missions for three additional states on Friday, signaling
that the federal government may eventually do the same for more states in coming
months.

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OPINION: Modernize the National Guard’s State Partnership Program

“Low-key deployments by citizen-soldiers have strengthened ties with 89
nations—but some crucial partners are missing,” write Bradley Bowman, senior
director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for
Defense of Democracies, and Maj. Thomas G. Pledger, a visiting military analyst
there.

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Nagasaki Urges Nuke Ban on 75th Anniversary of US A-Bombing

The Japanese city of Nagasaki on Aug. 9 marked its 75th anniversary of the U.S.
atomic bombing, with the mayor and dwindling survivors urging world leaders,
including their own, to do more for a nuclear weapons ban.

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DOD to Assess Female Troops' Reproductive Health for First Time in Decades

The Pentagon is conducting its first survey in more than 30 years specifically
focused on the reproductive health of female service members, according to an
Aug. 4 release from the Military Health System Communications Office. It begins
this month.

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VA Restarts Electronic Health Record Rollout

The initial deployment at a Spokane, Wash., medical center is now scheduled for
October, while the new scheduling system will begin rolling out in August.

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One More Thing...
This Navy Ship Is Taxiing WWII Warbirds to Hawaii

A U.S. Navy warship that typically sees F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and MV-22B
Osprey tiltrotors crowding her flight deck is carrying a cargo of vintage
airplanes instead. The amphibious assault ship USS Essex is making the trip from
San Diego to Pearl Harbor with 14 World War II fighters, bombers, and trainers
aboard, all scheduled to take part in a commemoration of World War II in the
Pacific.

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