Space Force Releases First Doctrine | ARRW Wraps Early Testing

Aug. 11, 2020

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

View In Browser

The U.S. Space Force unveiled its motto and logo on July 22, 2020. Graphic via the U.S. Space Force on Twitter.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 website and YouTube page afterwards.

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.

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

The Hill

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.

Russia Warns It Will See Any Incoming Missile as Nuclear

The Associated Press

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.

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

Defense News

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.

Pentagon Updates Electronic Warfare Handbook with New Cross-Branch Approach

C4ISRNET

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.

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

Air Force Times

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.

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

Military Times

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.

OPINION: Modernize the National Guard’s State Partnership Program

Breaking Defense

“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.

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

The Associated Press

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.

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

Military.com

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.

VA Restarts Electronic Health Record Rollout

Nextgov

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.

One More Thing

This Navy Ship Is Taxiing WWII Warbirds to Hawaii

Popular Mechanics

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.