Reapers Monitor California Fires | Aviano F-16s Start NATO Air Policing Role

Sept. 29, 2020

Edited by Amy McCullough with Brian W. Everstine and Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

163rd Attack Wing Navigates a DOMOPS Perfect Storm

An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft flown by 163rd Attack Wing pilot Lt. Col. Paul Brockmeier, with sensor operator Master Sgt. Anthony Martinez, views the smoky San Gabriel Mountains of southern California in transit to a fire mission in northern California, late August, 2020. “The beauty of the sunsets doesn’t begin to mitigate the tragedy of the fires,” said Brockmeier. “But it’s always a beautiful evening when you’re flying to the aid of your fellow Californians.” Photo courtesy of Chalk 2 for the 163rd Attack Wing.

How California Guard MQ-9s Are Helping With Fire Response

By Brian W. Everstine

California Air National MQ-9s have flown the length of the entire state, helping to coordinate responses to more than 24 fires that have been burning in the past two months. As of Sept. 28, there have been 7,982 total wildfires, burning more than 3.6 million acres and damaging or destroying 7,630 structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. To help with the response, the 163rd Attack Wing at times had three Reapers in the air, flying more than 70 sorties and more than 1,000 mission hours, according to a release.

USAF F-16s to Police Bulgaria’s Skies for NATO

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

For the next four weeks, USAF Airmen and F-16s and Bulgarian air force fighter aircraft will fly NATO air patrols over Bulgaria to protect the nation’s airspace, improve the Air Force’s interoperability with its counterparts there, and serve as a show “of Allied solidarity,” NATO and USAF announced Sept. 28. “Approximately 140 personnel and six F-16s from the 555th Fighter Squadron deployed in support of the Allied mission along with various units from Aviano Air Base, Italy, and Airmen assigned to the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany,” a 31st Fighter Wing release stated. The participating F-16s will serve as a quick-response force for aircraft who fall into distress or defy international flying rules and advance toward NATO nations’ sovereign airspace, a NATO Allied Air Command release about the mission explained. This tasking is part of the alliance’s increased “air policing measures in the region,” which it implemented in reaction to Russian activity in Ukraine, including the annexation of Crimea, NATO noted.

AFRL’s ‘ROBOpilot’ Returns to Flight After Mishap

By Brian W. Everstine

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s robotic pilot has returned to the sky, following a mishap that grounded the system last year. The AFRL Center for Rapid Innovation and DZYNE Technologies Incorporated’s ROBOPilot flew for about 2.2 hours on Sept. 24 at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. The ROBOpilot system is added to the cockpit of a regular plane, with the system grabbing the yoke, flipping switches, and pushing rudders and brakes like a human pilot while also using sensors such as GPS and an Inertial Measurement Unit for situational awareness. ROBOPilot first flew in August 2019 on a Cessna 206, but was damaged during a rough landing on a later flight. A Safety Investigation Board convened to look at the incident, briefing AFRL and DZYNE, who then “analyzed the findings and incorporated the recommendations to ensure the success of the latest test,” said Marc Owens, the AFRL Center for Rapid Innovation’s program manager for ROBOpilot, in a release.

Whiteman Hosts Drive-In Air Force Ball During Pandemic

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The COVID-19 pandemic inspired the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., to pioneer a new kind of USAF birthday celebration: a drive-in Air Force ball. The idea to transition the ball from an in-person party to a drive-in celebration stemmed from unique challenges presented by the ongoing coronavirus crisis, said Master Sgt. Joshua Braswell, 509th Security Forces Squadron Antiterrorism & Force Protection Planner who served on the event’s planning committee. The event also featured a family-friendly atmosphere, relaxed dress code, and free admission.

Virtual Events: IAVA, The Mission Continues Host Event on Veterans and Voting, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On Sept. 30, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America will host a Facebook Live with The Mission Continues at 1 p.m. EDT addressing the importance of the veteran vote, issues impacting the veteran community, and more. IAVA CEO Jeremy Butler will appear in conversation with TMC President Mary Beth Bruggeman, and the two will take questions from the public and press. People may email [email protected] to RSVP and get call-in information, and tune into 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.

New US Threats to Iraq Widen Rifts, Leave PM Exposed

Agence France Presse via Military.com

Enraged by near-daily attacks on its interests in Iraq, Washington has threatened to close its embassy in Baghdad, in a blow to a premier seen as a xxxxxx against Iran.

Carrier-Launched Airstrikes Hit ISIS Targets in Iraq as USS Nimitz Patrols Persian Gulf

Stars and Stripes (Subscription Required)

For the first time in over two years, carrier-launched U.S. aircraft conducted an airstrike against Islamic State group targets in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, the global coalition battling the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria. A pair of Navy F/A-18F Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing 17, embarked on the USS Nimitz, conducted the strikes on Sept. 23, Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a spokeswoman for the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, confirmed via email on Sept. 28.

DOD Seeks Legislative Help for ICBM Replacement Construction Costs

Defense News

The Defense Department hopes Congress will approve a change in how it funds the next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile in order to avoid what the department views as unnecessary contract bureaucracy. Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week, Pentagon acquisition head Ellen M. Lord said the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program was moving along as planned, but she indicated that a military construction issue remains unsolved.

USS Vinson Flies F-35s & Quietly Readies for New Refueling Drone

Breaking Defense

Headlines have celebrated the carrier's new F-35s—but the Navy also added upgrades to the Vinson for the MQ-25 refueling drone, which could be a game-changer for future ops.

General Atomics' Sparrowhawk Drone-Launched Drone Breaks Cover

The Drive

This low-cost unmanned demonstrator could give larger drones, such as the MQ-9 Reaper, game-changing new capabilities.

X-Chimera VTOL UAV Seen in PLAAF Airborne Corps Exercise

Janes (Subscription Required)

Chinese state-owned television has released video footage showing what appears to be the X-Chimera vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle being used by a brigade of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force Airborne Corps: an indication that the twin-tailboom UAV is either being tested or is already in service with the corps.

Full Coverage of AFA's Virtual Air, Space & Cyber Conference

Air Force Magazine

The conference has passed, but our coverage continues. For a comprehensive look at everything that happened, visit our vASC landing page.

Swiss Voters Approve $6.5 Billion Purchase of Fighter Jets

Reuters

Swiss voters backed the government’s plan to spend up to 6 billion Swiss francs ($6.46 billion) on new fighter jets in a surprisingly close referendum that was won with a 50.2 percent majority, official results showed on Sept. 27. Opinion polls had shown the plan would easily win approval in a country where armed neutrality is a tradition.

The JADC2 Revolution

Air Force Magazine

U.S. forces are redefining joint operations to be more tightly integrated. Joint all-domain command and control (JADC2) accelerates the speed and complexity of warfare by tying forces together across the air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. For the latest on what this means to operators and the industry, check out our JADC2 landing page.

Probe into ‘Discarded’ Military Ballots Becomes Campaign Outrage Fuel

The Associated Press

The news release from a U.S. attorney in Pennsylvania was provocative: Nine mailed-in military ballots had been “discarded” by the local election office in a swing county of one of the most important presidential battleground states.

Weather Forces Scrub of Arsenal of Democracy D.C. Flyover, No Event Reschedule This Year

Military Times

The 2020 Arsenal of Democracy World War II flyover event was cancelled due to weather. Officials tell Military Times the event, originally scheduled for May but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, won’t be rescheduled again this year. However, organizers may try again next year.

One More Thing

Air Force Veteran Uses Sculpting to Teach Others about Black History

TODAY

Air Force veteran Ed Dwight, 87, says he was in his 40s when he first found out about civil rights icons like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. He blended his learning with art to create sculptures to teach others and memorialize history.