Nov. 13, 2020

Edited by Amy McCullough with Rachel S. Cohen, Brian W. Everstine and John A. Tirpak
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Gen. David W. AllvinGen. David W. Allvin became the Air Force's newest vice chief of staff on Nov. 12, 2020. Defense Department video screenshot.

Allvin Takes Over as USAF Vice Chief

By Brian W. Everstine

Gen. David W. Allvin received his fourth star and took over as the service’s new vice chief of staff on Nov. 12. Allvin, who previously served as the director for strategy, plans, and policy for the Joint Staff, takes over as the Air Force’s No. 2 as Gen. Steven W. “Seve” Wilson retires on Nov. 13. Wilson, who served in the role since July 2016, is the Air Force’s longest serving vice chief. During the ceremony at Joint Base Anacostia-Boling, Washington, D.C., Allvin said the “stakes I don’t think have been higher. The future security environment is evolving in a way that plays right into the wheelhouse of the Air Force.”

ACC Boss: Spectrum Warfare Wing Responds to Troubling Adversary Gains

By John A. Tirpak

China and Russia are making troubling gains in electromagnetic spectrum warfare, and this is one reason the Air Force is forming a new spectrum warfare wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Air Combat Command boss Gen. Mark D. Kelly said in a recent interview. Opponents will use their facility in EMS warfare to enhance their own kill chains and try to break those of the U.S. and its allies, he said.

Air Force Outlines Wish List for European ABMS Demo

By Rachel S. Cohen

The Air Force’s next massive force networking demonstration will focus on protecting troops in Europe from incoming missiles and other airborne threats, the service said in a recent notice. The fourth Advanced Battle Management System exercise, slated for February 2021, will pull data from next-generation sensors into a common operating picture to detect and track surface-to-air threats against U.S. European Command forces, as well as fending off enemy cruise missiles, USAF said Nov. 10. Under the “agile combat employment” strategy, military participants will also practice deploying away from brick-and-mortar bases and setting up a makeshift camp where they can reconstitute forces and launch attacks.

Senators Push for More F-35 Oversight in Spending Bill

By Rachel S. Cohen

The Senate Appropriations Committee wants to keep a closer eye on the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program. Lawmakers added multiple provisions to the committee’s version of the fiscal 2021 defense spending bill that call for more reports on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, as well as greater transparency in future budgets. The committee is offering $1.1 billion for 12 more F-35As, and $525.5 million for five more F-35Cs, than the Pentagon requested. In total, Senate appropriators want to spend $5.5 billion on 60 F-35As for the Air Force in 2021. That’s nearly identical to the House’s plan for the F-35A, which offers $5.8 billion. Still, appropriators seek more information on the ripple effects of America’s decision to oust Turkey from the Joint Strike Fighter program and other aspects of its progress.

Senators Seek Road Maps for C-130, LC-130 Fleets

By Rachel S. Cohen

The Air Force’s C-130 fleets have again caught the eye of congressional lawmakers, who asked for more information on the future of those aircraft in a version of the fiscal 2021 defense spending bill. Senate appropriators want the Air Force Secretary to send Capitol Hill a report on C-130 fleet management plans, and a similar road map for the ski-equipped LC-130s that allow the military to travel in polar regions.

Five Americans, Two Allied Service Members Killed in UH-60 Crash in Egypt

By Brian W. Everstine

Five American troops, along with one French and one Czech service member, were killed Nov. 12 when a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Multinational Force and Observers crashed in Egypt. Multinational Force and Observers is an international peacekeeping force tasked with overseeing the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The U.S. Army’s Task Force Sinai Aviation Command flies specially painted UH-60s carrying peacekeepers throughout the Sinai Peninsula. In addition to those killed, one U.S. service member survived and was medically evacuated. “The MFO will conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the accident,” MFO said in a statement.
 
 

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 DOD Adviser Has Made Controversial Proposal: Get Rid of the Marine Corps

Military.com

Retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor, newly-appointed as a senior adviser at the Pentagon, has a track record of making controversial statements. But his most provocative of all might be a proposal to do away with the U.S. Marine Corps.

F-35, Reaper Sale to UAE Draws Fire in Senate, Fuels Concern over Libya

Breaking Defense

This week’s notification to Congress of a pending $23.4 billion deal with the United Arab Emirates for 50 F-35 warplanes, 18 MQ-9B Reapers, and billions worth of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions is the latest in a series of sales to partners in the region meant to deter and contain Iran.

US MQ-9 Reaper Drones Stationed In Poland Spotted With New SIGINT Wing-Mounted Pod

The Aviationist

Some interesting photos were shared online by the Polish Ministry of Defense. They show one of the MQ-9 drones of the 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 2, the unit operating MQ-9 Reaper drones in Europe, flying over Lask Air Base, Poland, with a brand new pod.

Pentagon to Release New Mission Engineering Guide

National Defense Magazine

The Defense Department will soon release a new guide to help engineers and the acquisition community as they pursue new capabilities for the military. The initiative comes as the Pentagon is trying to implement the 2018 National Defense Strategy and engage in great power competition with China and Russia.

US Space Force Awards Third Contract for Anti-Jamming SATCOM Prototypes

C4ISRNET

The U.S. Space Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to build a new anti-jamming communications satellite prototype, bringing the number of companies working on that program to three. Under the contracts, each company will develop a prototype payload for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications program. ESS is intended to be the successor to the Advanced Extremely High Frequency constellation, which provides secure, survivable SATCOM for strategic communications.

NORTHCOM Focusing Budget Priorities on Data Management for JADC2

Federal News Network

A large piece of U.S. Northern Command’s budgetary focus over the next two years will be informed by a focus on sharing and collecting data for the military’s future interconnected command and control system.

SPONSORED: Extending Human Performance Through Technology: The Promise of JADC2

Air Force Magazine

The Air Force’s vision for the seamless, networked warfighting concept known as joint all-domain command and control, or JADC2, is all about using information to dominate the battlespace: By interconnecting systems across every domain, U.S. forces would seek to increase the operational decision space for all U.S. commanders, overwhelming adversary commanders and shortening decision-making cycles for any opponent that must react.

As Air Force Bucks N.H. PFAS Limits, State Seeks Payment For Pease Neighbors' Water

New Hampshire Public Radio

New Hampshire wants the Air Force to cover the cost of drinking water assistance for three homes near the former Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., with per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemical contamination in their home wells.

VA Turns to Machine Learning to Automate Prescription Workflows

Nextgov

In doing so, they’re learning firsthand how emerging technology-based solutions can help free up their time, so that more attention can be given directly to patients, according to the Executive Director of the Veterans Health Administration’s Innovation Ecosystem, Dr. Ryan Vega.
 

One More Thing

The Amazing Story of How This Nazi Recon Plane Ended Up Being Tested in the US During WWII

The Drive

The World War II warplane’s extraordinary journey began with a Romanian defector and ended at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
 
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