Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for Dec. 11, 2020

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

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Wisconsin Guard F-16 Pilot Killed in Dec. 8 Crash
By Brian W. Everstine

The 115th Fighter Wing announced Dec. 10 that the F-16 pilot, missing since his
jet crashed late Dec. 8, has died. “We are deeply saddened by this tragic
loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult
time,” 115th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Bart Van Roo said in a release.
“Today is a day for mourning. The 115th Fighter Wing and the entire Wisconsin
National Guard stands with the pilot’s family as we grieve the loss of a great
Airman and patriot.” The name of the pilot is being withheld, pending next of
kin notification. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

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Could COVID-19 End the Next Generation Air Dominance Program?
By Brian W. Everstine

The Air Force's top weapons buyer is worried the top-secret Next Generation Air
Dominance program might become an “unintended casualty” of the COVID-19
pandemic. Lawmakers in the final draft of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill
are cutting $70 million from the NGAD program for a total authorization of $974
million, while also calling for the Pentagon’s cost-assessment office to
review NGAD and the Air Force's Digital Century Series. Will Roper, USAF’s
assistant secretary of acquisition, told Air Force Magazine in a recent
interview the department is struggling to share the successes of NGAD as well as
the effectiveness of digital engineering, in part, because of social distancing.
“The thing that’s the big delineator on NGAD is whether we’re able to talk
with folks on the Hill in a classified level or not,” Roper said. “It’s a
difficult program to say anything on without being able to get in the SCIF.”

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Ray: Great Power Competition Is an ‘Infinite Game’ with Russia, China
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

In order to more effectively compete with Russia and China on the great-power
stage, the United States must change the way it perceives—and plays—the
game, Air Force Global Strike Command boss Gen. Timothy M. Ray said Dec. 10.
“We're in a long-term, strategic competition with two realist, autocratic
nations with existential arsenals at their disposal, and they do not share our
worldview about how things should operate,” Ray said in pre-recorded remarks
that aired during the 20th Nuclear Triad Symposium, noting that this contest has
“significant stakes.”

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Here Are the USAF and Space Force Jobs That’ll Qualify for Retention Bonuses Next Year
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The Department of the Air Force on Dec. 10 announced which Air Force Specialty
Codes will be included in the fiscal 2021 Selective Retention Bonus program. The
SRB program aims to keep experienced Air Force and Space Force troops in career
fields that are undermanned or that come with high training price tags, the
department wrote. This year’s program added nine new career fields, but
dropped 40 others from eligibility, according to a release from the department.

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B-52s Fly Direct to the Persian Gulf from Barksdale
By Brian W. Everstine

Two B-52s flew directly to the Persian Gulf from Barksdale Air Force Base, La.,
in what the military says is a message of deterrence to Iran. The bombers, from
the 2nd Bomb Wing, took off from their home base Dec. 9 and integrated with
other U.S. Air Force and partner nation aircraft during the long-range mission,
according to a U.S. Central Command release. The tasking came on short notice,
with the goal of proving the U.S. can send bombers anywhere, anytime. “The
ability to fly strategic bombers halfway across the world in a non-stop mission,
and to rapidly integrate them with multiple regional partners, demonstrates our
close working relationships and our shared commitment to regional security and
stability,” U.S. Central Command boss USMC Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie said.

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EMS Wing Will Exploit New Architecture, But Don’t Expect a Silver Bullet
By John A. Tirpak

As software-based radios and sensors become the norm, the Air Force's new
electromagnetic spectrum warfare wing will be able to quickly adapt software to
answer EMS challenges, the unit's incoming commander said in an AFA Mitchell
Institute for Aerospace Studies live-streaming event. The goal will be to
develop broad-based defensive applications across many kinds of systems, but
there's no silver bullet capability that can solve them all, he said.

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U.S. to ‘Focus’ Support in Afghanistan, Iraq as Drawdown Continues
By Brian W. Everstine

The U.S. military is on pace to meet the Jan. 15 deadline to withdraw forces
from Afghanistan and Iraq, and though the head of U.S. Central Command said
American forces can still meet their main goals, the “margins will be less”
because of the smaller footprint. President Donald J. Trump ordered the Pentagon
to draw down to 2,500 forces each in the two countries, and CENTCOM boss Gen.
Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. said Dec. 10 that it will be “no trouble” to reach
that level. Air Mobility Command boss Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, speaking to
Air Force Magazine on Dec. 9, said existing airlift capacity in the region will
meet the demand, with a likely increase in operations tempo. “We’re already
doing missions there,” she said, adding that the upcoming drawdown will not be
on the same level as previous reductions in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We’ve
already stretched down the airfields out there. We’ll be doing, probably, a
little more flying hours. I don’t see a massive mobilization.”

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Top USAF Space Adviser Eyes Spring Exit
By Rachel S. Cohen

A top space policy official in the Department of the Air Force said Dec. 10 he
plans to serve in his role until next spring, unless the Trump or Biden
administrations nominate someone to fill his post sooner. Shawn Barnes is
performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space
Acquisition and Integration, a job created in December 2019. “Given where we
are at this point in the administration, it's unlikely that we would see a
nominee for ... the assistant secretary position,” Barnes said at a Via
Satellite conference on military satellite communications.

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Virtual Events: AFA Hosts Inaugural Doolittle Leadership Center Forum, and More
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. EST, join Air Force Association Chairman of the Board,
CMSAF #14 Gerald Murray, and AFA President and retired USAF Lt. Gen. Bruce
“Orville” Wright, at the inaugural Doolittle Leadership Center Forum. Titled
“From Acquisition to Lethality,” the virtual forum will cover Next
Generation Air Dominance, joint all-domain command and control, the Advanced
Battle Management System, and hypersonics.<a
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Register now for the complimentary event here</a>, or <a
href="[link removed]">watch the live stream
here.</a>

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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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One-on-One Interview with US Space Force Commander

General John “Jay” Raymond, Chief of Space Operations for the U.S. Space
Force, sat down with NewsNation for an extensive interview, his first major
television appearance, to discuss what the Space Force does, common
misperceptions in pop-culture about the newest branch of the Armed Service, and
about the politics surrounding its creation.

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CSAF Releases Action Orders to Accelerate Change Across Air Force

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. released the CSAF Action
Orders to Accelerate Change Across the Air Force Dec. 4. While the Action Orders
provide the “what,” the “how” represents the answers to these problems,
according to the document. Airmen will provide these answers, cutting through
bureaucracy with global competition in mind, to reshape the design of the
future.

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Ratcliffe: Space Force to Become 18th Member of the U.S. Intelligence Community

“We see this as a critical next step in establishing the nation’s newest
service,” said Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback, Space Force director of
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

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Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority at Risk for DOD, Watchdog Says

The Department of Defense is in danger of failing to meet its goals to dominate
the electromagnetic spectrum battle space due to poor oversight and lack of
leaders assigned to implement its recently updated strategy, the government’s
watchdog asserts.

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

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.

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US Air Force Gives Lift to Flying Taxis

The Air Force has issued a first-of-its-kind safety endorsement of an
electric-powered vehicle similar to a helicopter, opening the door to using such
commercially developed equipment for military missions. This initial stamp of
approval is meant to lay the groundwork for eventual civilian certification of
the technology and even approval of autonomous flights crossing American cities,
industry and military officials said. The current version does require a pilot.

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Navy’s New Controversial Shipbuilding Plan Raids Air Force And Army's Piggy Banks

In its latest 30-year shipbuilding plan, the Navy is looking to halt its
purchases of future Ford class aircraft carriers and begin development of a new
type of flattop, step up the acquisition of new Constellation class frigates,
and acquire more unmanned surface and underwater vessels, among other things.
Criticism has already been leveled at the proposal, which would see a major Navy
budget increase fueled, in part, by cuts to the Army and the Air Force.

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AFRICOM Conducts 50th Airstrike in Somalia Amid US Troop Relocation in Africa

U.S. Africa Command conducted two airstrikes in Somalia on Dec. 10 against
al-Shabab explosives experts—bringing the total number of strikes the command
has conducted in Somalia this year to 50. The command’s initial assessment is
that the strike killed eight al-Shabab terrorists and injured another two,
AFRICOM spokesman Air Force Col. Chris Karns told Military Times. Those targeted
were “known to play important roles” in producing explosives like
vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices for al-Shabab, and noted that the
devices are often employed against civilians, according to a release.

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One More Thing...
Air Force Recruiters Take Part in CMT Hot 20 Holiday Salute

A couple of Air Force recruiters will be on national television as part of the
Country Music Television Hot 20 Holiday Salute program Dec. 12-13. The show
featured Cody Allen as the host and singer Lee Brice with several surprise
guests. Two recruiters and a host of other service members were featured on
television screens via Zoom behind the entertainers.

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