Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for Dec. 14, 2020

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

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First ABMS Tool Could Be This Tanker Pod
By Brian W. Everstine

An artificial intelligence-powered mission-planning pod is slated to be the
first capability deployed under the Air Force's Advanced Battle Management
System concept, possible next year using technologies demonstrated in the series
of combat experiments known as “on-ramps,” according to the Air Force’s
top weapons buyer and the head of Air Mobility Command. The pod could ride on
KC-46s or KC-135s as a way to give tanker planes a bigger combat role.

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Defense Policy Bill Awaits Trump’s Approval After Senate Passage
By Rachel S. Cohen

The Senate passed the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill 84-13 on Dec. 11 after a
bumpy few weeks for the key annual legislation. “We must protect freedom,
democracy and peace, and support our troops. This is the heart of the National
Defense Authorization Act, and I look forward to it becoming law before the end
of the year,” Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe
(R-Okla.) said in a release. While both chambers of Congress have now approved
the legislation, President Donald J. Trump must still sign off for it to become
law.

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

The 115th Fighter Wing identified Capt. Durwood “Hawk” Jones, 37, as the
F-16 pilot killed when his jet crashed in Michigan on Dec. 8. Jones, from
Albuquerque, N.M., was flying a routine training mission when the F-16 crashed
in the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Wing Commander
Col. Bart Van Roo said during a Dec. 11 press conference that the wing's flying
operations are paused.

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USAF Wants Navy-Like Model to Refresh the Force
By John A. Tirpak

Exhausted by almost 20 years of nonstop combat against violent extremism, the
Air Force is seeking a new cycle of modernization and refurbishment, Air Combat
Command chief Gen. Mark D. Kelly said Dec. 11. The new construct would routinely
change out old gear and modernize equipment, rather than allow a backlog of
needed replacements to grow indefinitely. The Air Force wants a model that is
easy to understand, as the Navy has managed to do, he said.

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Congress Seeks Review of New Missions for Open Skies Planes
By Rachel S. Cohen

As the United States closes out its participation in the 1992 Open Skies Treaty,
some in government are starting to consider what might come next for the Air
Force unit that has handled those foreign surveillance flights for decades.
Lawmakers earlier this month released a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on the
fiscal 2021 defense policy bill, known as the National Defense Authorization
Act. If enacted, that legislation and its accompanying instructions would tell
the Air Force Secretary to study what other missions the OC-135Bs could take on.

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16th Air Force Leading Shift from Conflict to Competition
By John A. Tirpak

The Air Force must make the mindset change from focusing just on preparation for
conflict to day-to-day competition with Russia, China and other adversaries, Air
Combat Command chief Gen. Mark D. Kelly said Dec. 11. The service will be
constantly vying for superiority in the cyber realm and in situational awareness
than it will be in kinetic conflict, and must adjust its thinking accordingly,
Kelly said. He's given 16th Air Force the duty to lead this cultural shift. He
also discussed what fourth-generation fighters need to stay relevant, and the
need for dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum.

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Ray: US Needs to Balance Nuclear Upgrades, Arms Control
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

China’s nascent identity as a nuclear-capable power and Russia’s nuclear
modernization plan underscore the continued need for America’s nuclear triad,
the head of Air Force Global Strike Command said Dec. 10. “There's a myth out
there that nukes are less relevant,” AFGSC boss Gen. Timothy M. Ray said in a
pre-recorded keynote broadcast during the 20th Nuclear Triad Symposium, which
was co-hosted by AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, the Louisiana
Tech Research Institute, and the Cyber Innovation Center on Dec. 10. As global
powers consider the future of nuclear arms-control agreements, Ray urged a
combination of both modernization and pacts to keep the world safe.

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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
href="[link removed]">
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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Space Force’s First 7 Recruits Graduate from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland

Airman Benjamin Nevoraski’s story is one a lot of people who’ve joined the
armed services can tell: he had the feeling that life wasn’t going the way he
wanted it to go, so he shook things up. On Dec. 10, when he graduated from basic
training, the Air Force Secretary and two generals had a word with him.

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Military Rape Cases Have No Statute of Limitations, Supreme Court Decides

In an 8-0 opinion issued Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that military
personnel accused of a rape between 1986 and 2006—a period previously subject
to a five-year statute of limitations—can be charged for the crime.

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Board Job Likely Bars Biden Pentagon Chief from Some Arms Deals

Retired Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, President-elect Joe Biden’s choice for
defense secretary, may have to stay out of decisions on the Pentagon’s
costliest weapons system, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, because of his ties to
its engine-maker, Raytheon Technologies Corp.

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Survey: Despite Interest in Commercial SATCOM, US Military Favors Legacy Systems

A survey of military organizations conducted by the Government Business Council
and satellite operator ViaSat reveals that many don’t have access to modern
technologies to communicate and share data despite growing availability of
commercial satellite services.

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Mitchell Institute’s ‘Aerospace Advantage’ Podcast, Ep. 2: ‘An Air Force on the Brink: The Case for Modernization’

In Episode 2, host John Baum asks a crucial question: “Why is the Air Force
aircraft inventory so small and old?” In gaining better insight regarding how
we got here, the episode also emphasizes important lessons that will prove
crucial to the service as it seeks to buy the next generation of combat
aircraft. To dig into the details surrounding this challenge, Baum speaks with
individuals who had a front-row view of key historic decisions, including
retired USAF Col. Mark “Gonzo” Gunzinger, the Mitchell Institute’s
director of future concepts and capability assessments, and retired USAF Gen.
John Corley, former Air Combat Command commander.

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USAF Solicits Bids on $953M Contract to Revamp Base Defense in Europe, Africa

The Air Force released a solicitation on Dec. 9 inviting defense industry
companies to apply for a $953 million contract to support more aggressive U.S.
air base air defense in Europe and Africa as the service adapts its power
projection concepts to operate under a greater threat of attack.

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Dayton Designated an Air Force Innovation ‘Digital Hub’

Dayton, Ohio, is now an Air Force Innovation digital hub, a designation that Air
Force and Dayton advocates say should open doors to greater cooperation between
private-sector innovators and Air Force decision-makers. The designation was
announced on Dec. 11 at the virtual AFWERX Accelerate event.

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Joint All-Domain Awareness

Get a better sense of the drive for greater connectedness between air, space,
cyber, land, and maritime forces. Catch up on all-things JADC2 now.

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SPONSORED: PBS AEROSPACE Introduces New Engine Model for Small, Tactical UAVs, Drones, and Missiles

The latest addition to the PBS AEROSPACE Inc. engine’s stable is the PBS
TJ100P—a response to the growing demand for a wide variety of small tactical
UAVs and missile systems that require reliable engines of greater thrust,
performance, and lower overall cost.

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program, grants, and educator awards. AFA is a top supporter of aerospace
education. Join today to be a part of the force behind the Air and Space Forces.
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For Air Force Leader, Making Video on Racism He's Faced Was ‘the Right Thing to Do’

Just before Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. was confirmed as Air Force Chief of Staff
in June, he issued an emotional and personal video message about racism in the
military. At the time, the country was roiling in the wake of the police killing
of George Floyd, and Brown, who is Black, felt compelled to speak out. On NPR's
“Morning Edition,” he explains why.

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Navy Creates New Warrant Officer Role to Operate Its Carrier-Based Tanker Drones

The U.S. Navy has announced that its Boeing MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aerial
vehicles, which will provide aerial refueling from its aircraft carriers, will
be operated by warrant officers with a new specialty designation—the aerial
vehicle operator. This comes as the flight-test program for the drone continues
to make progress, with a first sortie recently flown with the refueling pod
attached.

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Search Underway for Missing USS Theodore Roosevelt Sailor

Efforts are underway to rescue a sailor from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore
Roosevelt who may have gone overboard on Dec. 10, Navy officials have announced.

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One More Thing...
New Images of Tempest Sixth-Generation Aircraft Revealed During UK Industry Engagement Event

Team Tempest and the Royal Air Force recently held a virtual event to provide an
update about the development opportunities of the new sixth-generation aircraft
to industry and government representatives from Northern Ireland, the first of a
series of events to engage with industries across the U.K.

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