B-21 Moves Forward | Rooting Out Insider Threats

Jan. 19, 2021

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

Artist rendering of a B-21 Raider concept in a hangar at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, one of the future bases to host the new airframe. Photo: Courtesy of Northrop Grumman via USAF.

Second B-21 Under Construction as Bomber Moves Toward First Flight

By John A. Tirpak

The first flight of the secretive B-21 bomber has slipped to mid-2022, but the program is moving along well, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director Randall Walden said in an exclusive interview. The second copy of the B-21, which will be used for structural testing, is now on the production line. Walden also talked about mitigating risk with a flying surrogate for avionics and software, and said a previous problem with inlets and thrust is resolved.

Feds Screen National Guardsmen for Insider Threats to Inauguration

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The FBI and the Army are screening all National Guard troops supporting the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration for signs of an insider threat to the proceedings, according to the National Guard Bureau. “If there’s any indication that any of our Soldiers or Airmen are expressing things that are extremist views, it’s either handed over to law enforcement or dealt with the chain of command immediately,” NGB Chief Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson said in a Jan. 18 release.

US Down to 5,000 Troops Across Afghanistan, Iraq

By Brian W. Everstine

U.S. military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq have dropped to 5,000 troops across both countries, with 2,500 personnel in each, meeting a Jan. 15 deadline from President Donald J. Trump to reduce the military’s footprint in the Middle East. The withdrawal marks the lowest level of American troops in Afghanistan since 2001, and comes amid ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. In Iraq, the remaining 2,500 U.S. and coalition forces will stay in the country “to ensure the enduring defeat" of the Islamic State group.

Pence Honors Chuck Yeager’s ‘Great American Life’ at Memorial Service

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Vice President Mike Pence honored the life, career, and character of World War II ace and renowned Air Force test pilot Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager at a Jan. 15 memorial service in West Virginia. “Yeager has been an inspiration to every American pilot, and will be throughout time," Pence said. He did not mention the prospect of naming a military base after Yeager, an idea raised by President Donald J. Trump last month.

Pentagon Shifts Israel to CENTCOM Responsibility

By Brian W. Everstine

The Pentagon has changed the combatant command responsible for operations involving Israel, from U.S. European Command to U.S. Central Command, following White House-brokered accords between the country and multiple Persian Gulf states. The update to the Unified Command Plan came as the Trump administration finished its final week in office. President Donald J. Trump's White House has touted the Abraham Accords—normalizing relations between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates—as a major shift toward improved relations in the Middle East.

Aviano F-16s Practice ‘All-Domain Targeting’ Near Black Sea

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

F-16 fighter jets from the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, practiced combat cooperation with the Romanian Air Force while conducting “all-domain targeting operations” in a Jan. 14 bilateral exercise in the Black Sea region, according to a U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa release. It's another example of the growing military partnership between the U.S. and Romania.

30 Years After Desert Storm: Jan. 19

In commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, Air Force Magazine is posting daily recollections from the six-week war, which expelled Iraq from occupied Kuwait.

Virtual Events: USAFA Superintendent on Mitchell’s ‘Aerospace Nation,’ and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On Jan. 21 at 11 a.m. EST, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host USAFA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark on the next installment of its “Aerospace Nation” series. Clark will share his insights into how the Academy is preparing cadets to face today's global challenges, the implications of the creation of the Space Force for the Academy, what it means to accelerate change in an educational institution, and other Academy priorities. Advanced registration is required. Sign up 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.

Acting Defense Secretary: ‘I Cannot Wait to Leave This Job, Believe Me’

The Washington Post (Subscription Required)

Acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller told a group of reporters traveling with him this week that he cannot wait to leave his job, according to a transcript of the conversation posted on the Defense Department’s website.

General Education: What Austin Can Learn from Mattis’s Rocky Relationship with Congress

Defense News

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have fretted that confirming another retired general as defense secretary will further tilt a Pentagon imbalance toward uniformed military voices and erode America’s founding principle of civilian control of the military.

Acting SECDEF Defends Capitol Reaction, Says DOD Is Prepared for This Week

Defense One

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller on Jan. 14, speaking to reporters, said the Defense Department was well-prepared for the historically tense high-security event this week. “At this point, there’s a machine that’s cranking on that,” he told reporters aboard a Defense Department plane.

Capitol Rioters Included Highly Trained Ex-Military and Cops

The Associated Press

An Associated Press review of public records, social media posts, and videos shows at least 21 current or former members of the U.S. military or law enforcement have been identified as being at or near the Capitol riot, with more than a dozen others under investigation but not yet named. In many cases, those who stormed the Capitol appeared to employ tactics, body armor and technology such as two-way radio headsets that were similar to those of the very police they were confronting.

Policy Directive on GPS Issued in Closing Days of Trump Administration

SpaceNews

Space Policy Directive-7 highlights the United States’ ever-growing dependence on space-based positioning, navigation, and timing.

No CMMC Penalty for Companies Hit By SolarWinds Hack

Breaking Defense

“SolarWinds wasn’t normal. No one is going to take that against you and take your certification away against a nation-state actor penetrating in a way that has never been done before — absolutely not,” said Katie Arrington, chief information security officer for the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. “You’re too critical to us.”

Aviano Airman's Death Was from Coronavirus, Family and Friends Say

Stars and Stripes (Subscription Required)

A U.S. airman based in Italy has died because of the coronavirus, family and friends say, which would mark the first Active-duty death in the Air Force and the fourth such death among Active-duty service members.

How British Tornados Used a Special Weapon to Ravage Saddam’s Airfields in Daring Desert Storm Raids

The Drive

Slamming Iraq’s bases at ultra-low level with JP233 runway denial weapons was among the riskiest Royal Air Force combat actions since World War II.

One More Thing

REPORT: Desert Storm, 30 Years Later

Mitchell Institute special report

“It is important to remember Desert Storm, not only for the definitive revelations and demonstrations about airpower, but also because of valuable insights that apply to our current and future wars,” writes retired USAF Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, dean of the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.