Brown: USAF Has Been ‘Asleep at the Wheel’ Too Long When It Comes to EMS

By John A. Tirpak

The Air Force is aiming to have its internal electromagnetic spectrum combat strategy in hand by the spring, to dovetail with a joint service version also planned for that period. Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. said the service “should be embarrassed” it took congressional language to force the services to take EMS operations seriously, and USAF's posture will be far more aggressive and offensive than it has been for the last 30 years.

Boeing’s KC-46 Cost Overruns Surpass $5 Billion

By Brian W. Everstine

Boeing on Jan. 27 reported another $275 million charge to its KC-46 program, pushing the total cost overruns it is responsible for to more than $5 billion in the past six years—more than the initial contract award for the tanker. The fourth quarter total means 2020 saw more than $1.3 billion in overruns for the program, a cost the company said in its earnings report was “primarily due to production inefficiencies, including impacts of COVID-19 disruption.” The 2020 total is more than any previous year, according to a review of the company’s prior year earnings reports.

DOD to Prioritize Climate Change Following Biden’s Executive Order

By Brian W. Everstine

The Pentagon will incorporate the “implications of climate change” in its wargaming, analysis, simulations, and its upcoming National Defense Strategy after President Joe Biden on Jan. 27 signed new executive actions aimed at addressing the issue across the whole government. "The order clearly establishes climate considerations as an essential element of U.S. foreign policy and national security,” according to the White House. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, in a statement released following the executive actions, said the Pentagon is taking immediate steps “to prioritize climate change considerations in our activities and risk assessments, [and] to mitigate this driver of insecurity.”

USAF Space Acquisition Office Prepares for Handoff to New Leaders

By Rachel S. Cohen

President Joe Biden hasn’t named his Air Force Secretary pick yet, or someone to serve as assistant secretary for space acquisition and integration. But when they arrive, they’ll need to hit the ground running. Once a new Secretary is nominated, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Shawn J. Barnes and other assistant secretaries will begin bringing them up to speed on the broad ideas needed to get through the confirmation process. Once the secretary is approved and sworn in, they’ll receive more detail on the issues facing the Air Force and Space Force. “There are no shortage of briefings and binders that are being prepared for incoming staff at all levels,” Barnes said.

Defense Committees Begin Taking Shape

By Rachel S. Cohen

Membership on congressional committees that oversee defense spending and policy is beginning to take shape almost a month into the new session. Leadership has named new Republicans and Democrats to the House Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, while the Senate is still working through the details of how it will share power on committees in a chamber now split 50-50.

Barksdale B-52 Flies Direct to the Middle East

By Brian W. Everstine

A B-52 flew a long-range direct sortie from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., to the Middle East on Jan. 27, the third such flight this year and the first under the new Biden administration. The bomber from the 2nd Bomb Wing flew the “presence patrol” over the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, linking up with Air Forces Central Command F-15Es, F-16s, KC-10s, and KC-135s, according to a U.S. Central Command release. The bomber also flew alongside Royal Saudi Air Force F-15s. “This long-range, short-duration, defensive mission was intended to demonstrate the U.S. military’s ability to deploy airpower anywhere in the world to deter potential aggression and showcase the U.S. commitment to regional security,” CENTCOM said in the statement.

Improperly Stored Chemicals Caused June 2020 Kadena Fire

By Brian W. Everstine

Improperly stored calcium hypochlorite caused a fire last summer that destroyed the hazardous material storage building at Kadena Air Base, Japan, and caused about 120 people to seek medical care, according to a recently released Air Force investigation. The June 22, 2020, fire at the 18th Logistics Readiness Squadron’s building destroyed the 1950s-era structure and everything inside at a loss of $2.6 million. It forced the closure of the base’s flight line for about an hour and 40 minutes, requiring three aircraft to divert to other bases, according to the Air Force Ground Investigation Board report released Jan. 25. That day, 115 U.S. military, civilian, dependent, and retiree personnel sought medical care, with one Active duty Airman admitted to the hospital and released the next day. Five Japanese employees also submitted injury reports.

30 Years After Desert Storm: Jan. 28

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.