Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for Feb. 2, 2021

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

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USAF, Boeing Make Progress on KC-46 Fixes
By Brian W. Everstine

The Air Force recently resolved two Category 1 deficiencies on the troubled
KC-46 tanker, both problems with the aircraft’s auxiliary power unit that
could impact the safety of flight. However, the four remaining issues are still
years away from being solved. The KC-46’s APU, located in its tail, developed
two serious problems, one with a duct clamp that was moving excessively and
another with a drain mast on the outside of the tail that could potentially
break loose. As of the end of January, both problems have been addressed, with
one closed and the other downgraded to a Category 2, or less serious,
deficiency, AMC boss Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost told reporters Feb. 1.

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SPACECOM Warns Adversaries in New Strategy Overview
By Rachel S. Cohen

U.S. Space Command in its new strategy paper warns of a future with
“increasingly capable competitors” and a “long-term security threat”
posed by Russia and China, claiming the right of self-defense as America and its
allies expand their space economies and look to permanently return to the moon.
This is the latest document to warn that the United States will hit back if its
satellites, radars, and other space systems are endangered. It also broadly
outlines goals for training, partnerships, and cybersecurity.

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B-52s Return to Guam for Task Force Deployment
By Brian W. Everstine

Four B-52s from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., deployed to Andersen Air Force
Base, Guam, in late January, as part of a Bomber Task Force deployment to
Pacific Air Forces, where they will train with allied and partner forces.
“Deploying as a Bomber Task Force exercises our ability to produce agile
combat power in any location we are needed,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Duff,
96th Bomb Squadron commander, in a PACAF release. It's the first time Barksdale
BUFFs have deployed to Guam since December 2018.

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Watchdog: Airstrikes Increase in Afghanistan Despite Drawdown, Taliban Agreement
By Brian W. Everstine

U.S. airstrikes are increasing in Afghanistan as the Taliban continues its
attacks, despite ongoing peace negotiations and the drawdown of American forces
in the country, a watchdog report finds. The Special Inspector General for
Afghanistan Reconstruction, in its quarterly report to Congress released Feb. 1,
said American strikes in the country rose for the second straight quarter, even
though U.S. aircraft are no longer conducting offensive strikes and are only
doing defensive operations in support of Afghan forces.

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CMSAF: COVID-19 Will Dictate When Air Force PT Tests Resume
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

It’s too soon to tell whether the Air Force will delay mandatory physical
fitness testing past April, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S.
Bass told Airmen during a Feb. 1 Facebook town hall. Bass said she expects the
service will examine the COVID-19 situation “at least” 30 days ahead of the
tentative restart date before deciding whether to postpone the assessments for
the fourth time since the pandemic began.

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30 Years After Desert Storm: Feb. 2

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.

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Virtual Events: 7th Air Force Command Team on AFA’s ‘Air and Space Warfighters in Action,’ and More
By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. EST, the Air Force Association will present the latest
installment of its “Air and Space Warfighters in Action” series featuring
Seventh Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Scott L. Pleus and Chief Master Sgt. Philip
B. Hudson, the numbered Air Force's command chief master sergeant. Advanced
registration is required, and space is limited. <a
href="[link removed]">Register
for the webinar here.</a>

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Radar Sweep

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A Long To-Do List Awaits Biden’s Deputy Defense Secretary Nominee

Kathleen H. Hicks, President Joe Biden’s pick for deputy defense secretary, is
expected to cruise through her Senate confirmation hearing on Feb. 2, paving her
way into the Pentagon in the coming weeks. And when she gets there, experts
said, she will have plenty to do.

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Pentagon’s Hypersonics Director Rebuts the Critics

Independent experts and the Pentagon’s hypersonics research and development
director tell us a study of hypersonics by the Union of Concerned Scientists
overlooks the very real advantages the new weapons offer the U.S.—and its
adversaries.

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An Open System for Missile-Warning Satellite Data Is in the Works but Faces Challenges

The U.S. Space Force wants an open platform to process and distribute data from
missile-warning satellites.

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Russian Jet Flies Low Past USS Donald Cook in Black Sea

A Russian warplane conducted a low pass near the USS Donald Cook on Jan. 31 in
the Black Sea, where the Navy has dispatched three ships for exercises. The
Sukhoi Su-24 fighter-bomber screeched past the U.S. destroyer while it was
operating in international waters, the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet said in a
statement.

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Flood Of Chinese Aircraft South of Taiwan Continues Days after Mock Attack Runs on US Carrier

Chinese bombers, fighters, and other military aircraft started flying markedly
more sorties in the area just days after President Joe Biden took office.

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New Legislation Means New Benefits for National Guard Members

Satisfied that the National Guard had secured the inauguration, Congress sent
Guard members down into the parking garage to rest. But that slight belies
passage of legislation that secured new benefits for the Guard. JC Cardinale is
the Legislative Affairs manager at the National Guard Association of the United
States, and he joined “Federal Drive with Tom Temin” for details.

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Seven Hawaii Guardsmen Test Positive for COVID-19 Following Inauguration Mission

The seven that are positive remain in isolation and are asymptomatic.

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DOD Makes Rare Earth Award

The Defense Department has awarded a Defense Production Act Title III technology
investment agreement to Lynas Rare Earths Ltd., the largest rare earth element
mining and processing company outside of China, according to a recent Pentagon
announcement.

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One More Thing...
The Adorable Story of Scoff, the Plushy Ducky Who Flies in an F-15

Here’s an adorable story to start your week: A pilot says goodbye to his young
daughter as he deploys abroad, but, not wanting to feel too far from her, the
pilot borrows one of her toys, a plush green duck. The pilot takes the duck on
sorties and on video calls with his daughter. People notice the duck in the
cockpit, and he becomes an unofficial mascot for the pilot’s fighter wing,
with his orange-billed face shared across social media and on a morale patch.

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