Air Force Magazine
Daily Report for Feb. 10, 2021
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Edited by Amy McCullough with Rachel S. Cohen, Brian W. Everstine and John A. Tirpak
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Hicks Takes Over as Pentagon’s No. 2 Official
By Brian W. Everstine
Kathleen H. Hicks on Feb. 9 reported to work as the highest-ranking woman in
Pentagon history, starting as the deputy secretary of defense the day after
being confirmed by the Senate. Hicks immediately met with Defense Secretary
Lloyd J. Austin III and received updates on DOD activities related to the
COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Pentagon statement.
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Reardon Performing the Duties of Air Force Under Secretary
By Brian W. Everstine
Anthony P. Reardon is performing the duties of the under secretary of the Air
Force under Acting Secretary John Roth, pending permanent nominations to the
positions, the department announced Feb. 9. Roth officially designated Reardon
as the first assistant to the under secretary of the Air Force to allow him to
perform the duties in the role in accordance with both the Federal Vacancies
Reform Act and the Department of Defense Directive 3020.04, the Department said
in a release. He began serving in the temporary role on Feb. 2. The Biden
administration has not yet announced nominees for the roles.
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Northrop CEO Warden Predicts More Consolidation, More New Entrants
By John A. Tirpak
Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden sees even more consolidation among top-tier
defense contractors in the next 20 years, but the reduction in traditional firms
will likely be offset by a surge in new entrants, particularly in the cyber and
space domains.
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Boeing Delivers 44th KC-46, Completing Beddown of the New Tankers at Pease
By Brian W. Everstine
The 157th Air Refueling Wing on Feb. 5 filled up its KC-46 hangars, receiving
its 12th and final Pegasus as Boeing delivered the 44th tanker to the Air Force.
A crew from the wing at Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., flew the tanker
home from Boeing Field in Seattle. The base received its first KC-46 in August
2019, after divesting its last KC-135 in March the same year. Also on Feb. 5,
the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., received
its fifth KC-46.
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30 Years After Desert Storm: Feb. 10
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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Radar Sweep
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Tiny Drones Are the Biggest Threat in the Middle East Since IEDs, Top General Says
State and nonstate actors have figured out another cheap way to target U.S.
troops, a four-star general warned this week. Small drones anyone can "go out
and buy at Costco right now" pose the most concerning tactical development since
the rise of the improvised explosive device in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marine Gen.
Kenneth McKenzie Jr., the head of U.S. Central Command, said Feb. 8.
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Iran Won’t Return to Nuclear Commitments Until US Lifts Sanctions, Khamenei Says
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the United States must lift
all sanctions against the country if it wants it to halt Tehran’s nuclear
expansion.
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OPINION: Will US Army Missile Buys Mean Fewer USAF Bombers?
Once those weapons arrive, the Army will no longer rely on the Air Force’s
inventory of bombers and fighter-bombers to hunt and destroy targets deep inside
enemy territory. Indeed, the Army also is seeking to introduce in the late-2020s
the Multi-Domain Sensor System, which will be able to identify and locate
targets from the air and space and feed the data to their own long-range
weapons.
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Boeing's Chief F-15 Test Pilot Talks Flying the Air Force's New Eagle on Its Maiden Flight
The F-15EX went to 40,000 feet and flew at twice the speed of sound on its first
flight.
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Air Force Awards $95M for Cyber Intelligence
The investment is a sign of the Air Force’s commitment to fighting war
effectively across all domains, including cyber and its electronic warfare
cousin.
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The Air Force’s Top Enlisted Leader Opens Up about Her Recent Facebook Firestorms
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass apologized for posting an
article on her Facebook page late last month that appeared to judge an Air Force
pararescueman unfairly. However, she said the number of insulting, disrespectful
comments that cropped up against her and the Airmen involved was unwarranted,
inappropriate, and could even pose a national security risk.
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Sexual Assault Survivors Are Twice as Likely to Leave The Military Voluntarily, Report Finds
“Sexual assault and sexual harassment are associated with a wide range of
harms to individual service members, but this study highlights another negative
impact of these crimes—higher rates of attrition and associated harms to force
readiness.” Andrew Morral, lead author of the report, said in a release.
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One More Thing...
The Military Wants To Produce Water From Air. Here’s the Science Behind It
A promising new way to extract drinking water from air could change how U.S.
troops hydrate in remote locations—and might even relieve regional
water-scarcity tensions. General Electric recently announced it has received $14
million under DARPA’s Atmospheric Water Extraction project to continue
developing a device that can produce enough water to support 150 troops while
remaining small enough to be lifted by just four people.
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