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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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 Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III swears in Kathleen H. Hicks as deputy defense secretary at the Pentagon on Feb. 9, 2021. Defense Department photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jack Sanders. |
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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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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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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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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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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
Military.com
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
POLITICO
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?
Aviation Week Network
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 Drive
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
Breaking Defense
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
Task & Purpose
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
Military Times
“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
Defense One
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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