Tuesday, November 26, 2019

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Search Ends for Missing Hurlburt Airmen; KC-46 Cargo Fix On Its Way; General Officer Movements

—Brian Everstine, Amy McCullough, and John A. Tirpak
([link removed] 2019/November 26 2019/DR_11262019.jpg)

​The Air Force on Nov. 22 called off the active search for a special tactics airman who fell into the Gulf of Mexico during a training mission. Here, Lt. Col. John Lowe, 39th Rescue Squadron pilot, flies a 920th Rescue Wing HC-130P/N Combat King aircraft over the Gulf on Nov. 6, 2019, while scanning the waters for the missing airman. Air Force photo by TSgt. Kelly Goonan.

​Hurlburt, Local Agencies End Active Search for Missing Airman
The Air Force and other local emergency services on Nov. 22 suspended the active search for SSgt. Cole Condiff, the special tactics airman who fell into the Gulf of Mexico from a C-130 on Nov. 5. For more than two weeks, USAF aircraft, airmen, and other agencies maintained a 24-hour operation searching the area for Cole. This included underwater sonar scanning, dive operations, land patrols, and airborne surveillance in an area from Destin to Pensacola in Florida. Read the full story by Brian Everstine. ([link removed])

KC-46 Cargo Fix Expected to Be Complete by March
The Air Force expects to start installing a fix next month to the problem that is restricting the KC-46 from carrying passengers and cargo, once the proposed step finishes Federal Aviation Administration certification. The service in September announced this newest “category one” deficiency on the tanker, centered on defective locks that hold cargo and passenger seats in place in the cargo bay. Once certified, the service plans to retrofit two aircraft per week, with a projected completion date in March. Read the full story by Brian Everstine. ([link removed])


Grynkewich Named CENTCOM’s Director of Operations
Maj. Gen. (frocked) Alexus G. Grynkewich, the deputy commander of operations and intelligence for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, has been appointed the director of operations for US Central Command, the Pentagon announced ([link removed]). Grynkewich previously served as deputy director for global operations on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, and in 2016 headed up the Air Force’s first Enterprise Capability Collaboration Team, scrutinizing Next-Generation Air Dominance. He has served as the 53rd Wing commander at Eglin AFB, Fla., and was also the deputy wing commander for the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB, Nev. Grynkewich has flown more than 2,300 hours in more than a dozen aircraft, including F-22s, F-16s, and remotely piloted aircraft. — John A. Tirpak

Hecker Takes Command of Air University
Lt. Gen. James Hecker recently received his third star and took over as commander and president of Air University during a Nov. 22 ceremony at Maxwell AFB, Ala. Hecker was previously the vice director of operations for the Joint Staff, and before that he ran air operations in Afghanistan. He replaces Lt. Gen. Anthony Cotton, who left the position in October to become the deputy commander of Air Force Global Strike Command and Air Forces Strategic-Air at Barksdale AFB, La. Read the full story by Brian Everstine. ([link removed])
Correction

The Nov. 22 story, “KC-46 Successfully Tests Wing Refueling Pods,” ([link removed]) failed to note that a portion of the KC-10 fleet has also been modified with wing pods. The story has been updated.

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RADAR SWEEP

Pence on Surprise Iraq Trip to Reassure Kurds, Greet Troops
Vice President Mike Pence made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Nov. 23 in the highest-level American trip since President Donald Trump ordered a pullback of US forces in Syria two months ago. Associated Press via PBS NewsHour ([link removed])

RPA Lost Over Tripoli, Incident Under Investigation
An unarmed US Africa Command remotely piloted aircraft was lost over Tripoli, Libya, on Nov. 21. USAFRICOM release ([link removed])

Smith, Engel Concerned about Open Skies Treaty
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) are worried about the future of the Open Skies Treaty and whether the Trump administration plans to withdraw from the pact. Inside Defense ([link removed])

To Protect GPS Satellites, Esper Is Against Private 5G Proposal
Defense Secretary Mark Esper wants the Federal Communications Commission to reject a proposal by Ligado Networks to use L-Band spectrum for 5G, claiming that the system could jeopardize GPS services. C4ISRNET ([link removed])

Hundreds of Air Force Academy Cadets Sickened in Norovirus Outbreak
A stomach flu has laid low 1 in every 10 cadets at the Air Force Academy since late October, and the school’s medics are working with public health authorities and reinforcements from other bases to treat the sick. The Gazette ([link removed]) (subscription required)

Air Force Investigating New Allegations That Privatized Housing Company Doctored Maintenance Records
In the wake of new allegations that a privatized housing company falsified maintenance records in order to get incentive bonuses, the Air Force has referred the matter to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Air Force Times ([link removed])

One More Thing …

What It Takes to Turn a Vintage F-16 into a Drone
When the US Air Force launched the F-16 Fighting Falcon in 1979, it had something no other military jet did: a computer. Four, actually. Their electrical signals commanded the aircraft instead of gears and pulleys, ushering aerial combat into the digital era. Now, after fighting in the Gulf and Iraq wars, some of these 49-foot supersonic jets are speeding toward an autonomous future. Believe it or not—we don't blame you for thinking the buttons in this cockpit couldn't belong to a droid—they've been retooled and given (short) new lives as drones. Wired ([link removed]) (subscription required)


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