Tuesday, December 3, 2019

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Another F-16 Crash, Pilot Safely Ejects; JSTARS Bids Farewell to CENTCOM; Space Fence Wraps Up IOT&E

—Rachel S. Cohen and Amy McCullough
([link removed] 2019/December 3 2019/12032019_DR_Option 2_Sharepoint.jpg)

​An F-16 Fighting Falcon from the 35th Fighter Squadron prepares for takeoff prior to a routine training flight at Kunsan AB, Republic of Korea, Oct. 7, 2019. Air Force photo by SSgt. Mackenzie Mendez.

​Kunsan F-16 Pilot Forced to Eject, 8th Fighter Wing Suspends Flying Ops
An F-16 pilot assigned to the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan AB, South Korea, sustained “minor injuries” after ejecting from his aircraft during a routine landing “near the Kunsan Air Base runway” around 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 2, according to an Air Force release. The pilot was transported to a medical facility, and no other information was immediately available. The wing has suspended “all military and civilian flying operations to ensure the safety and security of people and assets,” the release states. Read the full story by Amy McCullough. ([link removed])
JSTARS Faces a New Era Outside CENTCOM
Air Combat Command has pulled its E-8C Joint STARS fleet out of the Middle East after 18 years, another change for the platform that recently saw its long-running replacement effort canceled and is ramping up in-house maintenance. “Joint STARS has been continually deployed to the [US Central Command] area of responsibility every day since November 2001,” according to a press release ([link removed]) from Robins AFB, Ga., where the fleet is based. “Since then, they have flown 10,938 sorties, equaling 114,426.6 combat flying hours in support of nearly every CENTCOM operation including Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Freedom Sentinel, and Inherent Resolve.” The last E-8C jet left Al Udeid AB, Qatar, on Oct. 1 amid a broader reshuffling of troops in the region as combat operations against the Islamic State group wind down and as the US largely leaves Syria. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen. ([link removed])

USAF Director of Studies, Analyses, and Assessments Dies
Kevin Williams, the Air Force’s director of studies, analyses, and assessments, died on Nov. 29 following an illness. Williams retired from the Air Force in 2005 after 25 years in uniform, but he immediately came back as a civilian, serving in a variety of SES positions. He flew the A-10, F-16, and F-111 operationally, and had flying and command assignments in Iraq, England, South Korea, and the United States. “We’ll miss Kevin tremendously. He was a fellow warrior who led fighter units across the globe and was a bright mind bringing rigor and analysis to our Air Force. He was an athlete who continually challenged himself to be better, go further, and go faster. Most of all, Kevin was a friend with an unstoppable attitude who offered a warm smile to all he met,” Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein wrote in an email. Read the full story by Amy McCullough. ([link removed])


Space Fence Starts Trial Period Following Initial Tests
The Air Force’s Space Fence finished its initial operational test and evaluation phase in November, kicking off a trial period to see if the system works well enough to accept it for regular operations. Space Fence’s first increment is neither in space nor a physical fence, but a series of ground-based sensors that will help identify and track about five times more debris than is currently doable—up to 100,000 objects or more—as the public and private sectors send more satellites and other objects into orbit. Air Force Space Command reviewed the Lockheed Martin program on Nov. 21 and agreed to start the operational trial period, according to the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen. ([link removed])

US Airstrike Targets Al-Shabaab in Somalia
The US targeted members of the al-Shabaab terror group in a Nov. 30 airstrike near Jilib, Somalia, US Africa Command said in a press release ([link removed]) the same day. AFRICOM did not say whether anyone died in the strike, but noted it does not believe any civilians were injured or killed. “US Africa Command will continue to work with its partners to transfer the responsibility for long-term security in Somalia to the federal government of Somalia and its member states,” the release stated. “US forces will use all effective and appropriate methods to assist in the protection of the Somali people, including partnered military counterterrorism operations with the federal government of Somalia, [African Union Mission in Somalia], and Somali National Army forces.” AFRICOM has reported dozens of US airstrikes in Somalia this year, as the command says ([link removed]) the Jilib-area attacks disrupt al-Shabaab’s ability to maneuver. —Rachel S. Cohen
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–––––––––– RADAR SWEEP

The Air Force Podcast: A Conversation on Resiliency with CMSAF Wright
On this episode of the Air Force Podcast, SSgt. Ashley New sat down with Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright to talk about resiliency. USAF podcast ([link removed])

DARPA Wants Smart Suits to Protect Against Biological Attacks
The Pentagon's research arm—the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency—wants to accelerate the development of innovative textiles and smart materials to better and more comfortably protect humans from chemical and biological threats. Nextgov ([link removed])

NATO’s Allied Transformation Command Deputy on China, Space, and Future Threats
Italian Army Gen. Paolo Ruggiero was named NATO’s deputy supreme allied commander for transformation on July 19. He sat down with Defense News during a visit to Washington, D.C., in November to discuss his view of future challenges, how NATO must operate in space, and future adversaries. Defense News ([link removed])

More Than 100 Military Bases Now at Risk of Water Shortages, GAO Finds
More than 100 military bases are at risk of water shortages in an era of climate change, according to a Government Accountability Office report. Some have already experienced water restrictions. Military.com ([link removed])

Design Approved for Gulf War Memorial on National Mall
The effort to build a National Desert Storm Memorial ([link removed]) on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., passed a significant milestone recently with formal approval of a design concept granted by the US Commission on Fine Arts. Military.com ([link removed])

One More Thing …

If Jet Radars Don’t Raise Cancer Risk, Why Did the Navy Coat Some Cockpits in Gold?
Former Navy and Air Force pilots or their surviving spouses have expressed to McClatchy their concerns about the high number of prostate, brain, blood and other types of cancers affecting their community, and some have wondered whether radars on military aircraft might have been a factor. McClatchy DC ([link removed])


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