AFA’s annual two-day symposium in Los Angeles is now known as the Pacific Air & Space Symposium, or PASS, to reflect the growing influence of the Pacific theater on US national security strategy. It was formerly called the Global Warfare Symposium. “This change reflects our commitment to bring the best military, academic, and industry minds together to discuss and debate our evolving defense needs,” said George Muellner, AFA Chairman of the Board, in the Association’s release. The theme of the 2013 PASS, to be held on Nov. 21-22, is the US military’s Pacific rebalance, which the Obama Administration articulated in the January 2012 defense strategic guidance. Members of the Air Force senior leadership, industry experts, and academic scholars will speak on the Pacific theater as well as the air, cyber, and space domains. “AFA looks forward to bringing attention to the growth of partnerships in the Pacific,” said Craig McKinley, AFA President. “The Pacific will continue to play an important role as we adapt our space, cyber, and airpower strategies in defeating the tyranny of distance,” he added. PASS registration opens in early September. Click on the logo in the upper right for the PASS webpage.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.