Defense One
U.S. Air Force fighter pilots and crew members are far more likely to be diagnosed with certain types of cancers than their fellow Airmen, according to the most comprehensive military study to date. The study is the first confirmation of a connection long suspected by fighter aviators who saw their peers contracting some cancers at concerning rates. Earlier, less comprehensive studies had proven inconclusive.
The Associated Press
U.S. officials issued new warnings Oct. 22 about China’s ambitions in artificial intelligence and a range of advanced technologies that could eventually give Beijing a decisive military edge and possible dominance over health care and other essential sectors in America. The warnings include a renewed effort to inform business executives, academics, and local and state government officials about the risks of accepting Chinese investment or expertise in key industries, officials at the National Counterintelligence and Security Center said.
Breaking Defense
In recent months, commercial remote sensing company representatives have become increasingly jaded with long-standing promises by the National Reconnaissance Office to increase its acquisition from, and support of, the burgeoning industry.
Breaking Defense
In the coming months, Israel plans to ask the U.S. to sell its new 5,000-pound GBU-72 bomb to the Israeli Defense Forces, sources say, with the goal of using it against Hamas’ subterranean bases. Already, Israeli planners have shared operational lessons from their use of the GBU-28 bomb with the U.S. Air Force in order to help develop operational profiles for the GBU-72. In turn, Israeli military officials hope Washington will OK the eventual sale of the GBU-72 once it enters full use in the U.S. Air Force.
Defense One
Just days after news broke that a Chinese hypersonic test vehicle had reached orbit, the U.S. Navy and Army launched several test rockets as part of their own effort to develop maneuverable high-speed missiles. One failed. “Yesterday, three launches that reached hypersonic speeds were conducted to inform our development of hypersonic capabilities,” Navy spokesman Lt. Lewis Aldridge said in a statement. But another planned test—a “data collection” experiment for hypersonic technology development in Kodiak, Alaska—was scuttled Oct. 21 when the rocket’s booster failed.
Defense News
Korea Aerospace Industries showcased a concept model of an electrically powered basic trainer aircraft during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition 2021 at an air base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul. Nicknamed “Black Kite,” the twin-seat concept aircraft features an electric propulsion system powering a total of four propellers mounted on the wings. It is expected to replace the KT-1 basic trainer in service with the South Korean Air Force.
The Drive
Major changes to advanced jet training are currently in vogue within the Department of Defense, and the latest requirement has now been drafted by the Navy, which is seeking a “Tactical Surrogate Aircraft.” It is described as a two-seat “fighter type” jet that the service will be able to use as a companion trainer and as an adversary. The latest Sources Sought Notice has many parallels with the Navy’s plans to introduce a new Undergraduate Jet Training System as well as with the Air Force’s recent Advanced Tactical Trainer proposal, both of which could be considered revolutionary, for better or worse.
SpaceNews
U.S. Space Force generals made headlines recently calling for the development of commercial services to clean up orbital debris. These statements convey a sense of urgency about the risk of collisions in space, but the government’s indecision about how to manage this problem is delaying private investments and efforts to develop space cleanup businesses, says an industry analyst.
Air Force release
What if you could access fuel from anywhere on the planet, at any time, no tanker required? The Air Force thinks it’s possible with ground-breaking carbon transformation technology. Not the same as carbon capture and storage, or carbon utilization, carbon transformation can turn carbon dioxide from the air into nearly any chemical, material, or fuel, including jet fuel.
New Atlas
Lockheed Martin, Nanoracks, and Voyager Space have entered into a partnership to launch a permanently crewed commercial space station by 2027. Called Starlab, the semi-inflatable platform will be available to the U.S. government and private industry. With the International Space Station slated for retirement and disposal by 2030, the United States is looking to private companies to provide replacements before that date under NASA's Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Destination project. One of these stations is Starlab, which could be the first free flying commercial space station.
Task and Purpose
Senior Master Sgt. Robert Gutierrez Jr., an Air Force combat controller, received the Air Force Cross after a desperate firefight in Afghanistan in 2009 where he continued to fight and call in airstrikes despite being shot through his lung. Gutierrez is a rock star in the Air Force Combat Control community, whose members set up landing zones and call in airstrikes alongside Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, and other special operators. But you wouldn’t know that from hearing him talk. In fact, in a video about Gutierrez posted on the Air Force Special Tactics Facebook page, he refused to even say how many deployments he’s been on.
One More Thing
40/29 News
A U.S. Air Force veteran got his missing wings and medals back from a good Samaritan who found them. They were returned after a woman found the sacred memorabilia in an auction. The medals and wings were returned to Lt. Col. Steven Tarochione on Oct. 19 in Fayetteville, Ark. “How can you explain something that was so much part of your life … you treasure it,” Tarochione said.
