Air Force Lifts Suspension on Unit More Than a Year After Classified Documents Leak

May 31, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

A Massachusetts Air National Guard unit has been cleared to resume its mission, more than a year after it was suspended when the FBI launched an investigation of Airman 1st Class Jack Teixeira for leaking a massive trove of classified documents.

“The 102nd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group (ISRG) will resume its intelligence mission in support of Distributed Ground Station-Massachusetts on June 1, 2024, following approval by the commander of Air Combat Command,” Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said in a statement.

“The unauthorized disclosure resulted from a failure in integrity of one person and is not reflective of the reliable, patriotic men and women of the 102nd Intelligence Wing,” the Massachusetts National Guard said in a May 31 release shared with Air & Space Forces Magazine.

In March this year, Teixeira pleaded guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information.

Air Force leaders first sidelined Teixeira’s former unit in April 2023, days after he was arrested for sharing information on Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East, along with other sensitive subjects, on the online platform Discord. The Pentagon and Air Force each launched a broad review on the handling of confidential files following Teixeira’s arrest.

In December, the Air Force initiated disciplinary and other administrative actions against 15 Airmen following a report from the service’s Inspector General’s office that determined Teixeira had acted alone in obtaining classified information and sharing it in online chat rooms, but that his actions were enabled by a “lack of supervision.”

In connection with the scandal, the commander of the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron and an administrative commander at Otis Air National Guard Base were suspended last year. The unit will have two new leaders replacing them, but the 102nd Intelligence Wing did not immediately respond to an Air & Space Forces Magazine request to identify their names.

“Previously suspended commanders from the 102nd Intelligence Support Squadron and the detachment overseeing administrative support for Airmen at the unit … were permanently removed,” Stefanek told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

“The 102nd Intelligence Wing accepted the Inspector General’s findings and implemented changes as required to ensure an unauthorized disclosure of classified information does not happen again,” the Massachusetts National Guard’s release states. “With the knowledge gained from this challenging experience, we welcomed the opportunity to help identify problems with Air Force processes that could jeopardize the safe handling of classified information in both the active duty and reserve components.”

In addition to the Inspector General report, the wing also implemented a new organizational structure “to enhance oversight of ISRG operations,” Stefanek said. Air Combat Command led the recertification process, with inspection teams evaluating sampling security procedures and culture across the wing.

The 102nd ISR Group assesses enemy activities and gathers and analyzes information for military operations and national security. The Department of Justice investigation unveiled that Teixeira had shared highly classified materials including maps, satellite images, and intelligence on U.S. allies.

This is not the first time the Air Force has stripped an entire unit of a mission. In October 2007, after personnel from the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., mistakenly loaded live nuclear weapons onto a B-52 bomber, the wing was decertified from performing nuclear missions. It did not regain that certification until March 2008.

Flightline Armament Test: All Platforms, All Weapons, One Solution

May 31, 2024

Today’s armament maintainers are tasked with performing flightline (O-Level) maintenance with an assortment of legacy test sets that greatly limit the ability to quickly and efficiently verify armament system readiness, diagnose failures, and ultimately return the aircraft to full mission capable (FMC) status. Legacy test sets are typically utilized on only a single aircraft, or perform a single function supporting multiple aircraft, resulting in increased training and logistics challenges, and longer than necessary test and repair times. This not only impacts armament maintainer effectiveness, but limits the realization of Agile Combat Employment (ACE) and the development of Multi-Mission Airmen.

The need for a universal armament test solution, one that is easy to use, portable and rugged, with rapid test and setup times, and common across all platforms and weapons, has become readily apparent and increasingly in demand on the flightline. Working closely with armament maintainers from across the global, both DOD and ally, Marvin Test Solutions (MTS) identified key functionality and capabilities essential to supporting legacy, current, and future generation platforms and weapons systems. The outcome of this effort resulted in the widely deployed and combat proven MTS-3060A SmartCan™ Universal Armament Test Set.

The handheld MTS-3060A SmartCan is capable of testing all Alternate Mission Equipment (AME) and Normally Installed Equipment (NIE) including pylons, launchers, bomb racks, guns, and POD interfaces, as well as supporting 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th generation weapons systems. A standard SmartCan kit, with all associated cables and adaptors contained in a single carry case, can replace the flightline test capabilities of over a dozen test sets across USAF fighters and UASs. It can also support a broader implementation to include bombers and surface-to-air defensive systems as needed. See Table 1 for additional details.

*Table 1. O-Level Test Set Replacement Matrix*

All fielded aircraft, manned and unmanned, rotary and fixed wing, can be loaded onto a single SmartCan, eliminating the traditional deployment model of using multiple aircraft-specific armament test sets on the flightline. Test results and measurement variances for each weapon are displayed real-time for review, analysis, and fault-isolation. Additionally, test log files can easily be moved or copied via the removable SD card for printing and analysis, supporting emerging predictive maintenance initiatives.

Unlike legacy handheld test sets that are only capable of performing stray voltage and continuity tests, the SmartCan implements functional MIL-STD-1760 testing to ensure armament systems are ready to support Smart weapons, before they are loaded. Coupled with munitions emulation communication channels supporting all existing weapons protocols, it provides a full system test for all legacy and Smart weapons. It performs both pre-load and functional checkouts through weapons emulation, the simultaneous testing of multiple squib signals, and implements a unique cross-fire algorithm to deliver a comprehensive test process superior to other all O-Level armament test sets in service today.

The rugged design, ergonomic layout, and small footprint (~4 lbs.) enables field operation anywhere in the world, making it the ultimate tool for flightline armament test. It is designed and qualified to operate under extreme environmental conditions, meeting MIL-PRF-28800F Class 1, MIL-STD-810C and MIL-STD-461F requirements. Battery operation further enhances field usability; (6) AA batteries and an innovative power management system enables over (40) hours of test time without the need to replace the batteries.

Test setup and execution times are also significantly improved, and the results are striking! F-16 setup times are reduced from 45 minutes to just 4 minutes, representing an impressive 91% decrease. Similarly, test execution times for a pylon utilizing MIL-STD-1760 and a LAU-129, tested for both AIM-120 and AIM-9X, saw substantial reductions from 20 minutes to 3 minutes (85% reduction), and from 35 minutes to 4 minutes (89% reduction) respectively. See Table 2 for additional details.

*Table 2. F-16 Setup / Test Time Comparison*

Advanced cybersecurity features and protections further differentiate the SmartCan, making this the most cyber-secure O-Level armament test set. Data encryption, a custom operating system, NIST Certified software for Test Program Set (TPS) development, and a removable secure data (SD) card all contribute to the enhanced cybersecurity of this test set.

The ability to streamline TPS development and release cycles is another unique advantage of the SmartCan. ATEasy™ and SmartCanEasy, a powerful integrated TPS development environment, allows the user to develop and integrate their own test programs to support new weapons entering service. With this capability the USAF can develop test programs in-house, speeding development and release to the field.

All Platforms, All Weapons, One Solution: MTS-3060A SmartCan. Currently deployed on 14 platforms, in 19 countries, in Systems Integration Labs, with SERD Certification (#75A77) and cybersecurity ATO, it is the premier O-Level armament test solution: lightweight and rugged, delivering the quickest setup and execution, reduced training time and logistics footprint, enhanced cybersecurity, with superior active armament test capabilities. A model for ACE CONOPS and Multi-Mission Airmen enabling technology.

Air Force Elevates USAFA Vice Superintendent to General Officer Role

May 31, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Sherman has been named vice superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy and will step in as interim superintendent until Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind is confirmed by the Senate, the school announced May 29.

Lt. Gen. Richard M. Clark, who has served as USAFA superintendent since September 2020, will retire on June 1 after presiding over the Academy’s graduation ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“It was the greatest honor of my career to serve you at our Academy,” Clark told the graduates, the first class under his tenure, a day before his retirement ceremony on May 31. “Thank you for being my class.”

Clark, a former USAFA football player, is slated to become the executive director of the College Football Playoff, and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall included a nod to his playing days while thanking him at the graduation ceremony.

“Rich had an incredibly difficult job from day one,” Kendall said. “And he met every challenge head on, just as I expect from a former U.S. Air Force Academy linebacker.”

Under Clark, the Academy had to deal with remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, a cheating scandal that resulted in 22 cadets being separated, the deaths of multiple cadets, and more. The Academy also expanded its Space Force connections, including the launch of a new student-built and -operated satellite.

Bauernfeind, the head of Air Force Special Operations Command, was nominated to succeed Clark on May 14, and his nomination is currently pending before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Depending on how long his confirmation process takes, Sherman could still be the interim superintendent by the time the Class of 2028 arrives on June 26.

Sherman is the first general officer to serve as vice superintendent of the Academy—the position was previously held by colonels.

“Elevating this position will help us solidify the cadet culture and experience required to develop officers ready to lead in an era of Great Power Competition,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said in a statement. “This adjustment is not a reflection in any way of the excellent performance of previous vice superintendents. Instead, it showcases our commitment to prioritizing leadership development across our force.”

Sherman comes to the vice job after a stint as director of security forces at Headquarters Air Force. A career security forces officer, Sherman graduated from USAFA in 1995 with a degree in political science and went on to earn three master’s degrees in criminal justice, National Security Affairs, and National Security Strategy, from California State University San Bernardino, the Naval Post Graduate School, and the National War College, respectively.

He has also commanded at the flight, squadron, group, detachment, and wing levels, most notably leading the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. After that, he served as principal military assistant to the deputy secretary of defense, and as deputy director of capability development at Air Force Futures.

“It is a true honor and a dream to be assigned and serve our Academy as its vice superintendent,” Sherman said in a statement. “I am tremendously excited and humbled to join a team so deeply devoted to the important mission of this premier military and academic institution. I look forward to working side-by-side with our dedicated professionals to further the environment and climate that develops, fosters and inspires today’s cadets to become tomorrow’s leaders of our Airmen and Guardians.”

Sherman is the first interim superintendent of the Academy since 2003.

Even After F-35’s TR-3 Software is Approved, Frequent Patches May Be Needed

May 30, 2024 | By John A. Tirpak

When the F-35’s Tech Refresh 3 software is finally fully tested, debugged, and approved, frequent patches may still be needed to correct deficiencies, the Joint Program Office told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

When the TR-3 package is finally greenlit for operational use—allowing some 80 stored jets to be delivered—“future risks hinge upon whether TR-3 will require additional incremental software releases to test and implement critical fixes. If risk manifests in labs or flight test, TR-3 may require additional software releases (taking between two and six weeks per release),” a JPO spokesperson said.

The JPO had previously said initial software releases could come annually or every six months. In flight test, pilots are reporting frequently having to reboot the TR-3 software, in the air and on the ground.

The program office reiterated that “the first realistic opportunity for TR-3 aircraft acceptance is July 2024, and even that date bears risk.”

The TR-3 configuration includes a more powerful processor, associated software, and a new cockpit display, among other improvements, and it is the basis for the coming Block 4 upgrade to the fighter. Lockheed Martin has been producing new F-35s in that configuration since last year, but some 80 aircraft that have been completed can’t be delivered because testing of the TR-3 isn’t finished.

Lt. Gen. Michael Schmidt, the program executive officer, told Congress in April that the F-35 steering group—the international users of the fighter—have agreed to releasing a “truncated” version of the TR-3 in order to get deliveries moving again. However, Schmidt is waiting to see more stability in the software before he will sign off on accepting the new jets.

The JPO was not immediately able to explain what software stability metrics will satisfy Schmidt.

Users of the F-35 have been waiting 10 months for deliveries,and this has disrupted the transition from their older fighters to the F-35. The delays have far-ranging implications; provision of used F-16s to Ukraine, for example, depends on donor countries like the Netherlands and Belgium receiving their F-35s in a timely manner. U.S. Air Force units must continue to operate older types, spending more to maintain them and delaying maintainers and pilots from transition training.

The JPO and its industry partners are working intensively to fix “specific issues in TR-3 software,” the spokesperson explained, “to improve software stability on the ground and in the air.”

TR-3 acceptance “depends upon completing a stable, capable, and maintainable software build for release to flight test,” the spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

Exasperated with chronic F-35 delays and especially the hold on deliveries, the House Armed Services Committee, in its mark of the 2025 defense bill, slashed the number of F-35s the services requested, diverting the money to more software integration capability, a new flying avionics testbed, additional test F-35s and other test capacity measures, in order to speed up testing.

Is a Cyber Force Next? Lawmakers Want Independent Study

May 30, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

Members of the House Armed Services Committee are pressing for an independent study on whether the U.S. should stand up a separate military service focused on cyber.

The measure, included in the House draft of the 2025 National Defense Authorization bill last week mirrors a similar provision adopted by the Senate Armed Services Committee in its draft of the 2024 NDAA. That proposal did not make it into law, but with supporters in both Houses of Congress, the idea now has a strong chance of passage.

The amendment to the House bill was introduced by Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas). It seeks a study of two courses of action, either establishing a Cyber Force or refining the organization and support for U.S. Cyber Command. The study would compare how each approach might impact readiness, recruiting, retention, performance, and cost, and would be required to reflect the views of both cyber operators and officials across the Pentagon. It would also include recommendations for how to delineate responsibilities and minimize disruptions if a Cyber Force was created.

Momentum and interest in a Cyber Force has proponents seeing progress.

“Things that are both the House and Senate markups, they tend to do better,” said retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, who co-wrote a report earlier this year for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies that called for a 10,000-strong Cyber Force. In an interview with Air & Space Forces Magazine, he offered “no guarantees,” but said: “I think when something’s [in an en bloc package] like that, it kind of means a large group of congressmen have said, ‘This is the way we’re going, there’s no need to debate this.’”

Retired Navy Adm. James Stavridis, former head of U.S. Southern Command and U.S. European Command, has also advocated for a cyber force. So has retired Army Lt. Gen. David W. Barno. The Military Cyber Professionals Association, an advocacy group with dozens of general and flag officers on its board of advisors, has also called for such a change.

Still, Montgomery acknowledges opposition to the idea within Congress and U.S. Cyber Command, even as all stakeholders agree that something needs to be done to boost the Pentagon’s cyber capabilities.

In 2012, CYBERCOM and the Joint Staff created the Cyber Mission Force as its “action” arm and tasked the services with filling that force out with 133 Cyber Mission Teams. More than a decade later, the number of teams has not grown, and plans for expansion have been hampered by the services having trouble training and retaining cyber talent.

“I think all options are on the table except status quo,” then-CYBERCOM boss Gen. Paul Nakasone said in December 2023, describing a restructuring that would lead to “CYBERCOM 2.0.”

In recent years, CYBERCOM has begun to operate more like U.S. Special Operations Command, which also draws forces from across the services and has some of its own acquisition authorities.

But Montgomery argues that approach cannot level-set and prioritize cyber readiness the way a dedicated Cyber Force could.

“The biggest problem we have is in the recruitment,” Montgomery said. “The people that you are recruiting to get 25,000 Airmen or 30,000 Sailors or 55,000 Soldiers, whatever the numbers are, is an inherently different person than we need for about 1,000 cyber professionals a year.”

Add to that the recruiting struggles facing most services right now, Montgomery said, and the end result is that individuals without cyber skills can get funneled into those units, lowering their effectiveness.

“We had a quote in our report from an Air Force lieutenant colonel,” Montgomery said. “She said, ‘Look, 10 percent of my people are doing 90 percent of the work.’ It’s not that the other 90 percent are not good Americans. Can you imagine if an Air Force F-22 squadron commanding officer said, ‘I’ve got four fantastic pilots. These other 20, I don’t have to fly.’ That squadron CO wouldn’t last an hour in command.”

Talent is especially important, Montgomery added, given the nature of cyber warefare. “More than any other mission area, the weapon is the human,” he said. “You don’t call a Lockheed Martin and say, can you develop 10 penetration tools for us. I mean, human cyber operators develop the tools.”

Some have suggested giving CYBERCOM greater authority for force generation, but Montgomery says that would be a mistake.

“I can’t think of anything less desirable,” Montgomery said. “The Cyber Command commander is already the head of NSA and Cyber Command. The idea that you would make him or her the force generator in addition to the force employer and the intelligence agency, that’s nonsensical. No one officer can do all that, no matter how good they are.”

The House amendment would provide the first public, independent analysis of the concept and require a report less than a year after the law is enacted. It would also draw upon the recent lessons learned from standing up the Space Force, which became the first new military service in more than 70 years when it was established in 2019.

Like the Cyber Force, the concept of an independent Space Force was bandied about for years before it was realized and Congress directed a study on the matter in the 2018 NDAA. The Space Force had congressional champions in Reps. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) and Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), and the deal came together as part of a larger legislative compromise as 2019 wound down.

Today, Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) join Lutrell as leading advocates for an independent Cyber Force.

One big difference with cyber, compared to space, is that cyber skills are widely dispersed among all the armed services, while the vast majority of space operators were organized together within the Air Force until the Space Force was formed. Building a Cyber Force would mean drawing roughly in equal measure from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force. Also different: While the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps have transferred most of their space missions to the Space Force, each armed service is likely to need to retain some cyber capabilities should a Cyber Force be created, Montgomery said. How those roles and responsibilities might be divided could prove to be contentious issues as the idea develops.

VP at USAFA Graduation: ‘Our Adversaries Fear America’s Dominance in the Air’

May 30, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

Vice President Kamala Harris extolled the importance of air and spacepower during a graduation address at the U.S. Air Force Academy on May 30, arguing the nation needs dominance in both domains to secure its interests and ensure global stability.

“America’s record of air and space superiority has been unmatched and unbroken,” Harris said, noting the upcoming 80th anniversary of D-Day in June and the subsequent conflicts in which air and space have played pivotal roles.

That importance continues today, she added.

“Around the world, our allies are in awe and our adversaries in fear of America’s dominance in the air,” Harris said. “We see it on NATO’s eastern flank, where our air patrols deter Putin from extending and expanding his war of aggression. We see it in Ukraine, where our weapons deliveries and missile warnings help the people of Ukraine defend their homes and homeland, their sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”

The Air Force has regularly rotated fighter jets through eastern Europe over the past few years to conduct air policing missions, particularly over Baltic states like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that don’t have robust air forces of their own and rely on NATO allies to help deter Russia. Most recently, F-35s deployed to Poland in April.

USAF officials have also argued the war inside Ukraine has demonstrated the importance of airpower, as without air superiority neither side has gained a decisive edge, resulting in a bloody stalemate. Leaders have also acknowledged that the conflict is driving larger questions about how and when to achieve air superiority.

Harris also noted the importance of the Air Force and Space Force in responding to Iran’s attack on Israel in April.

“It was our Air and Space Forces that mounted an unprecedented defense, along with our allies and partners,” Harris said. “More than 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles were fired at Israel and thanks to our Airmen and Guardians, 99 percent of those threats did not hit their target.”

Harris did not mention China, the U.S.’s “pacing challenge,” by name in her speech, but she did say USAF’s presence in the Indo-Pacific “ensures a free and open region.”

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall went further in telling graduates that “you are beginning your careers during a strategic competition that is the greatest challenge our country has faced in modern times, perhaps in our entire history.”

“The People’s Republic of China has designed and built its armed forces with the goal to deter and defeat United States’ ability to project power, particularly in the western Pacific,” Kendall added. “That challenge and many others are waiting for you.”

Kendall went on to exhort the new officers to be responsible for the “operational readiness, culture, and command climate of your organizations,” echoing comments he and President Joe Biden made at last year’s graduation ceremony.

Ultimately, Harris said, the graduates are responsible for ensuring that the U.S. retains its airpower and spacepower.

“As it has been for generations, America’s national security and global stability depend on our strength in the sky and space,” she said. “And as officers, our nation is counting on you to preserve and extend that strength, including, I will add, through your ability to innovate.”

Air Force Investigating After KC-135 Landing Gear Retracts While Parked

May 30, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

A KC-135 Stratotanker’s front landing gear retracted while it was parked on the flightline of McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., on May 29, prompting the aircraft’s forward fuselage to touch the ground. Two maintainers were onboard and three other crew members were nearby the aircraft at the time of the incident, but no injuries were reported, according to a press release from the base.

An investigation into the incident opened the morning of May 30, a spokesperson for the 22nd Air Refueling Wing told Air & Space Forces Magazine. The exact cause of the mishap will not be confirmed until an official report is complete.

Col. Cory Damon, 22nd Air Refueling Wing commander, said other flying operations at the base remained unhindered.

“Our Emergency Response Airmen put their training to this real-world test, and I am extremely proud of how they conducted themselves and performed their duties,” Damon said in a statement.

Following the incident, the unofficial Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco shared a photo showing the front section of the tanker making contact with the ground at McConnell. Subsequent photos circulated on social media showing the mishap.

That’ll buff out right?
byu/streetmilitary inAirForce

Back in March, a KC-135R from the Mississippi Air National Guard had to perform an emergency landing at Key Field in Meridian during a routine air refueling mission. The pilots and crew from the 186th Air Refueling Wing onboard safely landed the aircraft, and no injuries were reported. The incident took place when the aircraft’s boom sustained damage mid-flight, rendering it unable to retract for landing.

Another Stratotanker from the Iowa Air National Guard made a crash-landing on a Sioux City runway in October. The incident took place during a training mission when the plane’s front landing gear failed to deploy, resulting in damage to the aircraft’s nose. No Airmen on board were injured.

Every mishap is classified from Class A to E, with A being the most severe and E the least, based on the extent and monetary cost of the damages and/or injury. Wing commanders investigate mishaps classified as Class C and below, which covers anything at or below $600,000 in damages or injuries or occupational illnesses requiring one day off work.

The KC-135, built by Boeing, has been in service for more than 60 years, and the Air Force intends to retain the fleet for years more to come. The Air Force is slowly adding more KC-46 Pegasus tankers, with, but delays in delivery over recent years have slowed down the retirement process of the KC-135s. The Air Force aims to release a request for proposals for the KC-135 Recapitalization Program—formerly called the “bridge tanker”—in fiscal 2025.

SASC Ranking Member: Air Force Needs to Add Hundreds of New Fighters, Double B-21 Fleet

May 29, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

The ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee offered a set of sweeping proposals for what he called a “generational investment” in the U.S. military—including hundreds of new fighter jets, bombers, and drones for the Air Force over the next several years.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) laid out his vision in a 52-page report and an op-ed in the New York Times released May 29, two weeks before the committee on which he serves as the top Republican is set to mark up its version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.

It remains to be seen whether Wicker will push for some or all of his proposals—which cover every combatant command, military branch, and more—in the annual defense policy bill. An aide for SASC Republicans told Air & Space Forces Magazine he will propose a $55 billion topline increase to the Pentagon’s budget request of $850 billion but declined to discuss other potential amendments.

Wicker’s proposals face significant hurdles given the associated costs and the fact that the Pentagon is already dealing with budget caps set by the Fiscal Responsibility Act. Yet lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have said they may try to bypass those spending caps in 2025.

The aide also noted that many of the proposals Wicker is pushing—especially for the Air Force—will be long-term efforts that will take years to realize. Should Republicans reclaim control of the Senate in November’s elections, Wicker would become chair of the SASC and have even more influence in future Congresses.

Still, Wicker’s call for defense spending to reach five percent of the U.S.’s gross domestic product is certain to face fierce pushback from some lawmakers.

Aircraft Moves

For the Air Force, Wicker wants to reverse what he calls a “death spiral” in the fighter fleet.

“[The Air Force] has not replaced its aircraft fast enough to keep the fleet from shrinking precipitously, even as the mission demands remain steady or increase. This stresses a smaller number of airframes, which are asked to deploy more often. Consequently, we see worse maintenance outcomes, and the cycle continues,” Wicker wrote in his report.

The USAF wants to divest 250 aircraft and procure 91 new ones in 2025, which would put its total fleet below 5,000 airframes for the first time ever. Officials say that decline will continue for at least a few more years.

Wicker is proposing to block retirements of F-22 and F-15E aircraft, something his House Armed Services Committee counterparts are pushing as well. On top of that, he is calling for the Air Force to buy at least 340 fighters more than its current plans in the next five years.

That extra 340 airframes should include more F-35s “once production issues are stabilized,” at least two dozen F-15EXs per year, and a limited buy of 120 Block 70 F-16s, Wicker suggests.

The Air Force has already said it plans to end procurement of the F-15EX after 2025, and the service hasn’t received a new F-16 since 2005. The new Block 70 version, however, is currently in production at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville, S.C., facility for allies like Greece, Turkey, Bahrain and Taiwan.

“While a less capable aircraft, F-16 Block 70 development was paid for by allies and partners, and this still-capable aircraft can perform plenty of less stressing missions,” Wicker suggested.

With F-35s, F-15EXs, and new F-16s each costing at least $60-70 million per aircraft, the addition Wicker is calling for would almost certainly cost tens of billions of dollars.

Yet in addition to new fighters, Wicker also joined a chorus of congressional and analyst voices calling for the Air Force to buy more than 100 B-21 bombers.

“Once early production of the B-21 has ended, the Air Force should move as fast as possible to field at least double its planned quantity of 100,” he wrote.

While U.S. Strategic Command boss Gen. Anthony J. Cotton has said he would “love” to have more than B-21s, Air Force officials have argued such decisions do not need to be made yet and that new technologies may come along to change the decision calculus.

Air Force officials have recently declined to discuss the cost of individual B-21 bombers, but the unit cost of one of the bombers was contractually set at $550 million in 2015 dollars, meaning 100 more could add $50 billion or so to the program.

Wicker’s report also calls for the Air Force to expand its program requirement for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the autonomous drones that will fly as “wingmen” to augment manned platforms. The service set a “notional” figure of 1,000 CCAs, a figure Wicker cited, but Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has suggested the fleet could wind up being much larger than that.

Wicker did not provide an exact figure for how many more he thinks the Air Force should buy, but did write that budget constraints are likely what is limiting the program, not operational requirements.

Finally, Wicker suggested the Air Force look into buying a land-based version of the Navy’s E-2D Hawkeye for airborne early warning and control and begin studies on “equipping fighter aircraft with nuclear air-launched cruise missiles instead of gravity bombs to improve survivability.”

Given the sweeping nature of Wicker’s proposals and the many competing priorities, the proposed Air Force changes could face daunting odds of being realized.

Air Force Pilot Was Flying F-35B in Crash at Kirtland, in Stable Condition

May 29, 2024 | By John A. Tirpak

The F-35B that crashed May 28 in New Mexico was flown by an Air Force pilot, the F-35 Joint Program Office and the Air Force said. The pilot ejected at low altitude and suffered serious injuries, but is in stable condition, according to the Air Force.

The loss of the test aircraft exacerbates a shortage of such jets while the Pentagon is struggling to expedite test of key F-35 capabilities, including the TR-3 hardware and software upgrade.

The crash occurred at 1:48 pm local time, immediately outside the fenced perimeter of the Albuquerque International Sunport/Kirtland Air Force Base airfield. The aircraft rapidly lost altitude shortly after takeoff and seemingly pancaked onto scrub desert. The resulting fire was quickly extinguished by Air Force and airport emergency crews, but the condition of the aircraft suggests it will be declared a total loss. Two people injured on the ground received treatment near the scene and were released.

Due to the investigation now underway, the JPO could not provide details on the pilot’s identity or experience other than to say the person was checked out on the F-35B and qualified to fly the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant, which is flown operationally by Marine Corps pilots. The Air Force pilot was flying the jet on behalf of the Defense Contract Management Agency.

An image of the aircraft just prior to the crash and circulated on social media show it to be apparently nose-high for a STOVL takeoff. It was only 50 or so feet off the ground, raising considerable dust on the runway overrun below. It was in full STOVL configuration, with the dorsal lift fan door fully open, engine exhaust ventral doors open, and elevons fully deflected. The rear engine exhaust, difficult to see in the image, may have been in transition from STOVL to conventional flight mode.

The accident bears a few similarities to the crash of an F-35B at Lockheed Martin’s facilities at Fort Worth, Texas, in December 2022, in which that mishap aircraft was also being operated in STOVL mode by an Air Force pilot flying the jet for DCMA. In that accident, the aircraft descended vertically at an excessive rate of speed, bounced, touched the runway with the nosewheel, spun around, came down sideways and collapsed one of the main landing gear. The pilot then ejected at zero altitude but survived with minor injuries. The aircraft remained largely intact.

The 2022 mishap resulted in the JPO grounding some F-35s and pausing deliveries of new aircraft for three months. The grounding was lifted and deliveries resumed after a fix was developed by Pratt & Whitney for a harmonic resonance issue with the type’s F135 engine.

A former F-35 test pilot told Air & Space Forces Magazine that both combined test force pilots and DCMA pilots are typically qualified to fly all three F-35 variants, which include the conventional takeoff F-35A model, the STOVL F-35B, and the carrier-capable F-35C.

The three airplanes “are similar in the way [they] fly,” the test pilot said. “With the B [version], you simply move a lever, and then you’re in STOVL mode, and the controls then do their STOVL moves.” He said it was not possible to tell from an image taken just before the crash what was happening with the main exhaust, which rotates from downward to rearward in the transition from vertical to horizontal flight. But he said the jet should have been at a higher altitude by that point in a STOVL takeoff and the jet’s attitude seemed high for the configuration.

The JPO said the aircraft involved in the May 29 crash was a Technology Refresh 2-configured airplane, which was delivered in September 2023. Due to delays in testing the TR-3 configuration, the government has not accepted any new-build TR-3 airplanes since July 2023, so the aircraft involved was one of the last TR-2s built and delivered.

The JPO could not immediately say what kind of testing the mishap aircraft was earmarked for, but an industry source noted that the TR-3 is only one of several test campaigns now underway with the F-35, although “it is the priority.”

A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said the jet was being transferred from Fort Worth, Texas, where the company’s F-35 factory is located, to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., for modifications and testing. Neither the JPO nor Lockheed described the modifications it was to receive. The stop at Kirtland was made to refuel.

“This was a U.S. government-owned-and-operated aircraft that was being flown by a government pilot who safely ejected,” Lockheed Martin said in a press statement.

“The aircraft was a test jet equipped with Technology Refresh 2 and was transferring to Edwards AFB for additional test equipment modification. Safety is our priority, and we will follow appropriate investigation protocols,” the Lockheed spokesperson said.

“The cause of the crash is being reviewed by an Air Force Interim Safety Board,” an Air Force spokesperson said.

The House Armed Services Committee recently upped the number of new test F-35s it would authorize in the fiscal 2025 defense bill from six to nine, as the existing test fleet is too small in number to handle the demand for F-35 testing and is hard-pressed to handle pop-up discoveries. The loss of an F-35 test asset will only exacerbate that situation, as the new jets, if fully authorized and appropriated, will not arrive for several years.

Some 75 TR-3 jets—which have new cockpit displays, a much more powerful processor, and new software—are completed but in storage, awaiting completion of TR-3 testing or a decision by the JPO to allow them to operate with a “truncated” version of the TR-3 software. Lockheed has said that it doesn’t expect that TR-3 jets will be cleared to fly until the third quarter of this year at the very earliest.

The JPO has said that while the F-35 partners and FMS customers have agreed to accept the “truncated” version to get deliveries moving while TR-3 is being fully vetted, it doesn’t know when that version will get the green light. Lt. Gen. Michael J. Schmidt, the F-35 program executive officer, wants to see more stability in the “TR-3-minus” software before going ahead with deliveries.

The Government Accountability Office recently said the TR-3 jets will likely take a year to deliver, as it considers Lockheed’s plan to deliver them at a rate of one per business day as too optimistic.

The most recent crash of an F-35—also a B model, Marine Corps jet—happened in South Carolina in September 2023.