12 Things We Learned From the New B-21’s Taxi Tests and First Flight

12 Things We Learned From the New B-21’s Taxi Tests and First Flight

Nov. 22, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak

After nearly a year of speculation since the Air Force arranged a carefully-controlled, forward-only view of the B-21 Raider at its December 2022 rollout—leaving many questions about the shape and equipment of the bomber—images of the aircraft taken of its November taxi tests and first flight provided some definitive answers about it.

All images circulating of the taxi tests and first flight were taken by private photographers staking out Air Force Plant 42 at Palmdale, Calif., where Northrop Grumman builds the B-21. The Air Force has yet to release any official images of the events.

Taking off at dawn on Nov. 10, the B-21’s underside was illuminated at a nearly straight-on angle, revealing all its features in crisp relief. The aircraft made a circuitous, roughly 140-minute flight to the northwest before landing at Edwards Air Force Base.

Overall Shape

The first flight settled the question of whether early Air Force concept art of the B-21’s overall shape was realistic or meant to fool potential adversaries. The planform is in fact a simple W-shape flying wing—as the Air Force originally described—without the serrated tail seen on the B-2, on which the B-21 is clearly based.

The B-2 originally had a similar planform, but in the mid-1980s, the Air Force added a requirement that the B-2 be capable of sustained low-level, terrain-following flight, forcing the addition of additional tail area and control surfaces. The redesign cost several billion dollars and added several years to the B-2’s schedule.

The W-shape of the B-21 suggests the aircraft will only fly at higher altitudes. The B-21’s wing angle of sweep is also similar to that of the B-2. A striking aspect of the aircraft is its prominent “diamond” center area, which harkens to the earliest ideas of stealth shaping from the 1980s. The fact that the aircraft is all-around light gray also indicates that, unlike the B-2—which is painted dark gray to be visually hard to detect at night—the B-21 is meant to be a daytime bomber.

Nickname

Stenciled on the aircraft’s nose gear door is the name “Cerberus,” the mythical three-headed dog that guards the gates of the underworld. The 20 aircraft in the B-21 fleet all carry the names of states.

Size

Based on the known size of its F-16 chase plane and overall shape, the B-21’s wingspan is likely to be about 140 feet; smaller than the B-2’s 172-foot wingspan, but somewhat larger than earlier estimates. Its length appears to be about 55 feet, versus the B-2’s 69 feet. The Air Force has consistently said the B-21 will be somewhat smaller than the B-2 and have a smaller weapons payload.

The Tail

The B-21’s exhausts have a scalloped shape, similar to the B-2’s air intakes, and are very different from the simple slots on the older bomber. The exhausts are set back from the tail, where darkened panels indicate some kind of thermal reduction treatment. Unlike the B-2, where the rearmost portion of the tail was articulated, the tail of the B-21 seems to be fixed.

On the B-2, this articulating control surface, known as the “beavertail,” but officially known as the Gust-Load Alleviation System, was intended to help the aircraft leap off the runway more quickly if a nuclear attack was coming. However, B-2 pilots have said this feature wasn’t considered useful and was effectively “turned off,” so its deletion from the B-21 isn’t surprising.

This is the first look at the new B-21 Raiders rear-end.
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Auxiliary Air Intakes

The B-21 has two tall, triangular doors on its upper surface—one on either side—which open to provide more air to the engines during ground operations, takeoff, and landing. The fact that there are only two of these, symmetrically positioned, suggests there are only two engines powering the bomber. There are four analogous features on the B-2, which has four engines.

B-21 has cat ears?
byu/Frosty_Signaleer inNonCredibleDefense

Weapons Bays

The B-21 may have three weapons bays: seams show the clear outlines of doors for the main center bay, as well as seams indicating engine access doors. Between them, another set of slim doors may be additional weapon launch doors. The B-21 is to have capability to carry at least three specific weapons: the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb, the conventional Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), and the nuclear AGM-181 Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) Missile. The mystery bays may be intended to carry SiAWs, which are meant to destroy enemy air defense systems. Smaller, more slender bay doors are likely able to open and close more rapidly, enhancing stealth when drawing close to an enemy’s ground radar.

Seam Sealing

Although program officials have said the B-21 will dispense with the “tape, caulk, and putty” seam-sealing techniques used on other stealth aircraft such as the B-2, the F-22, and F-117, the underside of the B-21 showed some uneven contours at the weapons and engine bay seams, particularly at corners, suggesting that perhaps those techniques have not been completely abandoned. The underside’s surface lacks the striking glass-smooth finish seen on the upper surfaces. Apertures at the front of the keel also seem to have seams treated with tape or caulk. Although effective, such seam-sealing techniques have been extremely time consuming on earlier stealth aircraft, ballooning their maintenance man hours per flight hour. Industry experts have described these techniques as “more art than science,” calling into question their repeatability and utility under wartime conditions.

Control Surfaces

The B-21 has eight control surfaces at the trailing edge of the wings and tail. Like the B-2, these can be deflected to provided the stability normally provided by a vertical stabilizer; the deflection is controlled by the aircraft’s computer to make the many times per second calculations needed to keep the aircraft stable. They can also be deflected to perform the role of a rudder.  

Deep Wing Tanks

The depth of the B-21’s wings was striking in the high-relief sunlight of the first flight. There is a prominent bulge down the center of each wing, likely indicating deep fuel tanks that go nearly to the wing tips.

Radar Apertures

The leading edge of the B-2’s keel has clear outlines showing where its radars are, but the B-21’s visible seams leave some question about whether it has similar equipment, or equipment of a similar size.  That could mean the apertures are integral with the outer mold line of the aircraft, and that the radar can only be accessed from the interior. Or, the radars may be sealed in: that may be possible, as the reliability of transmit-receive modules in recent years has been very high, and radars now have a long mean time between failure and degrade gracefully, meaning radars still work well with a number of the TR modules inoperative. It could also mean the B-21 will rely on offboard radars, as it has consistently been said that the aircraft is part of a “family of systems” including other aircraft and satellites.       

Radar Reflectors

Two extendable rods forward and inboard of the landing gear bays appear to be radar reflectors, to prevent adversaries in the Palmdale (and now, Edwards Air Force Base) area from making radar cross section measurements of the airplane. The main gear also were not retracted during the time the aircraft was climbing out of Palmdale, possibly for the same purpose. The B-21 also has extendable landing lights near the wing tips that may also serve to heighten its radar cross section when operating in populated (and thus insecure) areas like runways.

Test Gear

In addition to a test data probe extending through the front of the aircraft’s port keel, the B-21 trailed an air data cone at the end of a long cable extending from the rear port underside.  

Shortly after the B-21 made its first flight, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said “it’s an important milestone” and he is “fairly optimistic” about the program.

In a Nov. 13 webcast of the Center for a New American Security, Kendall warned that all programs eventually run into problems, and he consistently declines to offer glowing reports on programs, no matter how well they’re doing. But with the B-21, “I can say, cautious optimism is warranted.”

He also said “we’ve got a ways to go the flight testing, and then we’ve obviously got to go through production and make that work,” but “We can still find issues that we have to address, and I expect we will.”

‘Extraordinarily Special’ Satellite Built by Cadets Launches into Orbit

‘Extraordinarily Special’ Satellite Built by Cadets Launches into Orbit

Nov. 22, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

When a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Nov. 11, among the more than 100 satellites it launched into orbit was one designed, built, and operated by Air Force Academy cadets.

The FalconSAT-X, a project that began with the class of 2019, is the latest in a series of small satellites developed by USAFA cadets over the past two decades. at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The FalconSAT program continues to give future Air Force and Space Force officers firsthand experience in space operations.

“We primarily build upon the work of years past, and a lot of what we have been working with is as a direct result of those who have come before us,” said Cadet 1st Class Casey Dutro told Air & Space Forces Magazine. 

For the class of 2024, much of the work this fall has focused on finalizing plans and honing the operational procedures for the satellite. The Cadet Space Operations Squadron, which draws members from all classes at the Academy, are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the FalconSAT satellites, which include FalconSAT-6 and FalconSAT-8, launched in 2018 and 2020, respectively. 

“We were talking a lot about training, not only training ourselves to be able to run the passes, but we trained about 50 other operators to be able to operate on the satellite as well,” said Cadet 1st Class Parker Brush. “So that way when we’re not in the room, we also train them to be able to do passes as well. So in the weeks leading up to it, it was training a bunch of people on how to commission the satellite, and not only how to commission but how to operate it.” 

When it came time for liftoff, the cadets were ready. 

“The moment at launch, we got to watch it, enjoy ourselves, and then after about an hour and a half, we were making contact with the satellite,” Brush said. “It was very quick. We immediately ran down and started getting everything ready so we could talk to the satellite.” 

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Ashley Nies, left, an initial contact team member, operates FalconSAT-X from USAFA’s Department of Astronautics Space Systems Research Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., after its launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Nov. 11, 2023. U.S. Air Force Photo by Justin R. Pacheco

Still, amid the quick turnaround, the students were able to take a moment to soak in their accomplishment. 

“As someone who’s been fortunate enough to see a couple of launches in my life, this one was extraordinarily special,” said Cadet 1st Class John Olson. “Being able to actually have worked on the satellite itself and see it go up, there’s a sense of pride and accomplishment in looking at things that we’re trying to do with it. From that perspective, we’re really excited to move forward.” 

The satellite hosts a number of technology experiments, including some related to propulsion and communications, noted Lt. Col. Daniel Showalter, director of the Space Systems Research Center at USAFA.

In addition to continued work with FalconSAT-X, the program has already started work on its successor, FalconSAT-Xtra. For the class of 2024, the rest of the year will be focused on ensuring both the new satellite in orbit and the one in development are ready to be handed off. 

“Our big goal is to be able to set up FalconSAT-X so that we can hand it off to the next group,” Brush said. “So setting up data analysis processes and setting up common procedures for passes and operations so that way, once we’re gone … everything is fully prepared for the next class to take it on and make it better than what we had.” 

From there, some of the cadets will embark on careers in the Space Force with the invaluable experience of having already dipped their toes in space operations. 

“Actually working on the satellite and looking at the different processes and things that are going on, I garnered a greater appreciation for the systems engineering and the thought process behind putting everything together,” said Olson, who hopes to be an engineer in the USSF. 

Others will move on to the Air Force—but with a greater appreciation for space. 

“It definitely gives you more insight into all of the work that goes into stuff that we take for granted today such as GPS,” said Brush, who hopes to become a pilot. “Every single plane in our inventory relies upon GPS, and all of that comes from satellites. So all of the work that I’m going to be able to do is so incredibly reliant upon all of the work that happens in space, and seeing what goes on down here, it gives me a sense of appreciation for what goes on.” 

“It’s also given me a new look on the acquisition process and how that kind of looks, with the development of an idea to actual hardware, software going up,” added Dutro. “That process and seeing that has been phenomenal in terms of giving me that background knowledge.” 

Such appreciation could help shape future Air Force and Space Force leaders’ views on space. 

“Programs like FalconSat help our cadets learn how to leverage the vast potential of space power in the [future fight],” USAFA dean of the faculty Brig. Gen. Linell Letendre posted on social media. 

Engineers (from left) Braden Virdell, Seth Hart, Zane Sauer and Jack Hallowell watch U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Parker Brush operate FalconSAT-X from the Department of Astronautics Space Systems Research Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., after its launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Nov. 11, 2023. U.S. Air Force Photo by Justin R. Pacheco
PHOTOS: Kadena Flexes Airpower with Air Force and Navy Aircraft in Elephant Walk

PHOTOS: Kadena Flexes Airpower with Air Force and Navy Aircraft in Elephant Walk

Nov. 22, 2023 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

The U.S. Air Force and Navy both contributed aircraft to an impressive 33-plane “elephant walk” on the runway of Kadena Air Base in Japan on Nov. 21.

The nearly three dozen aircraft included nine different types, showing off the range of capabilities at the base, which has a fleet of more than 100 planes either based or stationed there.

At the forefront stood two HH-60G Pave Hawks helicopters, used for combat search and rescue, and an MQ-9 Reaper drone. Behind them, a formation of fighter and attack aircraft included USAF F-15s and F-35s, as well as USN E/A-18G Growlers.

In the backdrop, larger aircraft included the RC-135 Rivet Joint, used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and the aerial refueler KC-135.

Kadena just welcomed additional F-35 fighters from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, on Nov. 20, reinforcing the base’s fifth-generation airpower capabilities.

The freshly arrived jets joined F-35s from the 356th Fighter Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, which began operating from Kadena in March.

The base also received F-15E Strike Eagles from the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.; and the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; and F-15C Eagles from the California Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing and the Louisiana Air National Guard’s 159th Fighter Wing.

These fighter jets represent the latest in a series of aircraft rotating through Kadena as the base’s local F-15C/D fleet phases out due to old age.

Kadena has operated F-15C/Ds since 1979. Before the drawdown, about 48 of the aircraft were permanently based there, distributed across two squadrons.

An MQ-9 Reaper, which arrived at the base for the first time last month, was also included in the lineup.

Kadena welcomed the Reaper’s arrival on Oct. 13, which was previously deployed to Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Kanoya Air Base, Japan

This was the first of several MQ-9s deploying to Kadena to strengthen regional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in support of the U.S-Japan alliance.

The full roster of aircraft included:

USAF

  • 14 F-35s
  • 10 F-15s
  • Two HH-60G helicopters
  • One RC-135 Rivet Joint
  • One KC-135 tanker
  • One MQ-9 drone
  • One E-3 AWACS

USN

  • One P-8A Poseidon
  • Two E/A-18G Growlers

Kadena, known as the Keystone of the Pacific, offers access to various potential hotspots throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Located on Okinawa, a southern Japanese island only about 400 miles east of Taiwan, it could be a vital staging ground for the U.S. response if the People’s Republic of China were to invade Taiwan.

As Its Last Weather Satellites Age, DOD Works on Plans for a New Generation

As Its Last Weather Satellites Age, DOD Works on Plans for a New Generation

Nov. 21, 2023 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

Up-to-date information on the weather is important for many people’s jobs. For the Air Force and the broader U.S. military, it can be absolutely critical.

“Small thunderstorm cells can form, dump hail, create a microburst on the ground, and then collapse all within 30 minutes. I’ve seen it happen in Iraq and Afghanistan, that’s a problem,” Air Force Director of Weather Col. Patrick C. Williams said during an event by the Mitchell Institute Aerospace Studies on Nov. 20. “In the Middle East, they ended up with a brown-out condition where they couldn’t see anything. We had a Blackhawk go down in the Middle East, as a result of that. Medevac rescue could not make it in time because they had to wait for that frontal windstorm to pass.”

Key to formulating that weather information are a small number of satellites from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)—which dates back 60 years. Now, there is an urgent need for an improved space-based environmental monitoring (SBEM) system to replace DMSP architecture.

Satellite images play a crucial role in offering real-time data on how clouds form, disperse, and move. But the Pentagon’s current satellite infrastructure is struggling meet the demand for constantly refreshed and updated information, observers have noted.

Currently, there are only a few DMSP satellites left, the last of which launched in 2014.

“One satellite isn’t enough to give us enough of a refresh rate,” Williams said, stressing the importance of timely, accurate data for both the Air Force Weather team and broader warfighting efforts.

It’s not just ground operations that need weather information—Williams cited another example of electrically-charged weathers cells wreaking havoc on remotely piloted aircraft (RPAS), causing turbulence and operational challenges.

“Forecasting becomes a problem when you can’t have eyes on all the time,” Williams added.

Accurate forecasting requires technology to know what the weather will be like in the next 24 hours for operational purposes, along with detailed, hour-by-hour analysis of weather changes for tactical decision-making.

“The impacts to SBEM systems—or the lack thereof—really impact more than just the Department of the Air Force. It really impacts global operation,” Williams said.

Tim Ryan, senior resident fellow for the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, released a policy paper earlier this month highlighting the need to accelerate replacements for DMSP. In it, he highlighted the importance of new programs such as Electro-Optical/Infrared Weather Systems (EWS) and Weather Satellite Follow-on Microwave (WSF-M), slated to start coming online in the next few years.

Ryan also argued it is essential to develop a plan for SBEM to ensure its long-term effectiveness.

Lt. Col. Joseph L. Maguadog, materiel leader for EO/IR Weather Systems at the Space Force’s Space Systems Command, said at the Mitchell Institute event that SSC is working to enhance its SBEM capabilities through a combination of modernization and collaboration with partners.

The command’s plan involves using several groups of satellites, with two in low Earth orbit (LEO) and one in geosynchronous (GEO) orbit. These satellites will collaborate to ensure the right sensors are available when needed, with refresh rates tailored for strategic, operational, and tactical commands.

“We’re pivoting that mission area to an increasingly disaggregated, peripheral, and ultimately a more resilient architecture that aligns to our CSO’s vision,” Maguadog said.

The goal is to drive towards a “smaller and cheaper capability,” Maguadog said, while ensuring the operational community’s needs are met. 

“There is a family of systems that we heavily rely on with our partners,” Maguadog added, referring to partners including NOAA, the European Meteorological Agency, the Japan Meteorological Agency. “The only way that we are going to deliver the refresh rates that our DOD operators need today, is to continue to work within that family of systems.”

Still, risk remains to the Space Force’s acquisition programs, Maguadog said, stressing the importance of staying in touch with industry partners.

“It’s incumbent upon the program managers to try to anticipate as much risk as possible,” Maguadog said. “And I can’t emphasize enough how important is the success of this program to meet those timelines, as we are so reliant on our industry partners that are literally cranking the wrenches and building these never-before-seen, next-generation sensors.”

Group of Lawmakers Urge Kendall to Speed New F-16 Jets, Upgrades for Taiwan

Group of Lawmakers Urge Kendall to Speed New F-16 Jets, Upgrades for Taiwan

Nov. 21, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak

There is “high risk” to the plans for supplying Taiwan with new and modified F-16s in a timely way, according to 24 Republican members of the House of Representatives, who called on Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall to accelerate delivery of the fighters and upgrade kits in a letter released sent last week.

“While the FMS [Foreign Military Sales] case was supposed to be completed by 2025-2026, the estimated delivery timeline slipped earlier this year to 2026-2027,” noted the two dozen lawmakers, whose ranks include Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), chair of the influential House Armed Services tactical air and land forces subcommittee, and more than half of the Republicans on the HASC.

While there have been some improvements in getting the program on track, “we still consider these F-16 FMS cases to be high risk,” the lawmakers wrote. “As such, we will continue to monitor these efforts closely, especially related to organizing, staffing, funding, and prioritizing the delivery and ferry flight operations supporting a timely arrival on the island of 66 new F-16 aircraft.”

The upgrade of Taiwan’s F-16 fleet includes upgrading the island’s 141 1990s-vintage F-16A/B Block 30s to F-16 Block 70-72 configuration aircraft, along with the purchase of 66 new-build F-16V models.

Asked for comment, an Air Force spokesperson said “the Department of the Air Force will provide an update directly to the congressional members.”

F-16 maker Lockheed Martin is “grateful for the trust Taiwan has placed in us across its F-16 program,” a spokesperson said. “In partnership with the U.S. government, Lockheed Martin is focused on developing F-16 capabilities in support of U.S. security cooperation objectives.”

Lockheed Martin is partnered with Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. to perform the upgrades in-country. The upgrades include new AN/APG-83 active electronically-scanned-array radars, new electronic warfare kit, structural improvements, new mission computers, datalinks, and a helmet-mounted cuing system, along with additional types of weapons. The new “Viper” version aircraft are being built at Lockheed’s Greenville, S.C., F-16 production and refit center.

The first upgraded F-16 entered Taiwanese service in 2018, and initial operational capability with the type is expected later this month. The F-16V deal, signed in 2019, is worth approximately $8 billion.

 “We recognize that these FMS cases were impacted from their earliest inception by optimistic assumptions about how rapidly new technology and modifications might be integrated into the initial F-16 design,” the members said. “Taiwan urgently needs these new and upgraded aircraft, and a stronger, more resilient Taiwan will improve stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

The members said they’re ready to work with Kendall to ensure the two FMS cases are not further delayed and they “hope to prevent similarly optimistic technology assumptions from manifesting in the future. We cannot afford to over-promise and under-deliver to our closest friends.”

The lawmakers applauded “several efforts undertaken by the Air Force and Taiwan that are effectively improving these F-16 FMS case timelines.” These include a “spiral development approach” that will shorten delays for the F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft, “enabled by the production line rightly prioritizing Taiwan aircraft,” the letter said.

“We are also encouraged by the steps taken by the Air Force to drastically reduce schedule risk for the F-16V retrofit program due to the on-time delivery of parts,” they wrote.

In May, Taiwanese officials said that F-16V deliveries would slip from 2023 to 2024, due to parts shortages and supply chain issues. The Air Force said at the time that parts shortages were also a result of increasing demand for defense systems worldwide.

The current estimate is that the 66 F-16Vs will all be delivered to Taiwan by the end of 2026.

The F-16 Block 70/72 refit “had been delayed by over 15 months due to software development complexities not anticipated by the original equipment manufacturer,” the lawmakers noted. “These are critical programs to improve Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities in the near- to mid-terms.”

In their letter, the members noted that the People’s Republic of China sent 1,737 aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone in 2022, and the provocations have only increased in 2023.

This “is not an aberration—the Chinese Communist Party is mounting an increasingly aggressive pressure campaign against the island that continues to intensify,” they wrote.

Taiwan needs the new aircraft to replace F-5E/F aircraft that are no longer up to the job, they added.

“We respectfully request that you provide a written update on the overall schedule for both F-16V upgrades and production of all F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft by Dec. 18, 2023, to inform our oversight activities in the second session of the 118th Congress,” the members wrote.  

“We stand ready to work with you to resolve these setbacks and improve the defense of Taiwan.”

The signatories included:

  • Robert J. Wittman (Va.) 
  • Mark Alford (Mo.) 
  • Joe Wilson (S.C.) 
  • Jake LaTurner (Kan.) 
  • Ronny L. Jackson (Tex.) 
  • William R. Timmons (S.C.) 
  • Ann Wagner (Mo.) 
  • Michael Waltz (Fla.) 
  • James C. Moylan (Guam) 
  • Carlos A. Gimenez (Fla.) 
  • Robert B. Aderholt (Ala.) 
  • Ryan K. Zinke (Mont.) 
  • Rich McCormick, (Ga.) 
  • Austin Scott (Ga.) 
  • Lance Gooden (Tex.) 
  • Bill Johnson (Ohio) 
  • John R. Carter (Texas) 
  • August Pfluger (Texas) 
  • Thomas H. Kean, Jr. (N.J.) 
  • Michael R. Turner (Ohio) 
  • Don Bacon (Neb.) 
  • Jen A. Kiggans (Va.) 
  • Brad Finstad (Minn.) 
  • Mike Gallagher (Wisc.) 
10 Airmen Make History as the First U-28 Crews to Receive Distinguished Flying Crosses

10 Airmen Make History as the First U-28 Crews to Receive Distinguished Flying Crosses

Nov. 21, 2023 | By David Roza

Airmen who operate the U-28 Draco spy plane usually do so in the shadows, providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in support of special operations ground troops, search and rescue, and humanitarian missions. 

But 10 Airmen made history Nov. 17 by becoming the first Draco crews to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. The awards recognize the crews’ efforts during Operation Allies Refuge, the 2021 effort to evacuate 124,000 people from Afghanistan during the final weeks of the U.S. presence there. The Airmen narrowly dodged enemy fire, remained airborne until the last drop of gas, and nearly died several times so they could help provide intelligence and coordination for troops on the ground amid the chaos.

“For its entire existence, the U-28 community has lived in the shadows of recognition, but today there are no shadows,” Col. Allison Black, commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, said at a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla. on Nov. 17, according to a press release. 

u-28 draco
A U-28A fixed-wing aircraft, assigned to the 34th Special Operations Squadron, takes off from Hurlburt Field, Florida, Oct. 18, 2018. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joel Miller

By Aug. 15, 2021, U.S. Army helicopters had begun evacuating the U.S. embassy in Kabul as the Taliban arrived in the capital, sparking panic among the city’s five million residents. Lt. Col. Samuel McIntyre, Capt. Maxwell Arnold, and Staff Sgt. Zachary Schweigl were about to take off to serve as eyes in the sky when just 100 meters away, Afghan security forces opened fire on one of their own pilots to try to commandeer an aircraft out, according to an award citation. 

The three Airmen decided to carry on with the mission anyway, “agreeing that their duty to protect United States citizens superseded their own safety,” according to a citation, though they had to avoid unidentified vehicles on the taxiway trying to ram fleeing Afghan planes on the way to takeoff. 

Once over the embassy, Schweigl saved the lives of everyone onboard by spotting a rocket fired at them from a nearby mountain peak. Schweigl’s warning gave McIntyre and Arnold the time they needed to dodge the rocket without putting the aircraft in a stall. The rocket streaked by just 200 feet overhead, and the crew continued to receive small-arms fire as they worked with ground troops, drone operators, and others to provide command and control and flag approaching Taliban forces. 

But the real challenge was yet to come. By nightfall, the Draco crew was running out of gas, but thousands of fleeing Afghans had stormed the runway at the airport. With no more emergency fuel and no divert options, the crew used night-vision goggles and various sensors to pick out a gap in the crowd and pull off a miraculous landing just before “imminent fuel starvation,” according to a citation. 

While trying to flee the Taliban, thousands of Afghans stormed Hamid Karzai International Airport. Image from Al Jazeera video

The battle was not over—within a few hours, the exhausted Draco crew was back in the air providing more ISR for the embassy evacuation and then for ground troops at the Kabul airport. They nearly ran out of fuel again, then landed again at the still-unsecured runway, where they had to taxi near burning vehicles and dead bodies. 

“The sounds of the gunfire and the situation at the embassy only made us more eager to get after it and make sure we did our jobs,” Arnold said in the press release. “All of our training and instinct kicked in and we almost did our jobs subconsciously at that point.”

The crew of the second U-28 faced similar challenges: aircraft commander Capt. Daniel Slade and mission pilot Capt. Patrick Knittle had to dodge anti-aircraft fire right after takeoff. Slade, Knittle, and combat system officer Capt. Nicklaus Lutz flagged enemy gunmen and perimeter breaches for troops on the ground. When local airport air traffic controllers left the tower, Slade took up control responsibility himself. 

“That’s not a conversation you expect to have after takeoff, especially after you’ve already been shot at,” Lutz said in the press release about the empty air traffic control tower. “One situation we thought about was that when we landed we were going to be on our own.”

Despite being nearly out of fuel, the second Draco crew stayed aloft so they could direct C-17s carrying “desperately needed quick reaction forces” to land. The C-17 crews thought the airfield had fallen and were planning to turn back, so the Draco Airmen’s decision to stay and direct them in was crucial to U.S. troops reopening the airfield and paving the way for the massive evacuation effort to follow.

“It dawned on us that we almost died,” Lutz recalled. “It was a dire situation. There were so many variables. Getting shot at on takeoff, losing your landing base, not knowing who is hostile or who is a refugee, and then the possibility of getting shot at again. I was lucky to be on the crew I was on.”

The next day brought a similar mission for the third Draco crew, Lt. Col. Scott Hardman, Capt. Pedro Barrientes Jr., Capt. James Ryan, and Senior Airman Max Sohlberg, which also had to zigzag to avoid getting shot right after takeoff. They identified breaches in the airfield perimeter and directed friendly troops to respond. Despite flying an unarmed aircraft, the crew even managed to scare off a group of gunmen who had taken up overwatch in a nearby tower.

Sohlberg was not trained to coordinate defense of an airfield perimeter, but he stepped up to the plate, synthesized information coming into the aircraft, then used it to help identify enemy combatants hiding among the refugees and build situational awareness for ground troops.

Like the previous flights, this Draco nearly ran out of fuel and almost landed on the taxiway before a gap in the fresh crowd of people on the runway opened up. The crew pulled off a last-second sidestep maneuver to land on the runway, but there were still so many people nearby that they had to cut the engine shortly after landing to avoid hurting anyone with the propeller. After that, all they could do was barricade the aircraft door and ready their personal weapons until help arrived.

“It was really when I got back and got to listen to our tapes from the flights that some of the more serious moments really resonated with me,” Ryan said in the press release, adding that the crews sounded surprisingly calm under the circumstances.

The Airmen were proud to have pulled through such difficult moments together.

“In those moments, you could tell that training kicked in,” Ryan said in the release. “We were well-prepared and we worked well together. Every part of the U-28A mission set is a crew effort, and I’m incredibly fortunate and proud to have been surrounded by such outstanding aviators.”

AC-130 Strikes Iranian-Backed Militants Who Launched Missile at US Troops in Iraq

AC-130 Strikes Iranian-Backed Militants Who Launched Missile at US Troops in Iraq

Nov. 21, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

A U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship struck members of an Iranian-backed militia who had launched a missile attack on U.S. forces in Iraq on Nov. 21, resulting in enemy casualties, according to U.S. Central Command and the Pentagon. 

The strike occurred after the Iranian-backed militias launched “a close-range ballistic missile against U.S. and coalition forces at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq which resulted in several nonserious injuries and some minor damage to infrastructure,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters in a briefing.

After the missile strike, the AC-130 “maintained visual confirmation of the individuals from the time of the launch to the time of engagement,” CENTCOM added in a statement. 

CENTCOM’s statement referred to “several enemy casualties,” while Singh said there were “some hostile fatalities.” Middle East analyst Phillip Smyth noted on social media that the militia is reporting one death from the strike.

Unlike three previous airstrikes conducted by the U.S. against Iranian-backed militias in the region in the last month, this latest incident was not “pre-planned,” Singh noted. The AC-130 was overhead at the time of the missile attack and was able to respond “because they saw the militants, they were able to keep an eye on the movement of these militants as they moved into their vehicle,” she said. 

All the previous airstrikes were against militia facilities located in Syria, conducted by either F-15s or F-16s. The Pentagon has not disclosed whether they resulted in any enemy casualties. 

Since Oct. 17, U.S. forces have been attacked by Iranian-backed militias approximately 66 times—32 times in Iraq, 34 times in Syria. The attacks come amid a wave of unrest in the region spurred by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the Israeli air and ground response in Gaza. Singh noted that there have been 62 injuries reported by U.S. troops, though that total did not include any from the latest Nov. 21 attack. 

The Pentagon has deployed a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile battery to Saudi Arabia and Patriot surface-to-air missile systems to a number of Gulf states and Jordan. Short-range Avenger systems are also being deployed to protect troops.  

U.S. troops are in Iraq and Syria to advise and mentor local partners who are working to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group. Some 2,500 U.S. troops are in Iraq working with Iraqi forces, while 900 troops are in Syria. 

More F-35s Arrive in Okinawa, Bolstering 5th-Gen Forces Near Taiwan

More F-35s Arrive in Okinawa, Bolstering 5th-Gen Forces Near Taiwan

Nov. 21, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

F-35 fighters from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, arrived in Japan Nov. 20, bolstering the fifth-generation airpower at Kadena Air Base and maintaining the steady rotation of fighters there in place of retiring F-15C/Ds. 

The 18th Wing at Kadena did not disclose the exact number of aircraft. The base said the new jets, from the 4th Fighter Squadron, join F-35s from the 356th Fighter Squadron already at Kadena, the base said in a release. The 356th jets arrrived in Japan from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, in March. 

Ever since the Air Force announced in October 2022 that it was returning home all 48 of Kadena’s aging F-15C/D aircraft after more than 40 years of continuous Eagle operations there, USAF has been rotating fighter units to the base. That has ensured continuous U.S. jet fighter presence in Okinawa, a strategically important location just 400 miles east of Taiwan. 

Kadena has hosted every fighter type but one in the Air Force inventory since then, with the sole exception being the A-10. In addition to the F-35s there now, the base has hosted: 

  • F-22 Raptors from the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska 
  • F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 480th Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany 
  • F-15E Strike Eagles from the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. 
  • F-15E Strike Eagles from the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho 
  • F-15C Eagles from the California Air National Guard’s 144th Fighter Wing
  • F-15C Eagles from the Louisiana Air National Guard’s 159th Fighter Wing 

The F-22s and F-16s have since departed Kadena. Air & Space Forces Magazine previously reported that all the local F-15Cs and Ds were due to be sent back to Air National Guard units or the Boneyard in Arizona by September, but the 18th Wing has declined to confirm departure timelines or aircraft counts. 

Kadena’s proximity to China and Taiwan make it a vital position and potential staging ground for U.S. operations in case of conflict with the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan. Known as the “Keystone of the Pacific,” the base hosts aerial refueling tankers, command and control aircraft, and rescue helicopters in addition to fighters.  

“With this deployment, our squadron will continue Team Kadena’s work of strengthening our interoperability with our allies and bilateral partners,” Lt. Col. Jondavid Hertzel, 4th Fighter Squadron commander, said in a statement. “We look forward to exchanging experience, tactics, and techniques with the variety of flying units at Kadena, to strengthen our deterrence measures, and add more versatility to the Indo-Pacific theater.” 

The 4th Fighter Squadron’s presence at Kadena marks a homecoming of sorts for the unit—the squadron can trace its lineage back to the 4th Fighter Squadron (All Weather), which was stationed at Naha Air Base on Okinawa in the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was there that the unit got its nickname, the “Fightin’ Fuujins,” after the Japanese god of wind. 

Posted in Air
New EC-37B Gets a Designation Change to EA-37B

New EC-37B Gets a Designation Change to EA-37B

Nov. 20, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak

Air Combat Command has redesignated the EC-37B electronic attack aircraft the EA-37B, effective immediately, the command announced last week. When the last EC-130 retires, the EA-37B will be the sole type to carry the name “Compass Call.”

The new designation better identifies the platform’s mission “of finding, attacking and destroying enemy land or sea targets,” an ACC release stated, as the aircraft will be primarily an electronic warfare or electronic attack system. The only other “EA” designation now flying is the Navy’s Electronic Attack EA-18G Growler tactical jamming aircraft.

The “C” designation was vestigial from the EC-130H and generally connotes an aircraft with a cargo mission.

The first of 10 EA-37Bs, heavily modified versions of the Gulfstream G550 airframe, was delivered to Air Force Materiel Command from BAE Systems and L3Harris for testing in September. After testing, the aircraft will go to the 55th Electronic Combat Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., for operational service sometime in 2024.

ACC has divested nine of its 14 EC-130H Compass Call aircraft, and when the last leaves the active inventory in 2026, the EA-37B will be the sole aircraft to use that name. The older aircraft are going into flyable storage at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan, also known as the “Boneyard.”

“Flyable storage” means the EC-130s cannot be harvested for parts and could conceivably be returned to duty. Such designation usually means the aircraft are being held in reserve against the need to recall them in wartime.

“The EA-37B sustains Joint Force military advantage in electromagnetic battlespace and builds a more lethal force by modernizing electromagnetic attack capabilities to deny peer competitors’ tactical networks and information ecosystems,” ACC said in a release.

ACC commander Gen. Mark D. Kelly told reporters at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber conference in September that the Air Force needs the EA-37B capability “yesterday,” due to China’s construction of a robust spectrum warfare capability in recent years. The Air Force’s only escort jammer aircraft—the EF-111A, an analogy to the EA-18—was retired without a direct replacement in the late 1990s.

Like the F-15EX, the EA-37B will undergo simultaneous developmental and operational testing, made possible by the fact that many of its systems are already being used on the EC-130H. Although the EA-37B was to make direct use of the hardware flying on EC-130s—the gear was to be physically ported from one aircraft to the other—ACC could not provide a detailed list of what specific items will carry over.

The EA-37B will inherit the EC-130Hs’ mission of jamming radars, communications and adversary electronic systems. It will also have other functions, playing a role in suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) by disrupting an enemy’s ability to coordinate command and control systems with sensors and surface-to-air radars and targeting systems.

“Most of what it does is highly classified,” Kelly told reporters at the conference. “Bottom line is, we needed to enable our ships and aircraft to get closer” to the enemy by providing electromagnetic cover for them, he said, while making it harder for enemy ships and aircraft to operate across the magnetic spectrum.

The operating concept for the EA-37B and EC-130H is similar, and those EC-130Hs not yet retired are being updated with new gear so they can “catch up with what will be on” the EA-37B, Kelly said.

The Gulfstream G550 business jets that form the basis for the EA-37B are manufactured in Savannah, Ga., and the aircraft are being modified with antennas and conformal arrays at L3Harris’ facilities in Waco, Texas.

Testing of the EA-37B is being done at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Kelly said the testing will focus on ensuring the EA-37B delivers very discrete effects.

“When we dial up the jamming power or ask for a specific waveform,” the signal generated by the EA-37B “needs to come out exactly” with the requested power and frequency, he said.

Testing will ensure “when you ask for a certain amount of jamming, that’s all you get. And when you turn it off, it turns off.”

The jet-powered EA-37B will be an improvement over the turboprop EC-130H in that it can fly almost twice as high and fast as the EC-130H, which is limited to a ceiling of 25,000 feet and a speed of 300 knots.

Th EA-37B will not become obsolete when the Air Force brings on Collaborative Combat Aircraft that can also perform electronic attack and electronic warfare missions, Kelly said, calling the two kinds of aircraft “complementary.” The EA-37B is designed not to inflict “electronic fratricide” on the F-15EX and F-35’s electronic warfare suites, he noted.