Air Force Gives Lockheed $1 Billion to Build New Reentry Vehicle for Sentinel

Oct. 31, 2023 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

The Air Force has given Lockheed Martin a $996 million contract to produce a reentry vehicle (RV) for its new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile by Oct. 20, 2039.

Under this sole-source acquisition deal, announced Oct. 30, Lockheed will engineer, manufacture, and design the new RV, dubbed MK21A, in several locations including King of Prussia, Penn.

The contract, overseen by the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, aims to reduce technical risks and ensure the affordability of the RV, according to the Pentagon’s release.

The specialized RV will carry the W87-1 warhead, which entered a new phase this year in its Modification Program involving tests and analysis to validate the chosen design.

National laboratories are developing and producing test hardware for the warhead, expected to deploy in the early 2030s with the Sentinel ICBM.

The LGM-35 Sentinel, formerly known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), is poised to replace 400 Minuteman III ICBMs currently in service for more than 50 years across the continental United States.

The incoming Sentinel project features an open system architecture which allows easy upgrades as technology develops between now and 2075, the missile’s planned retirement date.

It is also designed to be easier to maintain, which should minimize the security forces footprint required during maintenance time.

All components of the MM III missiles will be replaced with new components for the Sentinel, including the motors, interstage, propulsion system rocket engine, and missile guidance set.

However, the number, size, configuration, and design of the nuclear warheads, which are provided by the Department of Energy, are expected to remain the same.

This new weapon system is the most cost-effective option for maintaining a safe, secure, and effective land-based leg of the nuclear triad, the AFNWC claims.

The current Minuteman III ICBMs will be taken out of service through demilitarization and disposal procedures.

Last month, Pentagon acquisition chief William LaPlante said the Air Force is speeding up tasks in the Sentinel project to meet the crucial initial operational capability date of September 2030.

Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor for Sentinel, has been creating mockup versions of Minuteman III silos and systems to make it easier and faster to build or upgrade them.

Lockheed previously received $108.3 million contract for technology maturation and risk reduction on the new MK21A reentry vehicle, awarded in October 2019.

Why the Military May Need Microgrids for Overseas Bases to Win a Near-Peer Fight

Oct. 31, 2023 | By David Roza

A new paper written by an Air Force engineer warns of a major vulnerability on U.S. military bases overseas: their power infrastructure. Most bases are wired into the electrical grids of their host nations, but if that grid fails due to a natural disaster or is destroyed by an adversary, the backup generators on base may not have enough fuel to last more than a week.

“The generators will have to operate for however long the outage is,” Lt. Col. Nathan Olsen, special assistant to the executive director of systems engineering and architecture in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

“If we’re in a contested environment, that means we would have to send technicians out to maintain them, we would have to send fuel to keep them running,” he said, pointing to the example of hospital generators in Gaza running out of fuel due to the Israeli blockade there.

“The military would be in a similar problem, unless they get fuel to the generators and get them operating or get the host nation power back up and running,” he said.

But the military may be able to avoid that problem if it builds more robust power grids at its overseas bases. These ‘microgrids’ could draw power from a range of renewable and nonrenewable sources in order to sustain long-term operations.

“They would almost be like a mini-city, operating their own power plants without the help of the host nation,” Olsen said.

Gridlock

In an article published in the Fall issue of Air University’s Air & Space Operations Review, Olsen pointed out how Russia targeted Ukraine’s infrastructure, causing electricity, heat, and hot water shortages across the country in 2022. Beyond that, Russia also reduced the flow of natural gas to Europe, where several U.S. military bases are located, causing a spike in natural gas prices. Natural disasters, climate change, and cyber disruptions can have a similar effect on a host nation’s power grids, which could be an Achilles’ heel for U.S. bases abroad.

“Undoubtedly, U.S. overseas bases are in a situation where they are predominantly dependent on host-nation and local energy supplies,” Olsen wrote. “Diversifying energy sources and moving toward a localized, U.S.-run energy source—a microgrid—would lessen this vulnerability and increase overall reliability and resiliency.”

A microgrid, he explained, is a localized group of electricity generators that can operate independently of the host nation’s electrical grid. Several features of microgrids make them more resilient to disruption than a group of backup generators. The first is a storage system: batteries that allow bases to retain energy. The second is a central controller, a monitoring system that coordinates the microgrid’s power sources and balances and controls electrical loads, Olsen said.

“In a microgrid with storage, commercial off-the-shelf charge controllers link all power sources and smartly combine them to meet user demand,” he wrote. “If the renewable power source is not meeting demand, the control system draws from the battery storage or from another power generator.”

Having a variety of sources from which to draw power is the third element that could give microgrids an edge over existing systems. A base dependent on fossil fuels to power its backup generators may be paralyzed by a fuel shortage, but a base that uses solar panels, wind turbines, biomass, nuclear microreactors, and/or fossil fuel-powered generators could keep running even if one source was offline.

Energy technology is rapidly advancing, with innovations like new batteries that store energy for longer and solar panels that continue generating power in snowy, overcast conditions. Nuclear microreactors are another promising technology—one the size of a standard shipping container could likely power an entire base, Olsen wrote, and a pilot program at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska seeks to bring one online in 2027.

“That’s the great thing about this—there is a lot of new technology that is increasing the possibilities to generate power without relying specifically on fossil fuels,” he said.

Charging Up

Microgrids are being installed at places like Yokota Air Base, Japan; Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.; and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., which claims it can operate for up to 21 days off a mixture of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Still, Olsen said the military needs to be more aggressive pursuing microgrids to be prepared for future conflicts or natural disasters.

“Although the Department of Defense recognizes the importance of reliable power, it is not implementing innovative solutions like microgrids quick enough,” he wrote. “Congress can help increase energy security and reliability in the military by mandating microgrids at overseas bases and providing funding to enact this mandate.”

The Army is setting an example for the rest of the services when it comes to microgrids, Olsen said. Its garrison on Kwajalein Island, which is just 3.5 miles long and a quarter-mile wide, has a microgrid of generators and solar panels that operate independently of the rest of the island’s grid. The service plans to set up a microgrid at every installation by 2035 and develop enough renewable energy and battery storage to make its critical missions self-sustaining by 2040.

Direction and funding from Congress could push the other branches to adopt similar plans, said Olsen, who cited Gen. David Petraeus’ 2011 quote that “energy is the lifeblood of our warfighting capabilities.”

“Our dependence on power and technology has only increased,” Olsen said. “I think being able to provide that secure power will get rid of a potential vulnerability, help us prevent conflict and help our allies and partners in the future.”

How Minot Leaders Are Tackling Quality-of-Life Challenges Amid the Cold and Isolation

Oct. 31, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

Minot Air Force Base, N.D., holds a unique position among Air Force installations. As the only base to host both bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles, it is crucial to the service’s nuclear mission. But it is also isolated, hours away from major population centers and located in the far north of the U.S., creating long and cold winters. Airmen staffing the nation’s nuclear forces also have to put in long hours or even days on the job to be ready at a moment’s notice.

For years, the base has been tagged as one of the least desirable for Airmen to be stationed. Minot leaders are well aware of the stigma and are working to ameliorate some key quality-of-life concerns, they said recently.

“Last week we got about 10 inches of snow. Currently it’s about 18, 20 degrees outdoors with a wind chill of about 8 degrees or so, and we’re still out there doing the job,” Col. Kenneth C. McGhee, the commander of the 91st Missile Wing, said Oct. 30 during a virtual AFA Warfighters in Action event. “Our Airmen are some of the finest American citizens that you will ever meet. … And so every single Airmen, we put our arms around, and there are challenges that we need to make sure we’re taking care of them.”

Compounding those challenges is the fact that many of those Airmen are young—McGhee said two-thirds of the base’s security forces are below the age of 26. He added it is not uncommon for two second lieutenants to be tasked with manning a launch control center—the underground bunkers where missileers work in 24-48 hour shifts on alert to launch ICBMs.

Feeling isolated can be particularly dangerous for young service members, who face a higher risk of suicide. Col. Daniel S. Hoadley, the commander of the 5th Bomb Wing, said the civilian community of Minot, N.D., recognizes the possibility of loneliness and has worked hard to address it.

“I’ve been a lot of places in my 23-year Air Force career and never experienced a level of community support to the level that we see here at Minot. They truly go the extra mile to support our Airmen,” said Hoadley. “And I think that they really understand that for a lot of our young folks … are a long way from home and this is their first assignment.”

As examples, Hoadley cited “Military Appreciation Days” hosted by the North Dakota State Fair and the local Minot State football team offering free admission for military members, as well as the “Home for the Holidays” program, which raises money from the local community to send more than 100 Airmen home for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Tom Ross, Mayor of the city of Minot, North Dakota, and other civic leaders pose for a photo with Team Minot leaders during Norsk Hostfest in the city of Minot, North Dakota, Sept. 30, 2023. The boarding pass represented donations used to send Team Minot Airmen home for the holidays. Photo by Airman 1st Class Trust Tate

Travel is a common concern among Minot Airmen, Hoadley acknowledged, and not just for the holidays. Families who need advanced medical care often need to travel for hours to cities like Bismark (120 miles away), Fargo (280 miles), and even Minneapolis (500 miles) to see specialists.

“It requires them to take a number of days off of work. From a financial perspective, there’s a burden there,” Hoadley said. “Certainly the Air Force is doing our part to reimburse them for that.”

Families also face challenges with child care, particularly with the unique work schedules among ICBM crews. It’s standard for missileers and security forces to be out in the sprawling missile fields for an entire week at a time, McGhee noted.

“We have what’s called missile care, where we do have some providers who the crew members and our families are able to leave their children with family care providers for a period of up to seven days at a time,” McGhee said. “That is expensive and carries a significant burden to those family members, and so sometimes that becomes a challenge and we’re always trying to find different ways to alleviate that challenge.”

The Minot community also supports itself with the family child care program, which trains and pays military spouses to watch other Airmen’s children in their own homes.

“We trade off like every other week with [Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska] on being the number one FCC program in the Air Force,” Hoadley said. “So that’s something that’s definitely a highlight up here.”

Still, both wing commanders noted that capacity remains an issue. While the base moved to expand its child development center a few years ago, staffing is a struggle.

“One thing we can’t organically do is make more people come to work here,” McGhee said. “So we’re trying to find unique ways, different programs in order to increase the number of child care workers to support our men and women every single day.”

“We are putting as many bonuses and hiring incentives as we can against filling the roles there and really just trying to create an environment where individuals enjoy coming to work every day,” Hoadley added.

Ultimately, however, there is only so much Minot can do on its own.

‘We’ve also been engaged with the local civic leaders and political leaders inside of the state of North Dakota to amplify this point,” Hoadley said. “And frankly, it’s a shared challenge. I mean, as they had their legislative session this year, one of the primary topics of discussion is the impact of child care and the role it plays in economic capacity for the state. Whether you’re trying to run a business or provide nuclear deterrence, child care is a key enabler.”

Senior Airman Brydon Ott, Tactical Response Force with the 54th Helicopter Squadron, allows a child to wear his vest at Glenburn Public School, North Dakota, Sept. 27, 2022. Ott and the other aircrew allowed the students at Glenburn Public School to tour the aircraft and flight gear. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Wright

Space Force Sets Date to Activate Its Europe and Africa Component in December

Oct. 31, 2023 | By Chris Gordon

The U.S. Space Force will officially activate its component for Europe and Africa in just over a month, U.S. European Command said Oct. 31.

U.S. Space Forces Europe and Africa, which will be dubbed SPACE-EURAF, will stand up Dec. 8, U.S. European Command (EUCOM) said in a news release. It will become the fourth Space Force component embedded in one of the U.S. military’s regional commands, joining U.S. Central Command, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and U.S. Forces Korea.

As things stand now, America’s current space capabilities in Europe are nestled under the air component, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA). That model dates back to before the Space Force became an independent service.

Giving the Space Force its own components elevates the service to put it on par with other branches and allows the USSF to better provide space capabilities to combatant commanders, service officials say.

“The activation of Space Forces Europe and Africa is a significant milestone in the journey to fortify joint space capabilities within Europe and Africa,” EUCOM said in a statement.

U.S. Space Forces Europe and Africa “will support a wide range of missions, including deterring potential adversaries, responding to crises, and strengthening our alliances and partnerships,” EUCOM added in its release. Many nations in Europe already have a long history of civilian space operations and have put a focus on building up their military space capabilities.

Space Force Col. Max Lantz, who already heads up the space portfolio in USAFE-AFAFRICA, will become SPACE-EURAF’s inaugural commander. Both U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command are located in Germany, and SPACE-EURAF will not solely focus on Europe.

“In the case of Europe, we’re just taking advantage of the fact that USAFE is also the Africa Command support,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman explained at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in September. “Because it’s all done from the same location, it’s easy for us to leverage that same construct and really get a two-for-one, to some degree.”

Despite the immediate concern surrounding the Middle East in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict and attacks on U.S. troops by Iranian proxy groups, the U.S. military’s long-term focus is on the Pacific and Europe. The Space Force set up its Indo-Pacific component last year as its first step towards creating geographic commands.

Plans to establish a European component for the Space Force were announced around the same time in November 2022. Throughout 2023, senior U.S. military space leaders traveled to Europe to strengthen military space alliances—not an easy task for an often highly classified domain that conventional wisdom held was a safe harbor from military action until a few years ago.

Formally establishing the component, however, took time.

“When you have to work with host nations, there’s an extra few steps,” Saltzman said. “So just going through all those normal coordination processes just took a little bit longer.”

The Space Force is looking forward to having a more vocal role in key decisions in combatant commands in the future, service officials say.

“That detailed integration is much harder to do when you’re thousands of miles separate,” Saltzman said. “What these components require is pretty senior people that understand the business.”

After SPACE-EURAF is established, the Space Force will likely consider other components for combatant commands. Top possibilities include U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, and U.S. Forces Japan.

Minot Leaders See ‘Extremely Real’ Threat from China for Both Bombers and ICBMs

Oct. 30, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

The threat posed by the People’s Republic of China is “extremely real” and “tangible,” key operational leaders from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., said Oct. 30, pointing to China’s moves to improve its military in response to the U.S.’s robust bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile fleets.

Col. Daniel S. Hoadley and Col. Kenneth C. McGhee command the 5th Bomb Wing and the 91st Missile Wing, respectively, and work closely together. Minot is the only installation to host both Air Force legs of the nuclear triad. Both keenly aware of how China is working to counter the U.S.—and the significance of staying ready, they said at a virtual AFA Warfighters in Action event.

“The weight of responsibility is not lost on us. It is something our Airmen have internalized and take extremely seriously,” Hoadley said. “And we consider it a high honor to be a bedrock of our nation’s deterrence on a day-to-day basis.”

“It’s extremely important that we understand that through ICBMs, through bombers, through subs, the deterrent capabilities of the nuclear enterprise, we are the backbone of the deterrent capability for the United States,” McGhee added.

On the bomber side, the 5th Bomb Wing regularly deploys on Bomber Task Force rotations all over the world. This summer, around 280 Airmen and four of the wing’s B-52 Stratofortresses spent a month in the Indo-Pacific, operating out of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

Two U.S. Airmen assigned to the 5th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron run toward a B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 23rd Bomb Squadron at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, during pre-flight procedures in support of a Bomber Task Force deployment at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 15, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Zade Vadnais

Such deployments replaced the Air Force’s previous system of continuous bomber presences several years ago, with the goal of creating strategic unpredictability for adversaries. BTFs have also been used to reassure allies and partners by showing the U.S.’s global reach and commitment to deterrence, with bombers sometimes making rare or unprecedented stops in other countries. The 5th Bomb Wing landed the first-ever B-52 on Indonesian soil this June.

China has taken note and sought to assert itself. On Oct. 24, at night, a Chinese J-11 intercepted a B-52 from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., over the South China Sea. The Pentagon released footage from the incident, claiming the Chinese fighter came 10 feet from colliding with the American bomber and the pilot’s behavior was “unsafe and unprofessional.”

While the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot was not involved in that particular incident, “more and more, we’re seeing these kinds of adversary reactions to our Bomber Task Force activity,” Hoadley said. “When we park airpower in their backyard, they’re coming out to take a look. Those [Chinese] aircraft are armed with live ordnance. Those are not movie props. That’s the real deal. And so it takes a tremendous amount of grit and courage and professionalism on the part of our air crews to maintain their composure, stay on mission, and react appropriately when those kinds of things happen.”

At the same time, Hoadley argued such incidents show the importance of the USAF bomber fleet and its unique capabilities.

“The adversary is coming out to react because they’re taking notice of what we’re capable of doing,” he said. “It’s a capability they don’t have, to reach across the globe and provide a long-range strike capability at a time and place of our choosing. And so, from my side, I think it’s equal parts a demonstration of fear and that they are taking notice of what we’re doing and are trying their best to provide their own assertive reaction to it, albeit with a short-range platform.”

While the 91st Missile Wing does not deploy to the Indo-Pacific, its Airmen are also aware of the advances China has made with its ground-based missiles, said McGhee. China has significantly expanded its nuclear arsenal, outstripping previous Pentagon projections, and much of the growth has been in constructing new nuclear silo fields.

“The rise of the Chinese nuclear program has been dramatic, has been dynamic, and has been impressive,” McGhee said. “I’ll be honest with you, over the past few years, they’ve developed a capability, especially within their ground-based strategic nuclear force, that is impressive. And so it is imperative for us to understand at every level that the threat coming from China is extremely real.”

To respond to that threat, McGhee emphasized the importance of keeping his own wing’s Minuteman III missiles ready to go at a moment’s notice.

“I have the opportunity, I have the mission to provide a nuclear deterrent capability across our missile fields … to deter the rising and the pacing threat that China provides us and that they pose to us,” he said.

Airmen from the 91st Missile Wing Security Forces Squadron prepare to perform escort duties for an asset convoy at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, Aug. 31, 2022. U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Alexander Nottingham

Attacks on US Forces in Iraq and Syria Continue After American Airstrikes

Oct. 30, 2023 | By Chris Gordon

U.S. troops have been attacked by Iranian-backed militias at least 23 times in less than two weeks, Pentagon officials said Oct. 30, providing the most comprehensive account of the American military’s recent confrontation with Tehran’s proxies in Iraq and Syria.

At least fourteen of these rocket and one-way drone attacks have occurred in Iraq, while another nine were carried out in Syria, the officials said.

Several of the militia attacks took place after the U.S. launched airstrikes against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the groups it backs in eastern Syria on Oct. 26 in an effort to deter further hostilities.

“Iran’s strategic objective has not changed,” a senior defense official told reporters. “Iran’s objective for a long time has been to force a withdrawal of the U.S. military from the region. What I would observe is that we’re still there.”

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.

There had been a truce of sorts with the Iranian militias for more than six months as the U.S. held quiet talks with Iran about the release of American detainees and the pace of Tehran’s nuclear program. But that came to an end after Hamas, a militia long supported by Iran, attacked Israel on Oct. 7, prompting a fierce Israeli response.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an Oct. 28 press conference that Iran has provided critical military and financial support to Hamas, although he said he had no firm evidence that Tehran orchestrated the Oct. 7 attack.

“Iran supports Hamas,” said Netanyahu, who added that Tehran provides over 90 percent of Hamas’s budget.

The most intensive attacks by Iran-aligned groups against U.S. forces occurred Oct. 17 and Oct. 18, when 21 American military personnel were injured in attacks at the Al Tanf Garrison in Syria and Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. Those troops have since returned to duty, but a U.S. contractor died of a heart attack during the strikes.

In response, President Joe Biden ordered airstrikes against weapons and ammunition storage sites used by the IRGC and Iran-aligned militias, which the Pentagon announced Oct. 26.

The Pentagon initially said the airstrikes were conducted by a pair of F-16s Fighting Falcons using precision munitions. But officials later added that the mission was carried out using F-15E Strike Eagles as well.

The facilities were destroyed, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said Oct. 30. The U.S. military action appeared timed to minimize the risk of casualties, and the Pentagon says it believes no Iranian or militia personnel were killed.

“They were proportionate, focused, precision self-defense strikes,” the senior defense official said.

Even though many of the recent attacks against U.S. troops have been conducted in Iraq, the Biden administration has stayed clear of striking targets there over the years for fear of inflaming the political situation there, Middle East analysts say.

U.S. troops are in the country at the invitation of the Iraqi government to mentor Iraqi forces who are fighting ISIS. Michael Knights of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy said attacks by Iranian-aligned militia groups in Syria appeared to have increased at a greater pace in recent days.

To better protect U.S. forces, the Pentagon is sending 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, U.S. officials say, to be manned by around 900 troops. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is also headed to the Middle East, and the U.S. has increased the number of Air Force fighter and attack aircraft in U.S. Central Command to six squadrons.

The Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) conducts flight operations with an unmanned aerial vehicle in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Oct. 23. Components of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval

Numerous warships are already in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean Sea, including the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, both of which carry fighters and other aircraft. The warships can also conduct air defense, which the destroyer USS Carney demonstrated in the Red Sea when it shot down four land attack cruise missiles and numerous drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Oct. 20 that the Pentagon says had the range to strike Israel.

Biden said in a notification to Congress he ordered the airstrikes because of the “grave threat” to U.S. personnel and that they were “conducted in a manner to limit the risk of escalation.” But U.S. officials have said the Biden administration is prepared to use force again if required.

“Deterrence includes both demonstrating the preparedness and the willingness to take military action, as well as messaging, which is why we have been very clear about what we want, which is for Iran’s senior leaders to direct its proxies and militias to stand down and stop these attacks, and we’ve backed it up with the use of force,” the senior defense official said.

US, South Korea, Australia Kick Off Large-Scale Exercise with 130+ Aircraft

Oct. 30, 2023 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

More than 130 aircraft from the U.S., South Korea, and Australia are participating in a joint exercise dubbed “Vigilant Defense 24” that kicked off Oct. 30.

Hosted by the Seventh Air Force at Osan Air Base, South Korea, the exercise will last through Nov. 3, focusing on interoperability between the allies and a broad range of mission sets.

More than 25 types of aircraft are participating, including fighter, cargo, tanker, and reconnaissance planes, according to a release from the Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defense.

The U.S. Air Force will contribute F-35, F-16, and A-10 fighter/attack aircraft, as well KC-135 aerial refuelers. The Republic of Korea Air Force will fly its own F-35s, as well as its E-7 for airborne early warning and control and KC-330. The Royal Australian Air Force will contribute the KC-30A multirole tanker transport.

80th Fighter Generation Squadron Airmen observe an F-16 Fighting Falcon while conducting preflight systems inspections on F-16 Fighting Falcons during Vigilant Defense at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Oct. 28, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel Earick)

Col. Michael G. McCarthy, 8th Operations Group commander, said in a statement that opportunities like these are “truly invaluable to refining the necessary tactics, techniques and procedures that ensure the combined force can operate as one cohesive unit, should we ever be called upon.”

The release from the 8th Fighter Wing highlighted that the training exercise is routine, “entirely defensive in nature,” and not in response to current real-world threats or situations.

During the five-day event, the U.S. and South Korea will practice integrating different kinds of aircraft and different kinds of operations including air defense, close air support, and emergency air interdiction, according to ROK’s Ministry of National Defense.

Another goal will be improving interoperability and coordination between the fourth- and fifth-generation fighters. South Korea has already ordered and started taking delivery of 40 fifth-gen F-35s, and is looking to buy 25 more in a deal valued at $5.06 billion, which was approved by the U.S. State Department in September.

The joint training between the three allies does carry the possibility of provoking a response from North Korea.Last year’s exercise, named ‘Vigilant Storm,’ featured around 240 aircraft from the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and, Army, along with South Korea and Australia.

North Korea objected to the exercise through its state media. During and after the extended exercise last year, Pyongyang test-fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles and attempted an intercontinental ballistic missile launch, which ended in a failure.

Leaders from the U.S. and South Korea have pledged to conduct more regular, large-scale exercises together to bolster the alliance and deter North Korea.

North Korea, however, continues to test new missiles. Most recently, it fired off two short-range ballistic missiles ahead of a bilateral summit between leader Kim Jong Un and Russian president Vladimir Putin on Sept. 13.

After that summit, the U.S., ROK, and Japan criticized North Korea for providing military equipment to Russia against Ukraine, warning that such actions violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and could “significantly increase the human toll of Russia’s war of aggression.”

The joint statement released on Oct. 25 by U.S. Secretary of State Anthon Blinken and South Korea and Japan’s Foreign Ministers claimed Pyongyang is seeking military assistance from Moscow to advance its own capabilities. It also raised concerns regarding potential exchanges of nuclear or ballistic missile technology between them.

Russia and North Korea have denied such exchanges, but satellite images and assessments from think tanks indicate increased rail traffic and suspected munition shipments from Pyongyang to Moscow.

SDA Hands Out Contract for 38 New Satellites, Considers Tweak for Future Batch

Oct. 30, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

The Space Development Agency added 38 more satellites to its growing list of contract awards on Oct. 30, with the agency agreeing to a $732 million deal with Northrop Grumman.

The satellites will be part of the Tranche 2 Transport Layer of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. The Transport Layer is intended to be the backbone of the Pentagon’s broader plan for joint all-domain command and control (JADC2), providing the satellite communications and connectivity needed to move data around the globe from sensors to shooters.

The contract award to Northrop comes on the heels of SDA confirming Oct. 20 it reached a deal with York Space Systems for 62 satellites.

Both York and Northrop are building satellites for the “Alpha” segment—one of three parts of the Tranche 2 Transport Layer, each with different capabilities. Compared to the “Beta” and “Gamma” segments, the Alpha segment will be the most similar to the satellites planned for Tranche 1, albeit in greater quantities to provide wider, more persistent capabilities.

Northrop also won a contract for a portion of the Beta segment, along with Lockheed Martin, in August.

“With the Beta variant and now the Alpha constellation, we’ll have more than 170 T2TL satellites on order,” SDA director Derek M. Tournear said in a statement. “SDA is leading the DOD into launching proliferated constellations into low-Earth orbit to enhance responsiveness, resilience, survivability, and warfighting capability beyond our current space systems architecture.”

All told, SDA has now awarded contracts for more than 370 satellites as part of the PWSA. Thus far, 23 of them, all part of “Tranche 0,” have launched into orbit. Tranche 1 is scheduled to follow in the fall of 2024 while Tranche 2 is planned for 2026.

By comparison, the rest of the Space Force has around 80 satellites, mostly in geosynchronous earth orbit. SDA and Tournear are pushing for large numbers of smaller spacecraft in low-Earth orbit to create resilience by discouraging adversaries from trying to shoot down or otherwise disable any one satellite.

The agency is still pressing forward. On Oct. 23, SDA issued a request for information (RFI) from industry for the “Gamma” segment of the Tranche 2 Transport Layer, which will have a “payload specifically designed to close future kill chains via the PWSA” called Warlock, according to an agency release.

According to the RFI, the agency is planning on 20 Gamma satellites, down from previous estimates of 44. On Oct. 19 at the MilSat Symposium in Mountain View, Calif., Tournear explained the change.

“Some of the capabilities of Gamma are going to move to Beta,” Tournear said. “We’re in negotiations with a third Beta vendor to do that. So we would likely have 24 additional Beta satellites, and that would drive the Gamma requirement, that would go down from 44 satellites down to 20.”

An SDA spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the final quantities of each segment are still being determined. Both will provide tactical satellite communications, but Tournear described Gamma as providing “enhanced tactical SATCOM.”

With contracts being handed out for Tranche 2, Tournear noted that SDA is now fully in the midst of its “spiral development” model, with one tranche being launched and operated in orbit, one in testing and assembly, and one being contracted and developed.

The Tranche 0 satellites in orbit recently received a boost when the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) granted approval for SDA to test their Link 16 capabilities over international waters and “over the territory of a Five Eyes ally,” a spokesperson said.

“It should be noted that testing Link 16 from space first over international waters and with an international partner, while important, represents a compromise position for SDA and our requirement remains to test over U.S. air space in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture and its ability to deliver space-based capabilities to the warfighter over existing tactical data links,” Tournear said in a statement. “To that end, SDA continues to pursue Temporary Frequency Assignment from the Federal Aviation Administration to begin testing with the support of military partners with battle-ready DOD instrumentation and personnel trained in such testing. This testing is absolutely critical to SDA’s on-time delivery.”

Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture

TRANCHE	LAYER	# OF SATELLITES	CONTRACTORS
0	Transport	20	York Space Systems, Lockheed Martin
	Tracking	8	SpaceX, L3Harris
1	Transport	126	York Space Systems, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
	Tracking	35	L3Harris, Northrop Gumman, Raytheon
	Demonstration and Experimentation System	12	York Space Systems
2	Transport (Beta)	72, possibly 96	Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, TBA
	Transport (Alpha)	100	York Space Systems, Northrop Grumman
	Transport (Gamma)	20 (approx.)	TBA
	Tracking	52 (approx.)	TBA
	Demonstration and Experimentation System	20 (approx.)	TBA

F135 Parts with Contaminated Metal Will Be Replaced at Depot, JPO Says

Oct. 27, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak

No F135 fighter engines are yet known to have parts made from contaminated powdered metal—a situation affecting much of Pratt & Whitney’s commercial engine fleet—but if detected, they’ll be replaced at depot and shouldn’t have a major impact on operations, a F-35 Joint Program Office spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

The JPO concurs with comments from RTX’s chief operating officer Chris Calio, who said on the company’s third quarter earnings call Oct. 24 that “the Joint Program Office is reviewing our fleet management plan recommendation, which we believe will have limited, if any, operational impact on the customer. We continue to evaluate the balance of the Pratt fleet containing powdered metal, and expect any fleet management plan updates, if needed, to have limited impact.”

RTX is the parent company for Raytheon Technologies, Collins Aerospace, and Pratt & Whitney.

The JPO agreed, saying through a spokesperson that “the issue will have little to no impact on the fleet.”

RTX officials said they are working through inspections and groundings affecting many of their airline and freight customers, who RTX said will be compensated for the downtime. It will be “expensive,” RTX president and CEO Greg Hayes said on the call. On the previous quarterly call, he said RTX will “make our customers whole” for the downtime.

The issue goes back to a quality escape in 2015, when a Pratt supplier provided powdered nickel with fine contamination. The quality issue was discovered after an in-flight failure in 2018, and in subsequent tests, Pratt found that the parts made from the powder have less durability and could fail. This has caused the company to order inspections and accelerate the schedule for off-wing maintenance. Pratt is replacing parts found to have the contaminated metal with new ones and expects to get through the process of replacing all affected units by the end of 2025.

The JPO said it has been aware of the contaminated nickel powder issue since 2021, “and it is a low-risk issue for the F135 because the component will be inspected, and replaced if needed, well before the issue would potentially impact the engine,” a spokesperson said.

Parts potentially affected by the quality issue include high-pressure discs in the F135, sources said, but the JPO said none have been detected so far.

“At this time, no F135 components inspected have exhibited contamination,” the spokesperson said. The components potentially affected are being inspected when the engines come in for scheduled depot maintenance. If any are found to be contaminated, they’ll be replaced at depot, the spokesperson said.

The problem most profoundly affects the PW1100 engine that powers Airbus A320 airliners. Pratt started making parts from new material two years ago, and has reorganized its production facilities to make replacement parts at an accelerated rate.