NORAD Boss: Over the Horizon Radar ‘Not the End-All, Be-All’ For Defending Homeland

May 10, 2023 | By David Roza

The head of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) told lawmakers that over-the-horizon radar (OTHR) will help his troops detect threats from farther away, but they also need other surveillance systems—and to be able to communicate quickly in order to neutralize those threats.

OTHR “is not the end-all, be-all,” Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, who also leads U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), told the Senate Armed Services’ subcommittee on strategic forces on May 9. “There has to be domain awareness between the over-the-horizon radars that link the data from there to an end-game effector. … We need to look more broadly at the rest of the infrastructures, the radar as well, and ensure the data from those systems is incorporated in an integrated air and missile defense system that can lead to effectors.”

Those effectors may take the form of kinetic weapons such as missiles or non-kinetic effects such as electronic warfare, VanHerck said. The NORTHCOM boss noted that the Department of the Air Force has invested several billion dollars in the information technology networks that allow his troops to share information internally and with the rest of the military and foreign allies, but the cyber aspect of the network still troubles him.

“Candidly, my most concerning domain awareness problem is … the limited knowledge of cyber vulnerabilities for the critical infrastructure that we rely on to project power from our homeland, to defend our homeland, to do command and control within our homeland,” VanHerck said. “So I continue to advocate for that to the department.”

NORAD found itself in the spotlight earlier this year after the revelation that Chinese surveillance balloons and other unidentified objects slipped into U.S. airspace undetected by the Pentagon. VanHerck has used the opportunity to advocate for over-the-horizon radars; integrating space-based and undersea surveillance to form a more comprehensive defense picture; and accelerating the development process to put those capabilities in the field more quickly.

“I have concerns, as I have articulated for three years, about my ability to provide threat warning and attack assessment with the threats to our homeland,” VanHerck said during a hearing with the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 23. “That increases the risk of escalation and strategic deterrence failure. Those are significant challenges for me.”

OTHR is a “proven, affordable technology“ that will “significantly improve” NORTHCOM and NORAD’s ability to detect threats all the way to outer space, VanHerck said in written testimony, but it is only one piece of the surveillance puzzle.

Another piece is the North Warning System, a chain of radar stations that monitors northern aerospace approaches into Canada and the U.S. The problem is that NWS was built between 1986 and 1992, and its radar capabilities may not be able to keep pace with modern cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons, according to the Canadian government. VanHerck said the Air Force has to decide how to solve that problem.

“The department hasn’t made a decision on modernization of the North Warning System or further replacement of the radars associated with the North Warning System, but that has to be a discussion,” he said. “Like I said, over-the-horizon radar is not the be-all, end-all.”

The discussions on over-the-horizon radar, information networks, and the North Warning System are all part of a fundamental reevaluation of homeland defense that VanHerck said is currently underway. The general is also developing what he calls Homeland Defense Design 2035, which may present a paradigm shift for the mission. The design proposes “a new way of defending the homeland that’s vastly different from the way we do it today with fighters, tankers, AWACs, those kinds of things,” VanHerck said.

Though VanHerck did not provide specifics on what that vision may entail, he did mention later in his remarks that autonomous or unmanned platforms could generate domain awareness or defense in the electromagnetic spectrum both on the sea and in the sky. Those platforms would then need a fast information network to detect and communicate about fast-moving threats such as hypersonic missiles.

In past remarks, VanHerck said the data generated by such platforms would need to be fused into “a globally integrated picture that allows us to see threats globally before they become threats here in the homeland.”

Even more than over-the-horizon radar, cybersecurity, or hypersonic missiles, VanHerck said he was most dismayed by the pace at which the U.S. develops and deploys systems to defend against new technologies being produced by adversaries.

“I believe that the greatest strategic risk for the United States stems from our own inability to adapt at a pace required by the changing strategic environment,” he wrote. “In an era of incredible innovation and technological achievement, inflexible, outdated processes are a greater impediment to success than many of our competitors’ capability advancements.”

Space Force Developing New Training Capabilities for Guardians

May 10, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

Whether it’s adding on-orbit capabilities or new forms of simulation, the Space Force wants to get its training beyond the classrooms and PowerPoint slides, its chief trainer said May 10.

How the Space Force goes about preparing Guardians has changed significantly even within the past few years, said Maj. Gen. Shawn N. Bratton, head of Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM). His plan to upgrade USSF’s test and training infrastructure closely mirrors priorities laid out by Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, who has emphasized that need since before he became CSO.

“We’re shifting back a little bit more to live training,” Bratton said during an appearance with AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “As I came up in the classroom, we had some simulation capability, but there was really a lot of education. It wasn’t as much as what today I would call training activities. We learned about the space domain, we learned how to operate, but most of it was classroom discussion, seminar style, PowerPoint slides, all the standard things.”

Not anymore. “Now the discussion is, ‘Why aren’t we flying a spacecraft in training? Why aren’t we getting some sort of reps and sets, some sorties in, in the training environment?’” Bratton said. “And that alleviates some of the training burden that we placed on the operational units. If we can move that back into the training pipeline, I think there’ll be value added.”

For example, he cited the U.S. Air Force Academy’s FalconSat program, in which Cadets build, launch, and operate small satellites in orbit. Bratton said that experience teaches “all these fundamental concepts that apply regardless of what spacecraft you end up flying in your career.”

“We think we can bring that back into training through simulation, but also with some live activity,” he added.

Live Training

The Space Force’s emphasis on live activity is not without complications—unlike the other military services, it cannot establish a defined area of space solely for testing and training.

“There’s no sovereignty in space, and so we had to think about that a little bit different on how do we do these activities that we need to do to build the credibility of the force, to increase readiness, but also be safe and professional in our operations in the space domain,” Bratton said.

USSF’s overarching answer has been the National Space Test and Training Complex (NSTTC), a collection of sensors and assets on the ground and in orbit. Bratton credited Brig. Gen. Todd R. Moore, his deputy, for this description: “It’s the gym where we go to work out the force,” Bratton said. “We’re building that right now. And there are already pieces that exist. We’ve done some live activities, both on orbit as well as in the electromagnetic spectrum.”

The Space Force has executed two “Black Skies” exercises, the most recent one completed in March. Black Skies are part of a series of exercises designed to mimic the Air Force’s “Flag” exercises. The next iteration, “Red Skies,” focusing on orbital warfare, will take place late this summer, Bratton said.

To exercise command and control, the Space Force conducted “Polaris Hammer” in February, which focused in particular on the new Space Forces Indo-Pacific command.

STARCOM. meanwhile, continues to build out NSTTC, Bratton said, including “on-orbit capabilities, the ground sensors, and then the infrastructure that ties it all together for command and control and gathering the data, which is particularly important for the test enterprise.”

Virtual Training

Digital twins—highly accurate models that can be used for simulation and training—are a part of STARCOM’s training plan, enabling the Space Force to practice skills without creating real-world problems in space. But Bratton said his command is also working on “How we bring in existing spacecraft that don’t have a digital model.”

For those situations, collecting high-fidelity data must be gathered to generate realistic simulation models, leveraging Space Force intelligence to assist with developing realistic threats.

“Some of that exists today,” Bratton said. “I wouldn’t presume to say that we’re all the way there [though]. We’re getting a lot of help from industry in this area. But there’s a lot of work to do.”

Air Force Relieves Commander at 19th Air Force

May 10, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

Maj. Gen. Phillip A. Stewart was relieved for loss of confidence in his ability to command the 19th Air Force, Air Education and Training Command announced May 10.

Stewart was relieved for alleged misconduct, which was not described in further detail. AETC said the matter is under investigation.

“The Air Force takes any misconduct allegation seriously and is committed to conducting a thorough investigation,” AETC commander Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson said in a statement.

Brig. Gen. Christopher R. Amrhein, 19th Air Force’s vice commander, was named the interim commander. Amrhein has been with the 19th Air Force since August 2021 and was previously inspector general for Air Mobility Command.

The 19th Air Force is one of two Numbered Air Forces under AETC and is responsible for all flying training in the Air Force, from Undergraduate Pilot Training to formal training units. It also oversees training programs for air battle managers, weapons directors, Air Force Academy Airmanship, and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE).

Stewart assumed command of the 19th Air Force in August 2022 after previous commands at the wing and squadron levels. He also has been the Air Force’s top adviser in Afghanistan and deputy chief of staff for strategic employment at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. A command pilot with more than 2,600 hours, he has flown the F-15C, A-29, U-2, MC-12, AT-38, T-38, T-37, and RQ-4.

He is the second 19th Air Force Commander to be relieved. In 2015, Maj. Gen. Michael Keltz resigned from his position as commander of 19th Air Force following “an inappropriate comment” made in a “public Air Force forum.”

Why Is the Next Top Enlisted Guardian’s Nickname ‘B-9’?

May 9, 2023 | By David Roza

When news broke on May 8 that Chief Master Sgt. John F. Bentivegna was chosen to become the next Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, it soon became clear that social media knows him by a different name.

“Congrats, Chief B9!” said several commenters on the unofficial Space Force subreddit and on Facebook.

A Space Forces spokesman told Air & Space Forces Magazine the B-9 nickname refers to the nine letters that follow the “B” in Bentivegna, which is pronounced “bent-EE-vania.”

Bentivegna will be the second-ever CMSSF, the top enlisted Guardian in the Space Force. As such, he will be responsible for advising Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman on the welfare and readiness of the Space Force’s Guardians. Saltzman selected Bentivegna out of five finalists as the new top enlisted Guardian on May 5. The service has not yet announced when ‘Chief B-9’ will formally take over the job from the current CMSSF Roger A. Towberman.

A 29-year veteran, Bentivegna currently advises the Deputy CSO for Operations, Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, and he is also the Enlisted Space Systems Operations Career Field Manager. He was Command Chief at Space Operations Command in his prior role. Bentivegna joined the Air Force in 1994 and served in both maintenance and space operations before transferring to the Space Force in September 2020.

“He’s been right here with us every step of the way,” Towberman said in a statement about Bentivegna. “He knows where we’ve been and believes in where we’re going. I couldn’t be happier for our Guardians or more proud of how it’s all coming together. He’s exactly who we need right now.”

That is high praise coming from Towberman, who made a splash for being the first CMSSF and for striving to form a retention-focused service that does not give Guardians “a reason to quit.” He also appeared on late-night TV from Greenland, sang with the Air Force’s Max Impact rock band, and spoke directly to Guardians on the Space Force’s unofficial Reddit page.

“When your brand is crazy, you can’t go out of bounds,” Towberman said in his keynote address at the 2022 Air, Space & Cyber Conference, shortly after leading the audience through a singalong of the Space Force song.

Though it is unclear yet what Bentivegna’s brand will be, Space Force leadership believes he is ready for prime time.

“I needed someone that would bring a perspective on our future that was articulated differently from mine,” Saltzman said in the release. “Someone who could (and would) challenge my assumptions and ensure that important issues were evaluated from multiple angles and would catch things I missed. All the candidates had tremendous experience, skills, and expertise and it made it a close run.”

In the end, Chief “B-9” came out on top.

“It’s overwhelming and incredibly humbling to be offered the opportunity to become the next Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force,” Bentivegna said in a statement. “I am really excited to have that opportunity to work next to Gen. Saltzman to help fulfill his vision for where the service needs to go.”

Air Force ‘Doesn’t Just Need Airplanes’ to Modernize, Kendall Says

May 9, 2023 | By Chris Gordon

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall insists the service needs to modernize rapidly to face the threat of China. But modernization does not just mean fielding new aircraft, Kendall and other service leaders argue—the Air Force also needs to retire its aging airplanes.

“The truth is the Air Force needs things like electric warfare, battle management, intelligence, cyber capabilities, all of these things,” Kendall said at the Ash Carter Exchange defense conference May 9. “It doesn’t just need airplanes.”

“As the character of warfare changes,” Kendall added, the Air Force will become just as much about those new systems as “traditional platforms.”

“We’re having to divest some of those to free up resources to move forward,” Kendall said. “There’s been resistance to that in the past.”

That means the service—and lawmakers—have to make hard choices, Kendall said, while acknowledging there are also political realities that come into play.

“I know it’s hard, locally, in particular, to divest aircraft,” Kendall said.

The Air Force needs to acknowledge that lawmakers do not want jobs and resources taken away from their constituents, and try to ensure it brings “similar value to the local communities” as it modernizes, Kendall said.

The service has made progress on that front recently. After years of Congress saying “No” to the Air Force’s attempts to divest some of its aging fleet, the legislature has started to relent some, going along with the service’s requests to retire platforms like the A-10 “Warthog” and E-3 AWACS.

In fiscal 2024, the Air Force plans to retire 310 aircraft, including even more A-10s and E-3s, as well as 32 older F-22s. The F-22s in particular are aircraft the Air Force unsuccessfully tried to retire last year, facing pushback on and off Capitol Hill. But Kendall said the A-10s and E-3s were “increasingly obsolete and very difficult to maintain” and the early F-22s “are not fully combat capable.”

If it can, Kendall said, the Air Force wants to replace retired aircraft with similar systems, such as replacing an aging fighter unit with new fighter aircraft. If not, Kendall said the Air Force wants to convince lawmakers that a new unit is something with “longevity.”

For example, as the service gets rid of A-10s at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., it plans to stand up a new “Power Projection Wing.”

This year, Kendall sounded optimistic that the service’s reasoning and messaging is getting through.

“I’m going to express my appreciation to the Congress,” he said.

For now, the Department of the Air Force has wrapped up the unveiling of its fiscal 2024 budget to Congress, including advocating for aircraft divestitures. After fielding a myriad of questions from lawmakers during a series of hearings, Kendall has one main takeaway: Congress must act.

“Now we’re going to wait,” Kendall said, reiterating his frustration at political gridlock—which Kendall said will almost certainly lead to a delayed budget of at least three months.

Kendall came into his role in 2021 with the goal to modernize the Air Force and build out the Space Force to meet the threat of China. His seven “operational imperatives” have shaped that modernization effort over the past two years, and the department’s budget is now in alignment with those goals, he said, with aircraft divestitures making up one piece.

“These are operating problems we have to solve to be able to be effective against the threat that is emerging and moving forward fairly rapidly,” Kendall said. “China is not wasting any time.”

“They’ve surprised me a couple of times,” said Kendall, who spent decades as a Pentagon official before returning as Air Force Secretary. “They’re not waiting for us to do things. They’re thinking ahead and moving forward. We have to be competitive.”

Photos: A-10s Back in Europe for NATO’s Defender ’23

May 9, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

Ten A-10s and dozens of Airmen deployed to Europe this week in support of the Army-led DEFENDER 2023 exercise, and nine more mobility aircraft will do the same in the coming weeks.

The A-10s, from the Air Force Reserve’s 442nd Fighter Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., are split between Zaragosa Air Base, Spain, and Thessaloniki Air Base, Greece, providing close air support during the exercise, which is intended to build readiness and interoperability between U.S. and NATO allies.

A-10s from the Maryland Air National Guard previously deployed to Europe in May and June 2022, participating in last year’s DEFENDER exercise and operating from Norway, North Macedonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Estonia. A-10s also recently deployed to the Middle East under U.S. Central Command.

This year’s exercise involves 17,000 troops from 26 different nations, including roughly 9,000 U.S. service members. It is divided into three phases—Swift Response, Immediate Response, and Saber Guardian—each focused on different objectives.

“This annual, nearly two-month long exercise is focused on the strategic deployment of U.S.-based forces, employment of Army prepositioned stocks and interoperability with European allies and partners,” Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon press secretary, said in an April 6 briefing.

While the A-10s have already arrived and started participating in the exercise, more USAF aircraft are set to deploy in the next month: Six C-17s from the 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and three C-130s from the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.

Those aircraft will primarily operate out of Aviano Air Base, Italy, according to a U.S. Air Forces in Europe release.

In addition to the aircraft, the Air Force is also deploying support Airmen to support DEFENDER 23—air mobility teams from the 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing will head to Aviano, Zaragosa, and Larissa Air Base, Greece.

Air mobility teams consist of personnel who offer aerial port, aircraft maintenance, and command and control capabilities outside of the usual structure. Such teams are likely to be crucial to the Air Force’s development of Agile Combat Employment, the concept of scattering small teams of Airmen and aircraft to operate from remote or austere locations.

New Pentagon Science and Technology Strategy Emphasizes Collaboration with Allies

May 9, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak

The Pentagon on May 9 released its 2023 National Defense Science and Technology Strategy, which puts a high priority on delivering new capabilities useful to the joint force and developed collaboratively between the military services, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and foreign partners and allies.

“We will focus on the joint mission, create and field capabilities at speed and scale, and ensure the foundations for research and development,” the 12-page document states.

“What I really like about this S&T strategy is its clear commitment to collaboration, not just domestically but internationally,” said Nina Kollars—an advisor to undersecretary of defense for research and engineering Heidi Shyu—during a call with reporters.

That emphasis on international collaboration matches the 2022 National Defense Strategy, which highlighted the importance of “mutually-beneficial alliances and partnerships.”

“Our allies are featured very strongly in here,” Kollars said. “[That’s] a centerpiece of the National Defense Strategy. And the department is serious about stepping out in that way.”

The Pentagon will be careful not to give away its secrets, Kollars noted, but “the necessity for technology protection should never be confused with turning away from the way data and science is developed,” which usually means an open discussion and sharing of information.

“In early basic research … there can be a tension with how we share with our partners and allies,” Kollars said. “But there are a number of initiatives going on inside the Department of Defense that are aimed at … new policy solutions” which will ensure “that our technology can be interoperable with our partners and allies … while minimizing accidental technology transfer.”

Priorities and Funding

The strategy’s emphasis on joint technologies and collaboration are in keeping with the priorities Shyu previously articulated when discussing the Pentagon’s 2024 science and technology budget request.

“Everything we’ve been doing is very much focusing on the joint warfighting capability and what we need to do to fight as a joint force,” Shyu said at a National Defense Industrial Association forum in April.

No special or new authorities will be needed to implement the new strategy, Kollars said, though it is required by law to have an implementation plan, which will be forwarded to Congress within 90 days.

“We designed the strategy based on the President’s budget, within the framework of no additional authorities or resourcing,” she said. “Going forward, we will allow the defense planning process to make additional adjustments as necessary.”

The 2024 budget includes $145 billion for research, development, test, and evaluation, a 12 percent increase from fiscal 2023. The S&T budget is $17.8 billion, up 8.3 percent, and basic research is up 43 percent, Shyu has said.

While the S&T strategy does not contain new authorities, it does list 14 top technological priorities—the same ones named in the 2022 version of the strategy. Shyu previously said in January 2022 that she’d hoped to “neck down” the list from the 11 priorities developed under President Donald Trump’s administration, but “I sort of failed, and I think I ballooned it instead.” President Joe Biden’s administration added focus to renewable energy sources, sixth- and seventh-generation (6G and 7G) communications, and networks.

Unlike previous years’ strategies, the 2023 priorities were not ranked numerically. But the relative amounts requested in the 2024 budget may suggest the Pentagon’s likely order of emphasis—Shyu listed their relative shares of the $6.93 billion in basic science and technology research funding as:

Microelectronics: 24.7 percent

Integrated sensing and cyber: 17.4 percent

Integrated network system-of-systems: 11 percent

Trusted AI and autonomy: 9.1 percent

Hypersonics: 8.7 percent

Biotechnology: 5.9 percent

Space technology: 5.9 percent

‘Future G’: 4.6 percent

Directed energy: 4.6 percent

Advanced materials: 3.6 percent

Quantum sciences: 2.3 percent

Advanced computing and software less than 2 percent

Human-Machine Interfaces: less than 2 percent

Renewable energy generation and storage: less than 2 percent

However, many of these technologies are inter-related. Microelectronics in particular, Shyu has said, underwrites virtually all military technologies.

The S&T strategy is “meant to be a messaging document” about where the Pentagon will focus its S&T investments and “where we will continue to put additional effort,” Kollars said. That strategy process is then manifested in organizations like the Defense Innovation Unit.

“What is particularly important to the building at this point, is ensuring that we have the investments in modeling and simulation [and] rigorous analysis,” Kollars said. “All of those elements really … will help us identify what it is exactly we should be getting after in terms of budgetary investments, which then necessarily make it easier to prototype, experiment, and transition.”

Lines of Effort and Emphasis

In order to invest in and transition those new capabilities to the joint force, the strategy states that the Pentagon is going to shift from the traditional thinking that “the Department of Defense can be solely responsible for science and technology that is defense-relevant,” Kollars said. Instead, DOD must embrace a mindset of being part of a national technology base it must draw on if it’s to move at the speed of relevancy.

At the same time, the strategy also emphasizes that the Pentagon’s investment strategy is meant to enable defense capabilities specifically—not necessarily create or expand technologies with commercial application. In some previous administrations, the Defense S&T portfolio was envisioned as an incubator for commercial or dual-use technologies.

Another new wrinkle added to the strategy is a focus on getting new technologies rapidly into production at scale, a nod to the recent challenges of replacing large quantities of munitions that have been provided to Ukraine.

Kollars listed three lines of effort for executing the strategy.

“First, the Department will focus on the joint mission by investing in information systems and establishing processes for rigorous threat-informed analysis,” she said. The Pentagon will seek “the best available data and data systems” to make better choices about where to invest its S&T dollars—which will mean investing in modeling and simulation.

“Second, the Department will create and field capabilities at speed and scale by fostering a more vibrant defense innovation ecosystem, accelerating the transition of new technology to the field in scalable ways,” she said.

This will come with a broader collaboration with academia, and better connections among the military services’ S&T enterprises, she said, and “ensure that our science investments will become real-world military capabilities.”

The report also says the Pentagon will “bridge the valley of death”—the challenging gap between developing promising new technologies and having the services buy and deploy them—by doing a better job of aligning research, acquisition, and operations personnel.

The Air Force has pursued just such an approach with its “cross-cutting capability” teams, which pair operators with acquirers and technologists in the areas of air mobility, electronic warfare, and munitions.

The Pentagon’s third line of effort to execute the strategy, Kollars said, the Pentagon will focus on recruiting and retaining talent, bolstering infrastructure both physical and digital, and building better ties with “strategic stakeholders” across the board.

The Pentagon “cannot make the 21st century force with 20th century infrastructure,” Kollars said, quoting the report. “It is in the forefront of the minds of everyone in the DOD how we will make those important investments in infrastructure … in addition to the workforce.”

‘Welcome Home’: Vietnam Veterans to Be Honored on the National Mall

May 9, 2023 | By Patrick Reardon

Americans are flocking to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., from May 11-13 to thank Vietnam veterans for their service and sacrifices 50 years ago.

The national “Welcome Home” event was planned by the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, a congressionally-authorized organization launched by former President Barack Obama in 2012 to honor and pay tribute to Vietnam-era veterans, prisoners of war, and MIAs, as well as their families.

The opening ceremony begins May 11 at 11 a.m. with a flyover of four Vietnam-era Huey helicopters and a ribbon-cutting of “Camp Legacy,” on the west end of the Mall, where attendees can explore static helicopters and vehicles, military museum displays, and more than 40 exhibit tents.

The three-day event will also feature drill teams and service bands playing live music, the U.S. Army Golden Knights conducting daily precision parachute drops, and Vietnam veterans gathering at “rally points” to honor fellow service members who remain unaccounted for.

Eight panel discussions will also take place, focusing on different historical aspects of the war. Topics range from the ongoing mission of accounting for MIAs to the legacy of servicewomen and journalists during the Vietnam War. The full schedule of events can be found here.

One panel, organized by the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA), is hosting six Vietnam veterans, all retired four-star officers from different military branches: former Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman; Army Gen. Dennis J. Reimer; Marine Corps Gen. John J. Sheehan; Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen; National Guard Gen. Craig R. McKinley; and Coast Guard Adm. James M. Loy.

“Some 2.7 million Americans veterans served in Vietnam. Many returned home wounded, physically and emotionally, only to face further injury and insult from the very citizens they had served,” said AFA President & CEO retired Lt. Gen. Bruce “Orville” Wright. “The observance and ‘Welcome Home’ now may be 50 years late, but it is nonetheless welcome and deserved. Together, we as a people owe our veterans a debt of gratitude. As Americans we must all recognize the sacrifices made by those who serve their nation. The men and women who served in Vietnam—and those who did not make it home—must be recognized as the true heroes that they are.”

The commemoration ends the afternoon of May 13 with a crowning “Welcome Home” concert. The full-stage celebration will pay tribute to all Vietnam veterans and families with live music and multimedia entertainment from Broadway star Jon Hacker, TV star Lauren B. Martin, The New York Tenors, country music performer and U.S. Naval Academy graduate Chris Nurthen, and The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.”

The commemorative event is open to the public, but those who cannot attend in person can livestream the May 11 opening ceremony and May 13 “Welcome Home” celebration on the organization’s Facebook page.

F-22 Raptor Returns to the Skies, 5 Years After Severe Damage from Botched Takeoff

May 8, 2023 | By David Roza

An Air Force F-22 Raptor flew once again May 4, five years after it suffered extensive damage from a botched takeoff on April 13, 2018.

With only 186 Raptors in the entire Air Force inventory, getting just one of the formidable air-to-air fighters back to operations represents a significant achievement for the 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, where the F-22 is assigned.

“There are only so many F-22s in the inventory,” Chief Master Sgt. Adam Willeford, the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron senior enlisted leader, said in a press release. “Every aircraft in the fleet is highly valuable for mission success, so returning this one to operational status is a big win for the team.”

An Accident Investigation Board blamed the 2018 crash on incorrect takeoff and landing data, an inadequate flight brief, and the pilot prematurely retracting the landing gear. The pilot was taking off from Naval Air Station Fallon, Nev., for a TOPGUN graduation exercise when the mishap occurred. The pilot rotated the aircraft—bringing the nose up—at 120 knots, and as the aircraft indicated its wheels were leaving the ground, the pilot retracted the landing gear. Immediately after the landing gear retracted, the aircraft “settled” back on the runway with the doors fully closed.

f-22 — According to a USAF Accident Investigation Board report, the pilot’s Takeoff and Landing Data for the conditions at NAS Fallon, Nev., were incorrect. Air Force photo.

The Raptor slid about 6,500 feet down the runway before coming to a stop, at which point the uninjured pilot got out of the cockpit. The investigation board later found the pilot should have achieved a higher speed before rotation, but that aviators within the F-22 community tended to be overconfident that the jet’s high thrust could “overcome deviations from [takeoff and landing data]. This perception has led to a decreased emphasis on the takeoff data.”

The board did not specify the exact cost of the mishap, but the recovery process was extensive, with the fighter having to be partially rebuilt in order to reenter service. Maintainers started by disassembling the jet and shipping it back to Alaska aboard a C-5 Galaxy transport jet—disassembly alone took a month.

“We took off everything that was damaged and everything that wouldn’t fit dimensionally,” Staff Sgt. Ethan Rentz, a crew chief with the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit (AMU), said in a 2021 press release. “We removed the wings and vertical stabilizers, and the whole belly of the F-22 because those panels were damaged and burnt. We couldn’t have those panels flapping around or breaking off during transit.”

f-22 — U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Michael Southerland, sitting, Tech. Sgt. Kevin Fitch, left, and Staff Sgt. Ethan Rentz, 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit F-22 crew chiefs; rebuild U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor tail number AF-07-146, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Nov. 29, 2021. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Samuel Colvin.

When the aircraft returned to Alaska, the Air Force first had to determine if it was even worth restoring. The simulations suggested it was, said Tech. Sgt. Kevin Fitch, another crew chief with the 3rd AMU. In January 2020, the Raptor was mounted on stands in a hangar and stripped of its wire harnesses, struts, and bulkheads.

“It was down to the bones of the fuselage at that point,” Fitch said in a release.

It took 16 months for contractors, engineers, and structures experts to replace the entire bottom of the aircraft, the fuselage stations, and more than 40 wire harnesses. It was not until June 2021 that Active-Duty Airmen finally got involved in the rebuild. Fitch kept inventory lists and spreadsheets to track the large number of replacement parts the damaged jet required.

“Sgt. Fitch picked this up from nothing,” Rentz said in the release. “He’s operating at a master or senior master sergeant level because he’s not just handling crew chief tasks, he’s coordinating with multiple different backshops and agencies. He’s essentially running a one-man aircraft squadron.”

Gathering parts was the biggest challenge for repairing the Raptor, since the jet and its replacement parts are no longer manufactured. The recovery process may have taken even longer if another F-22 had not crashed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in 2022, when its landing gear collapsed. Maintainers from the JBER-based 90th Aircraft Maintenance Unit journeyed to Eglin to cannibalize parts from the downed Raptor, including the leading edge, two flaps, and a seat.

Though the cannibalizing will prolong the recovery time for the Eglin F-22, it helped the JBER Raptor return to duty earlier—ensuring at least one jet is flying.

f-22 — U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Joshua Eller, an F-22 Raptor crew chief assigned to the 90th Air Maintenance Unit, prepares to shut down tail number AF-07-146 after a successful afterburner run on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, April 19, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Peña.

On May 4, Lt. Col. Philip Johnson, a functional-check-flight pilot assigned to the 514th Flight Test Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, flew a test flight of the F-22.

“They did a great job on the airplane,” he said in the press release. “There were some minor maintenance notes found during the sortie, but those will be handled by maintenance. It’s good to go back to operational flying.”

The return of the F-22 to operational status is one of many minor miracles military aircraft maintainers accomplish on a regular basis. Air Force maintainers restored an A-10 “Warthog” four years after belly-landing in Michigan, while Navy sailors once brought back an EA-18G Growler that had been considered beyond repair five years after suffering a mid-air collision.

“Five months ago it had no struts, no wings, no flight controls, no hydraulics, no stabilizers,” Fitch said in December 2021. “Seeing the progress and doing something out of the ordinary has been really rewarding. … It’s going to be very satisfying when it flies.”