Big BAH Boost Coming: Which Bases Get the Biggest Increase

Dec. 15, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

Housing allowances are finally catching up, as the Pentagon announced new Basic Allowance for Housing rates Dec. 14. On average, monthly payments will rise 12.1 percent starting Jan. 1.

Increases vary by location. BAH is determined based on paygrade, location, and whether or not members have dependents. To find your rate, type your variables into DOD’s BAH calculator.

The 2023 average increase is the largest in at least a decade, more than double last year’s 5.1 percent increase, until now the largest in that timespan. The jump is “reflective of the unique market conditions experienced across many locations nationwide over the past year,” DOD noted in a press release.

But while some members will see increases of 20 percent or more, others may see no change or as little as a 1 percent increase in 2023. This is because housing cost increases varied wildly across the nation in the past year.

Overall, median home prices across the U.S. rose more than 10 percent in the past year. Inflation for housing costs, which includes rent and utilities, rose more than seven percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Rates will rise 20 percent or more in several dozen locales, including Patrick Space Force Base, Fla.; Dover Air Force Base, Del.; Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif.; and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.

Increases of 15 percent to 20 percent are in store for military members stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.; Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.; Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.; Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C.; and Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.

In all, among 300 military housing markets, 290 will see BAH increases of at least 1 percent increase 2023. Rates will decline in a few areas, including Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., and Vance Air Force Base, Okla. Members who maintained their eligibility in those locations will continue to receive the same BAH, ensuring that those “who have made long-term commitments in the form of a lease or contract are not penalized,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

The Defense Department calculates BAH through annual surveys of roughly 300 rental markets across the country, determining the median price of rent and utilities for six different housing options in each of those markets.

BAH is intended to cover 95 percent of housing costs. For 2023, that means troops out-of-pocket expenses for housing range from $82 to $184 per month.

The BAH increases follow the Pentagon’s announcement that Basic Allowance for Subsistence, which pays for service members’ meals, will rise 11.2 percent in 2023—the largest year-over-year increase since 2002.

Still, BAH increases lag the market. Housing prices surged over the past year, forcing the Pentagon to authorize temporary increases in October for markets where housing costs ballooned 20 percent or more during 2022. The same was necessary in 2021 as well.

Further temporary increases may be necessary. The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which should clear Congress in the coming days, includes a provision extending the emergency authority for temporary increases through fiscal 2024.

Meanwhile, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass has called for a “holistic” review of military compensation, including the potential application of new data-driven algorithms that might replace annual surveys to more accurately calculate allowance rates. And if the NDAA passes, it will require the Pentagon to report on the “efficiency and accuracy of the current system used to calculate BAH,” and consider potential alternatives, including using data from local school districts; adjusting BAH more than once annually; and being more transparent about how rates are set.

New B-21 Test Aircraft Heraldry, Barely Visible at Rollout, Revealed

Dec. 15, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak

The first B-21 bomber, which rolled out of Northrop Grumman’s facilities at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale Calif., on Dec. 2, bears three organizational emblems, barely visible on the aircraft’s surface behind its unusual cockpit windows—Air Force Materiel Command, Global Strike Command, and the 412th Test Wing.

The heraldry was present on aircraft No. 00001—also called T-1—at the event but was hard to see because of the low-visibility finish of the markings, the lighting effects ,and the distance of the aircraft from the audience. They could only be seen from the side of the B-21, while most of the attendees and all photographers were confined to a space directly in front of the aircraft. The Air Force disclosed the organizations in an email to Air & Space Forces Magazine on Dec. 15.

Air Force Materiel Command is responsible for overall test and sustainment of the new bomber, although development and management of the program thus far has been conducted by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.
Global Strike Command will “own” and fly the B-21 when it enters operational service sometime in the next few years. The first B-21s will operate from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The B-21 is expected to be part of a two-bomber force (with the upgraded and re-engined B-52) when the B-1 and B-2 retire in the 2030s, and GSC expects to field a force of at least 100 B-21s.
The 412th Test Wing, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., is the organization that conducts Air Force flight testing.

The emblem of the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. U.S. Air Force image

The B-2 bomber similarly has heraldry applied aft of its cockpit—recent imagery from an exercise at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., the only location of the B-2, shows the emblems of AFGSC, the 509th Bomb Wing, and the 131st Bomb Wing in Missouri’s Air National Guard, all applied in muted black and gray. B-52 bombers, by contrast, often have colorful art and emblems of their squadrons painted near the cockpit.

Although apparently not featured on the B-21, the 420th Flight Test Squadron is the combined test force that will perform all B-21 testing. The CTF comprises the 420th; Detachment 5 of the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC), and a team from Northrop Grumman. The 420th was reactivated Oct. 19, 2019, to prepare for B-21 test operations. The unit will oversee all air and ground testing of the bomber, and provide analysis of the results.

The B-21 at the rollout ceremony also had the “tailcode” ED applied to the main landing gear, denoting it as an Edwards Air Force Base aircraft. It was also marked with the serial number on the nose landing gear and the logo of Northrop Grumman flight test under the nose. No other markings could be discerned.

Aircraft T-1 was rolled out because the Air Force and Northrop will soon begin outside activities with the airplane to prepare it for its first flight, expected mid-2023. In the coming weeks the bomber will be outside of Plant 42 for engine and taxi tests, and more imagery is likely to become available when it is exposed to public view. The first flight of the aircraft will be “event based”—meaning USAF will fly the airplane only when all is ready, rather than on a planned date set in advance—but service officials have indicated they will alert the press when the flight is imminent.

The B-2 flew for the first time about nine months after its rollout. Program officials have said the B-21 should improve on that.

SDA Delays First Satellite Launches

Dec. 14, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

It will take a few extra months for the Space Development Agency’s “Tranche 0”—the initial batch of satellites in SDA’s planned constellation in low-Earth orbit—to lift off, as the agency has delayed two planned launches.

The first launch for Tranche 0, which will also be the first launch in SDA’s history, is now scheduled for March 2023. That’s six months later than the agency’s initial goal of September 2022, which it announced in 2020 when it awarded contracts for the satellites to Lockheed Martin and York Space Systems. That timeline had already been pushed back once to mid-December, with Director Derek M. Tournear citing supply chain issues.

Previously, the agency had stuck to a goal of March 2023 for its second launch of Tranche 0 satellites. Now, however, it is saying that launch has been delayed to June 2023.

SpaceNews first reported the schedule slips, citing technical issues with York Space’s satellites. An SDA spokesperson confirmed the schedule changes to Air & Space Forces Magazine but did not respond directly to queries as to why both dates had changed, only mentioning “careful analysis and … input” from contractors.

“By contract, all four Space Development Agency Tranche 0 performers were required to have their space vehicles ready for launch in September 2022—that was the earliest possible launch date and set a very aggressive delivery schedule,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “SDA built in some launch flexibility to account for risks. As the performers identified and began to mitigate challenges to the aggressive delivery schedule, we adjusted our initial launch to December. More recently, after careful analysis and with input from our performers, we’ve set the initial Tranche 0 launch for March 2023; the second Tranche 0 launch is planned for June 2023.”

Tranche 0 is slated to include 28 satellites in total—20 in the Transport Layer, responsible for communications and data transmission, and 8 in the Tracking Layer, for missile tracking and warning. Lockheed and York split the contract for the Transport Layer, while SpaceX and L3Harris shared the Tracking Layer award. Supply chain issues have reportedly slowed progress on L3Harris’ satellites.

SDA says Tranche 0 will still be in place “in time to participate in critical capability demonstrations,” including military exercises in 2023 and missile targeting demonstrations in 2024, the spokesperson said. Furthermore, the agency is still sticking with its schedule for Tranche 1, aiming to start launching those satellites in September 2024.

Awards for Tranche 1 have already been handed out—York, Lockheed, and Northrop Grumman each earned a part of the Transport Layer, while L3Harris and Northrop won the Tracking Layer. York also won a contract for a planned “Demonstration and Experimentation” program that will be part of Tranche 1.

York Space did not immediately respond to a query from Air & Space Forces Magazine as to whether the technical issue identified with their Tranche 0 satellites will affect the delivery of their Tranche 1 satellites.

In its statement, however, SDA projected confidence that the issues with Tranche 0 will be resolved and help shape future approaches.

“The learning process provides SDA the opportunity to grow our relationship with industry and apply Tranche 0 lessons to future tranches,” the statement read. “SDA is not backing off on speed, as we still believe schedule is king. SDA will continue to push forward and accelerate delivery to field the proliferated low Earth orbit architecture.”

All told, Tranche 1 will consist of more than 160 satellites—128 in the Transport Layer, 28 in the Tracking Layer, and 12 in the Demonstration and Experimentation program. Launches are expected to continue into 2025.

Air Force Leaders: CCA Is About Capability, Not Just Cost

Dec. 14, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

With the Air Force poised to pour significant resources into its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, the service shouldn’t become fixated on a particular price point for each of the unmanned aircraft to the point of neglecting capability or reliability, two of the generals helping lead the program’s development said Dec. 14.

Maj. Gen. Scott Jobe, director of plans, programs, and requirements for Air Combat Command, and Brig. Gen. Dale R. White, the USAF’s program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft, both addressed the issue of cost for CCAs as part of a virtual rollout for a Mitchell Institute report.

That report, authored by Caitlin Lee and retired Col. Mark Gunzinger, was based off a three-day workshop hosted by the Mitchell Institute that brought together Air Force and industry leaders, planners, and operators to consider the kinds of autonomous collaborative platforms the service should focus on building.

The report found that workshop participants generally favored larger quantities of drones, even if it meant trading off some capability. That finding was based on what the authors admitted was a generally “optimistic” assumption that such drones would cost roughly $1,000 per pound—far less than most manned platforms today, and a cost that experts believe could be accurate in the future but lack the real-world data to confirm.

“We do need to get after this cost assessment issue—what is the right cost per pound? And we need the data to prove it out,” Lee noted in presenting the report’s recommendation.

The question of just how much the Air Force would be willing to spend on these CCAs isn’t completely answered, but Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has offered at least something of an upper limit, saying earlier this year he’d like a system with half the cost or less of next-generation manned platforms like the B-21 bomber or Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter.

Such a standard could still mean CCAs that cost tens of millions of dollars. But White, who will oversee much of the acquisition process for the platforms, warned against fixating too much on price.

“The Secretary has said … he would expect this to be about half the cost of a crewed aircraft … half the cost of an F-35,” White noted. “Those are some of the bounds people are putting on it, but I think there’s danger in that. Because then you start building to an expected number, when in reality what you need to do is be building to a capability. And then you need to decide whether or not that number is too high and it doesn’t build in that cost imposition you’d want.”

Acknowledging that price will “drive the decision space” on CCAs, White said that affordability will continue to be a “driving factor” in how the program is developed. But beyond that, he stressed the importance of cost imposition—the effect of creating problems or dilemmas for an adversary—as something that must be considered.

“One thing Gen. Jobe and I talk about a lot, and I think this is critically important, is we can’t lose sight of the fact that cost imposition is important,” White said.

Jobe also stressed the importance of return on investment—ensuring the right effects for the right cost. And the baseline for that, he added, is ensuring that when an Airman “is out there on that leading edge and he’s force packaging up and he’s going to count on a large swarm of CCAs to show up—if they don’t show up because of reliability problems, we got the cost too low.”

There are other factors to consider as well—the more complex and expensive the aircraft becomes, the longer it will take to develop and build, White noted. And speed has been a priority for CCA, with various leaders calling for the drones to be quickly fielded and then iterated upon. It’s an approach Jobe is taking while developing program requirements—his goal, he said is that they be “flexible, fungible and will develop rapidly over time.”

Neither general could offer concrete timelines and costs for CCAs, but White offered a hint that as the 2024 budget and more gets rolled out next year, those details will start to become clear.

“As we start getting more into the discussion of the budgets rolling out, we’re going to have probably a greater conversation about what that number looks like,” White said. “And I don’t think we should fix that number either. That’s the other thing. It’s not going to be just a single number because there may be some times you’re going to want some of these systems to be a little more complex and a little less attritable.”

Three More Successful All-Up ARRW Tests Required Before Production Decision

Dec. 14, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak

Three more “all-up” flight tests of the AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) must succeed before the Air Force decides whether to press on into production for the hypersonic missile, the service has told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

“The ARRW rapid prototyping program plans for four All-Up Round Test Flights (ATFs),” an Air Force spokesperson said in response to questions posed following a Dec. 9 all-up ARRW flight test the service characterized as a success. All-up testing refers to using the operationally-configured system.

“We will need to analyze all four planned ATFs before making a determination” as to whether to enter production, the Air Force spokesperson said. “Our goal is to have a leave-behind capability by the early 2020s.”

The next test is tentatively slotted for the second quarter of fiscal 2023, the Air Force said, but the target area and “target set” are classified.

The ARRW is a missile system, launched from a bomber, that relies on a booster to accelerate to hypersonic speed, at which point a vehicle separates from the booster and glides at Mach 5 or faster to its target, maneuvering along the way. Much of the technology and the details of the program are classified.

The program calls for a “leave-behind” capability of an undisclosed number of missiles that could be used in combat after the prototyping phase ends, the Air Force said. Initial plans called for an operational asset to be available in 2022, but a series of test failures and delays have pushed back that timeline. There have been three successful flights of ARRW this year; the last one was the first for an “all-up round” that could carry out the end-to-end sequence of the weapon’s employment.

The Air Force asked for $161 million to buy 12 ARRWs in the fiscal 2023 budget request, but Congress slashed that request in half due to testing delays and other issues.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is the contractor for ARRW. Responding to questions after the Dec. 9 test, the company said it does not yet have a commitment from the Air Force to enter production.

“We cannot speak for future U.S. Government budgetary strategy or decisions,” according to Jay Pitman, vice president of air dominance and strike weapons, “beyond what was asked for in the development program.”

However, “this successful test is a terrific confidence builder that the weapon can be produced and operate as the Air Force asked us to do, and paves the road for further tests to fully qualify the system,” Pitman added.

In addition to carrying out a further three all-up flight tests, Lockheed must formally demonstrate its “production readiness at our final assembly plant and within the supply chain,” in order to complete the development program, Pitman said in an email.

The Dec. 9 test “validates the design and production of the current configuration of our system, which focuses on a full-prototype operational missile,” Pitman said.

“Due to the highly-accelerated timeline of the program, we are running operational scenarios and testing alongside traditional testing to greatly reduce the time it takes to get these systems to the warfighter. With this test, we demonstrated the missile’s operational end-to-end capability at hypersonic speeds.”

Congress has been pushing the Pentagon to match Chinese capability in hypersonic weapons, as Beijing is considered ahead in this area of technology. However, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has cautioned that USAF’s weapon needs are different from those of China, and a huge investment in hypersonics is not necessarily an Air Force priority.

Andrew Hunter, Air Force acquisition executive, told reporters in July that even if ARRW “works,” it has to offer “the right contribution to the overall weapons mix” relative to the “highest priority targets.” This, he said, is what is driving Air Force decisions about production. However, Hunter said he wants to be able to move out rapidly with production if the decision is made to do so.

Space Force’s Korea Component Stands Up, Citing ‘Existential’ Threat From North Korea

Dec. 14, 2022 | By Chris Gordon

The U.S. military activated its newest Space Force component in South Korea on Dec. 14 as the young service pushes forward toward gaining parity with its older counterparts.

In a ceremony at Osan Air Base, South Korea, U.S. Space Forces Korea was activated, adding the Space Force as the newest component command for U.S. Forces Korea. The commander of U.S. Space Forces Korea, or SPACEFOR-KOR, is Lt. Col. Joshua McCullion, who previously was the Director of Space Forces for the Seventh Air Force in Korea.

“With the world around us evolving, so, too, must we,” McCullion said in a speech at the ceremony.

The command is subcomponent of U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific, which was established just three weeks earlier and is headed by Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Mastalir.

The move comes at a time of heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, particularly in areas U.S. Space Forces Korea is now responsible for, such as missile warning.

North Korea has launched a barrage of ballistic missile tests in 2022, and leader Kim Jong Un has stated he plans to advance his country’s ballistic missile prowess and its nuclear weapons program.

“Just 48 miles north of us exists an existential threat—a threat that we must be prepared to deter, defend against, and, if required, defeat,” McCullion said, referring to North Korea.

In addition to the missile warning functions, U.S. Forces Korea says SPACEFOR-KOR will support position, navigation, and timing and satellite communications within the region, some of the core functions the Space Force performs for all U.S. forces.

“In the last 60 years, space capabilities have become essential to the way a modern military conducts operations,” Gen. Paul J. LaCamera, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea, said at the ceremony. “Many nations have advanced their space capabilities and are looking to deny access to this critical domain.”

North Korea was “developing assets to negate American advantages,” LaCamera said.

U.S. Central Command recently set up its own space component, and a Space Force outfit for U.S. European Command is also planned.

But the U.S. is most attuned to growing space capabilities in the Pacific, according to the DOD’s top space policy official, John Plumb.

The U.S. was the dominant player in space for about 50 years, but the domain is increasingly congested and possibly soon contested, according to Space Force leaders and space policy officials. Part of the Space Force’s explanation for why it stood up its new regional components was to make sure it was appropriately represented and it had a proper voice in decision-making. According to Plumb, who serves as the first assistant secretary of defense for space policy, that is also a broader Defense Department goal.

“I think there’s a lot of new muscle movements to create a new service,” Plumb said at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Dec. 14. “A lot of time figuring out all the meetings that the new service has to cover down on, which isn’t quite the same performing your maximum potential in those meetings, which is the thing we’re also working on.”

Now, the DOD is beginning to “normalize operations” in space, he said. As part of that process, some combatant commands—and U.S. Forces Korea—have the Space Force embedded in their day-to-day operations.

LaCamera noted McCullion’s relatively low rank compared to his counterparts in other services, something the Space Force has acknowledged as a broader issue, but insisted it would not impact the service’s influence with commanders.

Addressing McCullion, LaCamera said “some people give you a hard time,” based on his rank and the age of the Space Force, which was established in 2019. However, LaCamera still expected the Space Force and McCullion to have a significant role within U.S. Forces Korea.

“He’s punching well above his weight class,” LaCamera said. “No pressure.”

Air Force and Boeing Delay T-7A, Citing Escape System Problem

Dec. 13, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

Problems with the ejection seats in the Air Force’s new T-7A trainer jet are forcing the Air Force and its contractor, Boeing, to delay production deliveries until the second half of 2024.

Industry and Air Force officials have frequently lauded the Red Hawk for the use of digital design and engineering that allowed it to go from drawing board to first flight in 36 months, but the aircraft has encountered several setbacks in recent years that have pushed back the trainer’s initial, ambitious timeline.

This most recent hitch has been related to the jet’s “flight control software and the escape system,” an Air Force spokeswoman confirmed to Air & Space Forces Magazine. Air Force Times first reported on the issue.

“All flight control software issues to date have been resolved and will be tested in flight in the first quarter of 2023,” Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Alexandra Stormer said. “The Air Force is working to correct some escape system deficiencies found during initial testing in late 2021 and will resume escape system testing in the first quarter of 2023.”

The Air Force previously announced in October 2021 that it had started testing on the T-7’s ejection system, stating in a press release that it was using “the largest-class and smallest-class manikins” in tests given the broad range of body types the jet is being designed for.

A 2020 report from McClatchy pointed out that the Air Force previously designed aircraft based on the average measurements of pilots, in turn based on studies from the 1960s and 70s. That led to many women being automatically disqualified as pilots due to their size.

The T-7A is intended to be more accommodating of different body sizes, encompassing all pilots that can meet Air Force standards, which have been modified in recent years.

A manikin ejects from a Boeing T-7A Red Hawk in June during ongoing qualification tests of the ejection system for the T-7A at the Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. U.S. Air Force photo

Ensuring the ejection system works for all those body types, however, has been a challenge. In its 2021 Weapon Systems Annual Assessment, the Government Accountability Office flagged qualification of the ejection system as one of two primary risks to the program’s schedule, and in the 2022 version of the report, the GAO once again noted the issue as a “top program risk.”

“If the program experiences delays in qualifying the emergency escape system, there is increased risk of delay to the November 2023 production decision,” the report states.

The Air Force is still aiming for that production decision, also called Milestone C, in November 2023, with a low-rate initial production contract coming a month later in December, Stormer told Air & Space Forces Magazine. But the actual delivery of production T-7s is now scheduled for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024—ending Sept. 30, 2024.

That represents at least a year delay from the Air Force’s very earliest timelines for the program, but there have been other issues that have slowed the schedule as well. In 2021, the Air Force announced it had discovered an issue with “aircraft wing rock” in testing, meaning the T-7A could be unstable in the roll axis when flying at high angles of attack. That issue has subsequently been fixed, but supply chain issues have also created delays.

As a result, Boeing is now “working with the Air Force to re-baseline the schedule, including identifying opportunities to recover schedule after continued COVID-19 supply chain and workforce disruptions,” Boeing spokeswoman Mary Ann Brett told Air & Space Forces Magazine. “That said, the program is accomplishing new milestones as the pathfinder program for a digitally designed, built and tested system. … Boeing plans to complete all supporting activities by [the third quarter of] 2024.”

The third quarter of calendar year 2024 coincides with the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, matching up the Air Force and Boeing’s timelines.

Boeing acknowledged issues with “pre-flight testing and hardware qualification, but have a good path to resolution in place to work through these,” Brett added.

And despite the delays in the program, both the Air Force and Boeing remained firm that they will continue to use the digital design and simulation process that built the T-7 for other programs moving forward.

“Working from our digital design, build and test programs for the T-7A Red Hawk, we went from firm concept to first flight on our two production-relevant jets in just 36 months,” Brett said. “Following this digital path has enabled us to make early discovery of anomalies, in some cases, years before the first aircrew ever step into the advanced trainer.”

“We are committed to continuing use of digital design on our future programs using model-based systems engineering and 3D design tools,” Stormer added.

Boeing officially rolled out the production version of the T-7A this past April, but while the service waits for the new jet, it continues to rely on the aging T-38 Talon to train its future fighter pilots. The T-38 has had a string of mishaps lately, including two last month and 10 Class A or B mishaps in the previous four years.

New Commander Pledges to ‘Stay the Course on Transforming’ AFSOC

Dec. 13, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind took charge of Air Force Special Operations Command on Dec. 9, succeeding Lt. Gen. James C. “Jim” Slife and pledging to “stay the course on transforming this great command.”

Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. presided over the change of command ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., alongside U.S. Special Operations Command boss Army Gen. Bryan P. Fenton.

Bauernfeind takes over AFSOC after more than three decades in uniform, including command of SOF units at the squadron, group, and wing levels. He also led Special Operations Command Korea and has been both Chief of Staff and Vice Commander at SOCOM.

Now, in his first-ever AFSOC headquarters assignment, he must continue a transformation from the counter-terrorism mission of the past two decades to one more focused on strategic competition. It’s a delicate balancing act.

“Our focus will be unwavering—continue to accelerate and transform the command to win today’s fight and meet tomorrow’s challenges,” Bauernfeind said. “This will require us to return to our roots of irregular warfare, as we consider the force development and force design of Air Force special operations on tomorrow’s battlefields. We will leverage our decades or hard-earned combat experience to play a vital role in the department’s integrated deterrence efforts … Additionally, we will continue to succeed in the counterterrorist fight, while ensuring we’re always ready to execute our no-fail crisis response mission on a moment’s notice.”

Slife, who will become USAF’s deputy chief of staff for operations, had begun that transition during his tenure, citing the new Air Force Force Generation model (AFFORGEN) as a critical means for better understanding risk calculations related to the commitment of forces. He also said he was on a personal “jihad” against centralization of resources, noting that efficiencies gained could also mask shortages of resources that could prove devastating in wartime.

Slife handed off command noting the continuity embodied by such moves. “My 1,260th in command of AFSOC and your first day in command of AFSOC will share a date on our calendars,” Slife told Bauernfeind during the ceremony. “ … I see the journey behind, you see the journey ahead, and that is exactly the way it should be.”

For his part, Bauernfeind laid out basic goals for his tenure.

“My job is clear. In partnership with [Command Chief Master Sergeant of AFSOC CMSgt. Cory M. Olson], I will provide you with a vision, and I will fight for the resources you need to execute that vision,” Bauernfeind said. “I will champion efforts that sustain and improve your quality of service and you and and your family’s quality of life. And finally, I will tackle those barriers inhibiting your successes so that each and every one of you can grow to the maximum of your personal potential. … My message to you is this: We have important work ahead of us, and we will stay the course on transforming this great command.”

The AFSOC change of command was the second in three days among Air Force major commands, following the elevation of Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere to lead Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) on Dec. 7. In all, six Air Force major commands saw new leaders in 2022, the most in a single year in at least a decade.

New Air Force MAJCOM Commanders in 2022

Lt. Gen. Brian S. Robinson: Air Education and Training Command
Gen. James B. Hecker: U.S. Air Forces in Europe/Air Forces Africa
Gen. Duke Z. Richardson: Air Force Materiel Command
Lt. Gen. John P. Healy: Air Force Reserve Command
Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere: Air Force Global Strike Command
Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind: Air Force Special Operations Command

Pratt Says F135 Upgrade for F-35 Would Save $40 Billion over New Adaptive Engines

Dec. 13, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak

The Pentagon could save $40 billion by skipping a total replacement of the F-35A fighter’s F135 engine with new adaptive engines, and should instead opt for a more modest and affordable upgrade that could equip the fleet more quickly, Pratt & Whitney officials argued Dec. 13 in a briefing with reporters.

“We believe the core upgrade will provide $40 billion in savings” across the future F-35 program, Pratt F135 Vice President Jen Latka said.

The company arrived at that figure by totaling all possible costs, from development of the new engine to a new, parallel production and sustainment enterprise, new parts, tools, maintenance equipment, and higher production unit costs due to a heavier powerplant.

Pratt’s preferred solution is the Engine Core Upgrade, or ECU—previously known as the Enhanced Engine Package, or EEP—which Latka said would cost $2.4 billion to fully develop, versus $6.7 billion to develop a variant of new adaptive engines prototyped by Pratt and GE Aerospace.

The rest of the cost avoidance would result from not setting up a second—in Latka’s words, “duplicative”—production line and logistics train, since, she asserted, the Navy, Marine Corps, and many allies could not use the new engine, and would continue to depend on the existing support system.

The F135 is also fully tested and proven, whereas the new engines are not, and that increases the risk of delays and higher costs, Latka contended.

The approach would ensure Pratt would retain its lock on the F-35 engine market, whereas if the new engine is selected, the company could either lose or share that work with GE. For its part, GE insists that moving on to the new engines is important to keep the F-35 fully capable, to preserve a healthy defense industrial base, and is an affordable option.

Pratt received a $115 million contract Dec. 2 to develop upgrade options for the F135 in greater detail, but that contract does not rule out adoption of an adaptive engine for the requirement.

Air Force officials have said they plan to decide on whether to pursue either a new engine or an upgrade of the F135 by the end of calendar 2022. Funding would start in the fiscal 2024 budget, now being drawn up.

The ECU would also mean quicker fielded capability, Latka said, asserting that the ECU could equip 24 squadrons by 2030, versus only two squadrons by that year using an adaptive engine. She said the ECU could deliver about seven percent more thrust and twice the cooling power of the current F135, using a new Emergency Power and Cooling System (EPACS) developed by Collins Aerospace.

The Block 4 F-35 will need more power, both for performance and to run and cool all the new equipment it will carry. Pratt was comparing its preferred ECU approach with replacing it using a new engine derived from the Adaptive Engine Transition Program.

Under the AETP—a technology effort intended to spark a significant step upgrade in fighter engine performance and efficiency—GE Aerospace created the XA-100 while Pratt developed the XA-101. Both AETP powerplants use a “third stream” of bypass air that serves to both cool the engine and make it more efficient and adaptable to either cruise or quick demands for high thrust. Both engines are heavier than the F135 but both would sharply improve the F-35’s performance.

The two companies claimed their AETP engines could improve the F-35’s range by 25-30 percent, generate a lot more electricity for jammers and directed-energy weapons, and increase available thrust.

Last year, Congress said it wanted to see AETP engines in the F-35 by 2027, but Pratt said that timeline is too ambitious. It could start installing ECUs in the F-35 in 2028, Latka said.

She also emphasized that the only part that would be changed is the core.

“We’re not touching the front end” or the exhaust system, Latka said.

Latka said Pratt could potentially port “almost all” of its AETP technology to the F135 core upgrade, but, “that’s not necessary, and it creates a tremendous amount of risk. So we’re being pretty limited in terms of the scope” of the upgrade.

Latka also said that with just a little more work, the ECU will be at “Technology Readiness Level Six” next year. That means it’s mostly mature technology with little developmental risk.

John Niemyer, F135 chief engineer, said the firm has “selected a subset of the AETP technologies” to go into the ECU, but he could not describe them in detail, except to say that some of the third-stream bypass technology is being fitted for a two-stream engine.

Pratt’s numbers are dependent on its own assessment of F135 improvement or replacement options. It made a formal study of options for the Air Force in the spring.

The Air Force has not signaled a preference for how it wants to meet the increased power needs of the F-35. The Joint Program Office has said that if the Air Force wants the new engine, it will have to pay the development and sustainment costs on its own, since the program mantra is “you have to pay to be different.”

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said he’s spoken with Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro about using the AETP in Navy and Marine F-35s as well—and sharing the attendant cost—but has not reported how Del Toro has responded.

GE Aerospace insists the AETP engines could also be made to fit the F-35B and C models without sacrificing any of their performance or mandating significant structural changes.

Latka, meanwhile, said the shortage of F135 power modules that left a number of F-35s without engines last year has been “completely recovered. … There is no power mod shortage anymore.” She said “we’re actually far exceeding the program’s objectives” in terms of what was designed and funded at the program outset, “so this is really great news.”