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.”

New Chief Technology Officer for CENTCOM Explains Push for Experimentation

Dec. 13, 2022 | By Chris Gordon

U.S. military leaders have been clear; They want to field new technologies faster and adapt available commercial technology to better equip the future force. Now, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is set to play a key role in that effort as part of a top-down push from commander Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla with the creation of new task forces and a chief technology officer position.

Within the past few years, CENTCOM has stood up multiple task forces focused on experimenting in the vast deserts of the Middle East and congested waters of the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea. It also plans to move forward with a new Red Sands program to test counter-unmanned aerial systems (c-UAS) across the region. And in October, the combatant command got its first chief technology officer to oversee these efforts—Schuyler Moore, who recently briefed reporters at the Pentagon

“We’re really focused on technology experimentation and what that can look like to create sustained capability, and we believe that a combatant command is the right place for that because it is so critical to get these technologies into the hands of the person that uses it, in the place that they will use it, and against the threats that it will actually face,” Moore said Dec. 7. “And commercial sector knows this. I mean, it would be unheard of to field any sort of technology without the user having our hands on it at some point, but it’s something that we at the department really need to lean forward into.”

Part of CENTCOM’s effort to invent new capabilities is driven by practical considerations. Its existing resources are limited, and U.S. military strategy and resources have shifted away from wars in the Middle East after two decades of warfare.

“In the future, success in how we fight will not be determined by the simple arithmetic of boots on the ground,” Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of defense for policy, said at a gathering of defense leaders in Bahrain in November. Kahl’s speech sought to explain the administration’s new National Defense Strategy to U.S. allies in the region, which has a reduced emphasis on CENTCOM.

While CENTCOM is fighting an ongoing war against ISIS fighters as part of Operation Inherent Resolve and faces persistent activity from Iran and its proxy forces, the Middle East is no longer the Department of Defense’s top priority, as the military shifts its resources toward bolstering capabilities n the Indo-Pacific.

But to fulfill the Pentagon’s regional policy and military goals and make the most of the U.S. presence, CENTCOM is looking to become an innovation and experimentation hub for the U.S. and allied militaries, according to Kahl and Kurilla.

“Innovation allows us to expand on the great partnerships we’ve built across the Middle East,” Kurilla said in November. “It allows us to increase the operational value of our manned systems.”

After initially fielding maritime surveillance platforms, CENTCOM has begun to sketch out its broader plan for experimenting with unmanned systems and artificial technology, including Air Forces Central’s Task Force 99, which stood up in October.

When it comes to testing and fielding new systems, Moore said CENTCOM is “particularly well-suited … for a couple of reasons,” including its harsh environment and real threats from malign actors, not simulated ones.

“It is incredibly hot, sandy, salty, windy in ways that will push, from a physical perspective,” Moore said. “… And then also, we have an environment that is active in ways that, frankly, others may not face the diversity of threats that we do.”

Beginning with the Navy’s Task Force 59, the command sought to field an array of unmanned, unarmed, commercially available platforms, including a network of more than 100 unmanned vessels to help monitor the waters as part of a network with American allies. Iran has taken notice—in September, Iranian vessels briefly captured two Navy Saildrones before returning them without their cameras.

CENTCOM is shifting towards the ground-based Army Task Force 39, which plans to stand up shortly, and the Air Force’s Task Force 99. According to Kurilla, Task Force 99 aims to create something like Task Force 59’s network.

“Task Force 99 will replicate Task Force 59’s efforts with a system of aerial drones with tailored payloads and other capabilities,” Kurrila said during his November speech. “Task Force 99’s fleet of unmanned aircraft will impose dilemmas on our adversaries and detect and defeat threats to our systems, and to our partners.”

Task Force 59 has moved from a purely experimental capability to one on which CENTCOM can rely for data.

“Previously, we’ve had a destroyer patrolling the Red Sea,” Moore said. “That’s the equivalent of one cop car patrolling the whole of California.”

Now, Task Force 59’s drones allow for more precise monitoring, she said.

Task Force 99 is beginning to find its footing in the air domain. The newly named “Desert Catalysts” primarily operate from Air Forces Central’s regional headquarters at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. The detachment is led by Lt. Col. Erin Brilla, who heads a small team of eight Airmen, according to AFCENT. There is also a small detachment based at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait. Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, the AFCENT commander, visited Task Force 99’s headquarters to check in on their efforts in early December.

Task Force 99 is focused on experimenting with variable payloads on small drones, according to CENTCOM. Moore said future capabilities plan to be tested in “sprints” of around 90 days to see what is viable. The exact capabilities Task Force 99 will field is unclear.

The threat posed by Iranian drones has become an international issue, as Russia has used them to wage its war in Ukraine and CENTCOM charges that they are continually used against the U.S. and its partners.

AFCENT’s forces conduct manned counter-UAS exercises to detect and defeat threats, but in a perfect world, CENTCOM’s new unmanned systems will feed an artificial intelligence-aided program to help aid manned aircraft in those functions, according to Kurilla.

“The sensors on these unmanned systems will constantly pick up information, giving us eyes and ears at sea, on land, and in the sky at all times,” Kurilla said. “Combined, these unmanned systems will operate on the same meshed network, feeding reams of data into an AI program that sorts it all out, makes sense of it, and pushes critical information to analysts in real-time. Those analysts are sharing this information with partnered forces, all of whom share the same threat picture and the same information.”

For now, CENTCOM is focused on stitching together as much information as possible.

“I think sometimes we hope for a solution that is the cure-all, that it is going to meet every single requirement for a counter-UAS coming in, that it is going to be the sensor that collects everything,” Moore said. “We are often promised this by vendors and by other folks that they will have the magic solution that does everything. The magic solution is when we take multiple solutions and work them together.”

27 Airmen Earn DFCs for Heroism in Afghanistan Evacuation

Dec. 12, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

More than two dozen Airmen at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., were officially awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on Dec. 9 for their heroism in the noncombatant evacuation out of Kabul, Afghanistan. Among them were the first ever Critical Care Air Transport Team to receive the prestigious decoration.

Maj. Gen. Corey Martin, commander of the 18th Air Force, presented the medals to 24 Airmen for actions on two separate missions. Three of the decorated Airmen were unable to attend.

The crew of REACH 651, a C-17 flight that evacuated Afghan citizens from Kabul on Aug. 22, 2021, just a few days after the Taliban seized control of the capital city, was the first to be recognized. Amid concerns about suicide bombs and hijacking, the crew searched every passenger before boarding, then had to deal with two crises after takeoff—a suddenly ill passenger and a “potentially dangerous situation,” according to an Air Force release.

The Airmen resolved both issues and ensured the plane landed safely in Qatar, bringing more than 450 people to safety.

“I am extremely proud of my crew for their tireless efforts throughout the mission to ensure the flight deck was secure,” Maj. Drew Dela Cruz, C-17 pilot and REACH 651 aircraft commander, said in a statement. “The extremely good judgement they used and their calculated actions during chaos was crucial.”

Travis hosts Distinguished Flying Cross ceremony — Honorees walk to the stage during the Distinguished Flying Cross presentation at Travis Air Force Base, California, Dec. 9, 2022. U.S. Air Force photo by Chustine Minoda

The second mission honored was MOOSE 98, another C-17 flight. That mission brought in a critical care air transport team on Aug. 26, the day a suicide bombing killed 13 U.S. service members and injured more than a dozen others.

MOOSE 98 was the first flight on the ground after the bombing, and the CCATT helped evacuate the “most severely wounded personnel to receive immediate care,” including U.S. service members, Afghan civilians, and children.

The team had to respond rapidly after loading severely wounded patients, as more wounded individuals kept coming without warning. By the time the mission was done, MOOSE 98 had executed the largest aeromedical evacuation airlift from Kabul Coalition Hospital. Every patient on the flight arrived safely at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany.

“Although I was told what to expect, it was very shocking to see very young Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers walk on the plane with traumatic injuries,” said Maj. Katelyn Dunahoe, flight nurse with MOOSE 98, in a statement. “But my crew responded fast and effectively. The bravery and selflessness they all displayed is indescribable.”

The Distinguished Flying Cross is the nation’s fourth-highest award for heroism—Air Mobility Command previously announced it was recognizing 96 Airmen with the medal for their actions during the Afghanistan evacuation. Last month, more than 50 Airmen were recognized in a ceremony at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., and 10 received their medals at Joint Base McGuire–Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. in early November.

The Travis Airmen who received the DFC on Dec. 9 are:

MOOSE 98 crew

Lt. Col. Raul R. Montiague
Lt. Col. William A. Street
Maj. Katelyn E. Dunahoe
Maj. Katie B. Lunning
Maj. Pete N. Traylor
Maj. Dominick A. Vitale
Capt. Cody M. Apfel
Capt. Jedd E. Dillman
Capt. David L. Stuppy
Capt. Spencer D. Yacos
Master Sgt. Matthew A. Newman
Tech. Sgt. Matthew D. Keefer
Tech Sgt. Michael A. Raucci
Staff Sgt. Idaliz Alicea
Staff Sgt. Katherine Rosa Orellana
Staff Sgt. Courtney Smith
Senior Airman Mario Hernandez
Senior Airman Deniece A. Lobban
Senior Airman Alexis C. Sanchez

REACH 651 crew

Maj. Alexander A. Arcidiacono
Maj. Drew P. Dela Cruz
1st Lt. Ryan S. Corvin
Staff Sgt. Brandon S. Jensen
Staff Sgt. E-Quantay L. Mason
Senior Airman Kimberly S. Heiser
Senior Airman Matthew S. Williams
Airman 1st Class Jeremy Eda