AFRL Investigates the Actual Space Environment While Simulating It on the Ground

AFRL Investigates the Actual Space Environment While Simulating It on the Ground

May 5, 2022 | By Amanda Miller

As the Air Force Research Laboratory is studying the space environment in space, it’s also building a new device to simulate the space environment in a lab.

Both activities could help the Space Force predict and track the well being of satellites. 

AFRL’s Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is building a “multi-energy electron source” that emits radiation in dozens of different wavelengths all at once. 

A postdoctoral scientist with the directorate, Miles Bengtson, invented the electron device while he was a graduate student at the University of Colorado Boulder. The directorate’s Spacecraft Charging and Instrument Calibration Lab brought Bengtson onboard to advance the electron device to operational status, according to an AFRL release.

Bombardment by the likes of electron radiation can degrade a satellite’s performance.

“The problem” with how labs conventionally recreate such radiation for experiments is that the electron sources “are monoenergetic only,” Bengtson said in the release. “They only emit electrons at one energy,” or wavelength, “whereas the space environment contains electrons distributed across all energies, simultaneously.”

space environment
Miles Bengtson, an Air Force Research Laboratory postdoctoral scientist, stands next to the vacuum chamber in the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate’s Spacecraft Charging and Instrument Calibration Lab at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., in which the multi-energy electron source is developed and tested. Photo courtesy of AFRL.

The availability of the new testing environment could translate to faster adoption of new construction materials and better experiments to study materials, electronic charging, and other aspects of spacecraft affected by the space environment.

Physicist Ryan Hoffmann, who leads the Spacecraft Charging and Instrument Calibration Lab, said in the release that so far, two prototypes of the new electron device “have demonstrated basic functionality” and that an advanced prototype being built “will be very close to a fully operational model.”

Studying Space From the Ground

Meanwhile, the 72-acre Skywave Technology Laboratory, located on a remote parcel at Kirtland, is getting a better grip on the space environment itself. 

The lab’s two antenna setups include a transmission tower with a measuring device; and a long array of poles amounting to a high frequency radar. Both setups beam electromagnetic transmissions into the plasma of Earth’s ionosphere, “propagating” the beams—refracting and scattering them—off the subatomic particles comprising the plasma. 

The “state of the plasma,” such as its density and any disturbances, can interfere with space communications, said Todd Parris, chief of the Space Vehicles Directorate’s Geospace Environment Impacts and Application Branch, in an emailed reply to a query by Air Force Magazine.

Officially opened in April, the Skywave lab “will focus mainly on the radio impacts to space services,” Parris said. 

Parris confirmed that knowledge of the space environment could help the Space Force distinguish between an electronic attack on a satellite and the environment’s natural effects. Understanding environmental electromagnetic interference “is usually the first step in attributing the effects on a spacecraft—ruling in, or ruling out, the space environment,” he said.

Air Force Expands Retention Bonuses to More Than 60 Career Fields. Here They Are.

Air Force Expands Retention Bonuses to More Than 60 Career Fields. Here They Are.

May 5, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

Airmen and Guardians across 63 different career fields are eligible for selective retention bonuses in fiscal 2022, according to new Department of the Air Force documents—the most since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SRB program is aimed at incentivizing re-enlistment for experienced Air Force and Space Force service members in career fields that are undermanned or that come with high training price tags. View the full list of qualifying AFSCs here.

However, as the pandemic led to economic uncertainty for many, retention spiked to a 20-year high in 2020. That led the department to slash the number of Air Force Speciality Codes eligible for SRBs, from 72 all the way down to 37.

A mid-2021 update to the program upped the number of eligible AFSCs to 40. Now DAF has expanded the list of eligible AFSCs again as the pandemic’s impacts have waned, the broader workforce has seen a record number of resignations, recruiting faces downward trends, and the Air Force has separated more than 350 Airmen for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

A dozen of the eligible career fields are within the Space Force, ranging from certain intelligence analysts to cyber operations. That marks a dramatic expansion from the last list, when just one Space Force code was included.

The other 51 in the Air Force include everything from explosive ordnance disposal to dental hygienist. Among the new career fields added this year are:

  • Cyber warfare operations
  • Cryptologic language analysis for Farsi
  • Certain kinds of maintenance for F-35s, B-52s, RC-135s, and E-3s
  • Engineering
  • Public affairs
  • Aerospace Medical Service

The size of the bonuses paid out to Airmen and Guardians who reenlist depends on several factors. DOD policy sets the total as the service member’s monthly basic pay at the time of reenlistment multiplied by the number of years of the reenlistment (capped at six years) multiplied by a factor set by the Air Force based on the urgency and importance of manning in the career field. That factor, however, can vary within a career field based on the service member’s “zone”—the amount of experience they have, split into four tiers.

As in years past, the Air Force has capped the SRB at $100,000, with a career cap of $360,000.

This marks the second update to an Air Force bonus program in recent weeks—in early April, the service announced it was expanding its Initial Enlistment Bonus program for new recruits. That expansion also targeted maintainers for bombers and refuelers.

As always, the department is still offering bonuses both to entice and retain Airmen in hard-to-fill fields such as special warfare; explosive ordnance disposal; and survival, evasion, resistance and escape.

New Pentagon Acquisition Boss Plans Deep Dive Into Sentinel ICBM: ‘Still a Significant Risk’

New Pentagon Acquisition Boss Plans Deep Dive Into Sentinel ICBM: ‘Still a Significant Risk’

May 5, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

The Pentagon’s newly installed acquisition czar is planning “deep dives” into efforts to modernize each leg of the nuclear triad, starting with the program he views as having the most significant risk—the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, known until recently as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent.

William LaPlante, who was confirmed as the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment in early April, has only been on the job a few weeks. But in testifying before the Senate Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee May 4, LaPlante was prompted by Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) to offer first impressions of the Sentinel ICBM program’s progress.

Noting that it has been several years since he conducted a “deep dive into the program,” LaPlante went on to say that of the nuclear modernization efforts ongoing—including the B-21 bomber and the Columbia-class submarine—Sentinel, or GBSD, still has the furthest to go.

“They’re somewhat early—one or two years into the engineering, manufacturing, and development—trying to get to a first flight,” LaPlante noted. “I would say, of the three legs and where they are in their EMD, they’re the earliest along, so that means there’s still a significant risk.

“What are the risk areas? The risk areas are [radiation-hardened] electronics. The risk areas are the infrastructure, and all the rest of it. And I intend to look into it. And I will give you that assessment of where that is. I’m going to do a deep dive on all three of the legs, but I’m starting with GBSD.”

The Air Force has pushed forward with the Sentinel program over the past several years, despite some external opposition, with officials repeatedly saying the current land-based portion of the triad, the Minuteman III, cannot be extended any further without risking the credibility of the intercontinental ballistic missile force.

That push continues in the service’s fiscal 2023 budget request. The Air Force is asking for $3.6 billion for the Sentinel program, along with $444 million in military construction to support the program’s infrastructure. As of now, the plan is for the program to reach initial operational capability by 2029.

Any delays to that timeline—or delays to any of the other ongoing modernization efforts—will have real-world impacts, Adm. Charles “Chas” A. Richard, head of U.S. Strategic Command, warned the Senate panel. 

“Weapons program delays have driven us past the point where it is possible to fully mitigate operational risks,” Richard said. “In some cases, we’re simply left to assess the damage to our deterrent. Further programmatic delays, budget shortfalls, or policy decisions to lower operational requirements to meet infrastructure capacity will result in operational consequences.”

Already, Richard warned, the U.S. has a “deterrence and assurance gap against the threat of limited nuclear employment.” That issue, Richard said, has been highlighted in recent months by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and threats to use low-yield nuclear weapons; and by China’s “strategic breakout” in rapidly and massively upgrading its nuclear arsenal.

Facing those threats, Richard called for reconsideration of “a low-yield, non-ballistic capability that does not require visible generation,” referring to the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile-Nuclear program that was recently canceled by President Joe Biden’s administration. 

Vermont ANG F-35s Deploy to Europe for First Time

Vermont ANG F-35s Deploy to Europe for First Time

May 4, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

F-35s from the Vermont Air National Guard arrived in Europe to support the NATO air policing mission, marking the first overseas deployment of the Vermont ANG fighters.

Airmen from the 158th Fighter Wing departed from South Burlington, Vt., on April 29, and the F-35s landed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, on May 2, according to Air Force releases.

At Spangdahlem, the fifth-generation fighters will replace six F-35s from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, that arrived in Europe in February in response to Russia’s increasing aggression toward Ukraine and NATO’s eastern flank.

Since then, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked a crisis across the continent, and the Air Force has deployed F-35s, F-16s, F-15s, and B-52s throughout Eastern Europe. 

As the invasion has dragged on for longer than expected, however, USAF has started to rotate new aircraft and Airmen into the region to relieve that first wave of deployments. F-16s from Aviano Air Base, Italy, recently landed in Romania to switch places with F-16s from Spangdahlem.

The Associated Press reported that eight F-35As and more than 200 Airmen from the Vermont ANG are now in Europe. That marks a fast turnaround for the group, which is just a few months removed from becoming a fully operational F-35 unit. All told, the 158th FW has 20 F-35s, the last of which was delivered in 2020. Vermont is the first Air National Guard unit to receive the F-35.

“Being called upon only four months out of conversion to an operational F-35 fighter wing is a testament to our team, their professionalism, commitment, and proven capabilities,” Col. David Shevchik, commander of the 158th Fighter Wing, said in a statement. “It is when we are needed most that we are at our best. The Green Mountain Boys are ready and proud to answer this call, and we’re grateful for the support of our families, employers, and communities.”

The F-35 has played a key role in the Air Force’s response to Russia’s aggression. The Hill F-35s flew hundreds of sorties as part of NATO’s air policing mission, sometimes scrambling in response to Russian aircraft that violated international norms in air space near Poland. And top officials have said they’re watching the airframe’s performance closely.

New Official Art Reveals Advanced F-22 Capabilities, Possibly JATM

New Official Art Reveals Advanced F-22 Capabilities, Possibly JATM

May 4, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak

An artist’s concept of the Lockheed Martin F-22, posted on Instagram by Gen. Mark D. Kelly, head of Air Combat Command, offers an official glimpse of new capabilities for the Raptor, including a possible first look at the highly classified AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile.

The image, released April 27, portrays three F-22s flying in formation, each carrying what appear to be stealthy extended-range fuel tanks and slender outer wing pods with a chiseled aperture at their leading edges. In the picture, one of the F-22s has launched a missile, which is neither an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile nor an AIM-9X Sidewinder, the two air-to-air missiles known to be qualified for the fighter.

The tanks seem to be the same ones described in new Air Force budget documents, while the pods are likely to be an infrared search and track and/or electronic warfare system. The only new missile publicly identified for the F-22 is the JATM.   

The Air Force has spent more than $12 billion to continually upgrade the F-22 since production of the fighter ended in 2010. Revelations such as Kelly’s image usually precede new systems operating where they can be seen publicly.  

Kelly did not comment on the new features of the F-22 shown in the artwork. The post accompanying the image noted that the 15th anniversary of the first 12-minute airshow demonstration of the F-22, flown by demo pilot Paul D. “Max” Moga, now a brigadier general who is Commandant of Cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Kelly noted that, at the time, the F-22 was the only operational fifth-generation fighter in the world and the first to combine “maneuverability, stealth, and supercruise” in a single airframe.   

F-22
Aviation photographer James Reeder captured a photo of an Air Force F-22 Raptor, 411th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., with mysterious pods displayed on underwing mounts. Photo by James Reeder.

When asked if the artwork is meant to show new F-22 systems, an ACC spokesperson replied, “We need every combat platform to go farther, sense farther, and shoot farther. This illustration is simply an artist rendering of an F-22 aircraft with any number of future capabilities.” The comment obliquely confirms that the illustration shows range-extending fuel, sensors, and weapons.

Images of an F-22 flying with the new outer-wing pods have circulated on the internet in recent weeks, taken near Lockheed’s Palmdale, Calif., facility, home of its Skunk Works advanced development shop. The Air Force has previously declined comment on what they might be. Asked recently about the pods and other images that show F-22s, F-35s, and F-117s flying with highly reflective silvery appliques, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. answered only, “They’re for test.”

While external stores seem counter to the idea of radar low observability—and the reason why the F-22, F-35, and F-117 carry weapons internally—Lockheed’s early 2000s proposal of an FB-22 bomber variant of the Raptor included stealthy external fuel tanks and stealthy outer-wing pods that could open and release a non-stealthy munition. The potential for stealth aircraft carrying stores externally while preserving their low observability thus dates back at least 20 years.     

The Air Force’s justifications for the fiscal 2023 budget request identify the new fuel tanks as the Low Drag Tank and Pylon system (LDTP), which USAF calls a “critical capability” to maintaining air superiority. The new tanks and pylons extend the F-22’s range while preserving its “lethality and survivability,” USAF said. They allow the F-22 to fly supersonically yet stealthily, but can also be jettisoned using “smart rack pneumatic technology,” apparently producing a stealthy-smooth surface after the tanks have been released.

The F-22 has operated for many years with 600-gallon tanks—and is not stealthy while carrying them— but when released for dogfighting, the attachment surface is not smooth, thus worsening the F-22’s radar cross section.

Providing the F-22 with an infrared search and track (IRST) system has been an Air Force priority almost since the Raptor entered service, as such a system provides an important way to spot an adversary whose radar cross section has been reduced.   

In 2017, Lockheed F-22 program manager Ken Merchant told Air Force Magazine, “We really don’t have the real estate” inside the F-22 for a system like the F-35’s electro-optical targeting system, or EOTS, noting at the time, “we’re looking at other options.” Due to secrecy, Merchant could not say more.

Because an IRST couldn’t go on the F-22’s nose or under the chin of the aircraft—as they are on most fighters that have them—the two pods would provide full coverage to the front, as well as expanded capability to the sides.

It’s also likely that the pods have some kind of electronic warfare function. Lockheed’s “Legion Pod” IRST, which has flown on the F-15, has considerable unused internal space that the company has said could be used for other sensors, functions, or fuel. In fact, company literature mentions that the Legion Pod has “other sensors” but doesn’t describe them.

In 2002, Lockheed Martin proposed—and the Air Force seriously considered—a derivative of the F-22 to be used as a medium bomber. The FB-22 would have carried extra fuel in larger delta wings, and extra munitions in stealthy underwing weapon pods that would have opened to released non-stealthy bombs and missiles. The concept indicated that Lockheed had found a way to carry underwing stores, which usually create a huge radar reflection, and still be stealthy. In this Lockheed Martin artist concept, the FB-22 also carries stealth AGM-158 JASSM missiles to take out enemy air defenses.

The Navy signaled in its fiscal 2023 budget request that it is reducing the size of its F/A-18 Growler fleet, on which the Air Force depends for stand-in jamming, suggesting that USAF will meet that need in another way.

The JATM, the existence of which was first revealed at an Air Force Life Cycle Management Center industry conference in 2019, is also being developed by Lockheed Martin, and is set to begin replacing the AIM-120 AMRAAM sometime soon. When it was first mentioned, the Air Force said it would achieve initial operational capability in 2022. The JATM has been described by USAF officials as having sharply expanded range over the AMRAAM, to match or exceed the capability of newer versions of China’s PL-15, which outranges the AMRAAM and has diminished the F-22’s “first look, first shot” capability.

It’s also believed the JATM, which will be adopted by the Navy as well, has a multi-mode seeker, with both radar and infrared capabilities, with heightened resistance to jamming. Industry observers have speculated the missile will have a novel propulsion system, but the ACC artwork doesn’t show an air intake or unusual propulsive apertures, as on Lockheed’s “Cuda” advanced missile.  

The artwork published by Kelly suggests the new missile will fit inside the F-22’s weapons bay, meaning it will not be appreciably larger than AMRAAM. The artwork may be deliberately misleading, however. The image also suggests a modular, “stacked” propulsion system, meaning the missile could be configured for longer- or shorter-ranged missions.

Air Force budget documents specifically say that the F-22 will make use of technologies developed for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems, and it is likely that the F-22, as USAF’s primary stealth air dominance craft, will also be a testbed for some of those technologies. Service officials have said that while the F-22 is slated to retire circa 2030, its capabilities will be updated to keep it dominant until it is replaced by the NGAD.

ACC is also planning to put capability in the F-22 for a helmet-mounted cuing system, but the new F-22 art isn’t detailed enough to show whether the pilot portrayed in the fighter is wearing such a helmet.

The ACC comment that the artwork shows “any number” of new capabilities also hints that there may be more in the image than meets the eye. The silvery appliques that Brown referred to as being tested on the aircraft might be new stealth materials that would be concealed by the F-22’s special low-visibility paint. The image may also reveal new apertures for side-looking sensors on the fuselage and wings.

The Air Force is asking Congress to let it retire 33 of its oldest F-22s in fiscal 2023, saying the jets would cost too much to upgrade to the latest combat configuration; Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall pegged that cost as $50 million apiece, or about $1.65 billion, during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee this week.

AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies argues that the F-22s, though destined for retirement in seven years, should get the upgrades.

Kendall said he wants “‘first and foremost, to deter any act of aggression, and if necessary, defeat it,’” said retired Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, dean of the Mitchell Institute.

“The most cost-effective move the Air Force could make today to increase the quality of its force to meet the China threat is to upgrade the 33 Block 20 F-22s to match the rest of the F-22 force,” Deptula said. “NGAD will not be available in any meaningful quantity for over a decade.”

Quoting Kendall as saying he wants to get “‘as much quality into the force as I can, as fast as I can,’” Deptula said adding the older F-22s to the update would “provide an additional squadron of the world’s most effective fighters to our Air Force.”

His Grandfather Helped Fly the Very First KC-10. He Was on Its Last Flight.

His Grandfather Helped Fly the Very First KC-10. He Was on Its Last Flight.

May 4, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

On April 26, the first KC-10 produced for the Air Force, tail number 79-0433, touched down at Dover Air Force Base, Del., for its final flight before being transferred to the Air Mobility Command Museum.

For one of the men on board the tanker, that flight marked a full circle spanning three generations.

Master Sgt. Paul Stoshak was eight years old when he visited his grandfather, Leo Hazell, in Yuma, Ariz., and went out to the flight line at the facility for McDonnell Douglas, where Hazell worked.

 “I’ll never forget it,” Stoshak told Air Force Magazine. “There was a huge KC-10. I thought it was the biggest thing in the world. There was an SR-71 Blackbird sitting on the other side. I thought it was the neatest thing ever.”

For Hazell, the KC-10 meant a great deal. As a test flight engineer, he was deeply involved in McDonnell Douglas’ development of the KC-10 and actually flew on that first tanker when it made its first flight. As Stoshak remembers it, going to see that KC-10 in Yuma meant getting “to meet his airplane that he got to spend so much time with.”

Experiences like that were what hooked Stoshak on aviation. 

“In addition to him working as a test flight engineer for McDonnell Douglas, he also had an airplane mechanic business on the side,” Stoshak said. “So he pretty much got me started as young as I can remember. I remember being 10 years old, rebuilding a Cessna 150 engine on my grandmother’s dining room table. It just got me hooked. I absolutely loved the mechanics of it, just learning how everything went together and how everything worked in conjunction to get everything flying. And then he also had a Mooney 231, and he used to take me flying on that.”

The family had a history of military service. Hazell served in the Marine Corps, and one of his sons, Stoshak’s uncle, joined the Navy. So when Stoshak decided to combine those two passions, the choice was obvious.

“Just kind of putting two and two together—military and [aviation], and the Air Force, in my personal experience, has some of the coolest toys as far as aviation goes. So that is definitely why I wanted to go that direction,” Stoshak said.

In August 2001, Stoshak enlisted and pursued a career as a maintainer. For six years, he worked on B-1 bombers at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and was eventually assigned his own aircraft as part of the Dedicated Crew Chief program. From there, he shifted gears, becoming a recruiter and moving to Los Angeles.

Finally, in 2010, Stoshak had the opportunity to move across the country to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., some 30 miles from his hometown of Marlton, N.J. At McGuire, he reunited with the KC-10.

KC-10
The first KC-10 Extender ever produced arrives at Dover Air Force Base, De., April 26, 2022. The aircraft was officially retired following a short ceremony and will become part of the Air Mobility Command Museum. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. J.D. Strong II.

It didn’t take long for him to identify tail number 79-0433 and its significance to his family, thanks to another uncle who works as an airline pilot and has a passion for family history.

“I always knew the 433 was a special airplane. That was the first one built. It was the one that he spent so much time test flying,” Stoshak said. “And even when I was a production superintendent working on the flight line, every time I stepped on 433, I kind of got to think about my grandfather and all the time we spent together, all the time he spent on this airplane, making sure they gave us the best, safest product they possibly could. So the connection has always been there.”

Hazell was actually able to visit Stoshak at McGuire and “see the airplane as it is now, kind of more modernized from when he flew it,” Stoshak added.

In April 2011, Hazell died. Over time, Stoshak transitioned away from his production superintendent job into a flight safety role.

But when the time came for the 79-0433 to be retired and permanently preserved at the AMC Museum in Dover, he had the opportunity for one final flight, taking the plane his grandfather helped to develop to its final destination.

“It was absolutely surreal,” Stoshak said of that last trip from McGuire to Dover. “I was thinking about him the whole flight down there. Just memories rushing back and being a kid in the airplane. And then not only that, but just all the great times that I’ve had on the KC-10, just flying around all over the world. I’ve done three deployments with the KC-10, all to Southwest Asia, just all the good we did over there. [I’m] just really happy that the airplanes are able to be preserved.”

As part of the ceremony and festivities surrounding the retirement, Stoshak and the rest of the crew got to recreate a family picture of Hazell and his crew posing in front of the KC-10, some 40 years later.

Now, as the Air Force prepares to retire its KC-10 fleet over the next several years, Stoshak has the opportunity to reflect on its impact—for his own family, but also for the broader force.

“I’m just really happy that this aircraft is able to be preserved,” Stoshak said. “And it’s not just for me … it’s for the whole KC-10 community. This aircraft served so well for 40 years. It did absolutely everything it was called on to do. It served in basically every single U.S. operation since right before the [first] Gulf War. It’s had a piece in absolutely everything. It’s really helped secure global power for America. Everywhere it’s been called to do it, it’s done it exceptionally. I’m just really happy to have been part of that.”

The KC-10 is scheduled to be on static display during the 2022 Thunder Over Dover airshow May 21 and 22 and will eventually be parked at the AMC Museum, according to an Air Force release.

The first KC-10 Extender ever produced arrives at Dover Air Force Base, Del., April 26, 2022. The aircraft was officially retired following a short ceremony and will become part of the Air Mobility Command Museum. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. J.D. Strong II.
A Plan to Keep the Space Force’s Future AI Safe

A Plan to Keep the Space Force’s Future AI Safe

May 4, 2022 | By Amanda Miller

The Space Force’s chief technology and innovation officer has an idea for how not to let the military’s artificial intelligence get out of hand.

Lisa Costa’s office focuses on “asymmetric, disruptive technology,” she told members of the press at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., in April. “We’re really looking at leap-ahead capability as opposed to just keeping up.”

The office’s role isn’t to sustain anything, Costa said, but instead to “come up with some of the innovative ideas, get them started.” 

Costa predicted that artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) will become “critically important,” though conceded that so far, “a lot of people talk about it—but have not necessarily implemented it—for space.”

Yet she imagined that the combined experience of the world’s space companies and military space organizations gathered for the expo would ultimately inform AI algorithms. 

Consider the facts that the Space Force is the smallest service but has the largest physical domain, Costa said.

“We have to rely on machine learning and AI to be able to focus the attention of our Guardians on the things that are the most important, right? What is normal?” she said, referring to the practice of space domain awareness. “What is behaving as, you know, not expected?”

Assuming that some degree of future military AI was a given, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges said upon the publication of NATO’s AI strategy that the allies need to be “early to the party” to “bridge a gap of mistrust” in AI.

“In a situation where regulation comes after the broad misuse of technology,” Van Weel said NATO members need to “make sure that we understand new technologies—not to militarize them, no—but to understand the security and defense implications.”

In an emailed response to questions, Brig. Gen. John M. Olson, the Department of the Air Force’s chief data and AI officer, told Air Force Magazine the department is “carefully assessing areas where we can drive the greatest operational effectiveness or return on investment” in AI.

Olson described how AI could contribute to a resilient space architecture, the No. 1 “operational imperative” of Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. 

“The system of systems, nodes, and elements within an architecture can benefit from the enhanced situational awareness that drives more informed, accurate, and appropriately-optimized responses, plus increased adaptability and improved learning,” Olson said.  

“For the Air Force and Space Force in the near-term, our goal is to defend what we have and continue to rapidly evolve and transition to resilient, hybrid, and AI/ML-enhanced system architectures.”

Costa said securing commercially developed AI “would be a great problem to have,” but she also perceives AI’s vulnerabilities and has an idea for how the government could proceed safely.

“I fundamentally believe that we need to protect certain algorithms,” Costa said. “And that starts before acquisition.

Code development environments can be instrumented, Costa said, “so that you know what’s being coded.”

“And when we have vendors that are bidding, we need to have language that says, ‘You will use this DevSecOps environment as a server. We will provide your company with the log-on credentials. You will log on, and you will build those algorithms on our networks.’”

Digital Transformation: A Necessity for Aerospace and Defense

Digital Transformation: A Necessity for Aerospace and Defense

May 4, 2022 | By Dale Tutt

Under pressure to modernize operations, aerospace companies and defense agencies around the world are seeking to transform themselves and their businesses to be faster, more agile, innovative and sustainable – while at the same time, reducing their overall program risk and cost to improve program execution.

Already A&D companies are grappling with modern-day challenges such as how to build existing systems and platforms faster within budget; how to best embrace our current wave of innovation to develop new, highly integrated and connected systems and products faster; the increased integration of mechanical, electrical, electronics and software systems/subsystems into a single platform; and how to better support products once in service or deployed.

The Great Digital Transformation

If the industry is to survive or even thrive in this increasingly challenging environment, it is incumbent upon aerospace companies and defense agencies to digitally transform their operations to be more productive, innovative and collaborative. The key to their business transformation is digital transformation.

Let’s take a look at a few examples.

Electric aircraft startup, Bye Aerospace, has embraced the digital transformation to develop and integrate structural and mechanical systems quickly and more easily, along with creating significant advances in aerodynamics. By implementing a seamless, end-to-end development process, the company benefits from cost savings and improved overall operating performance across the entire product development lifecycle.

Leading aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, has also instituted its own set of digital transformation processes. In the area of electrical/electronic (E/E) systems development, the company will have a highly unified design environment in place for its multi-country development team for engineering and manufacturing of electrical systems and wire harnesses.

We’re also seeing adoption in the defense sector as well.

A good example is the United States Air Force. To fulfill its vision during these times of intense competition and growing program complexity—the USAF decided to fight these head winds by adopting a digital transformation plan. In early 2021, USAF announced plans to use Teamcenter as the foundational system to support modernizing its digital acquisition and sustainment strategies for design, build and repair.

A short time after the USAF announcement, Northrop Grumman, announced that they too would be expanding their use of Siemens Xcelerator to complement their digital initiatives. The company will leverage Xcelerator as part of their technology stack to help manage the digital engineering design process, integrate repositories of program data, seamlessly share product performance, and a whole lot more.

The old saying “time is money” resonates loud and clear in this industry. Nothing is more critical to lowering program costs than reducing cycle time and getting those capabilities into the hands of customers. When Lockheed Martin Aeronautics selected the Xcelerator portfolio for all new and existing programs, the primary driving force was the idea that the company could transform its business with a modern, integrated and open digital solution approach which could reduce program cycle time by greater than 50 percent. The power of the comprehensive digital twin connected with a robust foundation of digital threads enables a robust understanding of the new systems capabilities (and how to produce them), streamlines workflows, and acts as an authoritative source of truth, fostering both transparency and visibility – exactly what companies need to effectively lead their programs.

Whether it’s an agency like the U.S. Air Force, a large OEM like Airbus, or a startup like Bye Aerospace, the goal is the same – to not just bend the cost and schedule curves, but to break them in an era where new aircraft are exponentially more complex. Companies are embracing digital transformation in a way that benefits their unique demands and challenges.

Defining the ‘Digital Transformation’

To successfully complete a digital transformation, aerospace and defense companies—along with their supply chain partners—need to have both a digital twin and digital thread in place. When we talk about a “digital transformation” we’re talking about both a digital twin and multiple digital threads. A comprehensive digital twin enables a company to better predict product performance and production processes by analyzing, simulating and verifying before physical production begins. “Flying it before you build it” can significantly reduce development time and costs and speed delivery of the final product.

Now here’s where it gets interesting, while a digital twin can be set up for just about anything in the engineering or manufacturing disciplines, if it’s not connected or integrated to all phases of product lifecycle development, companies are not realizing the twin’s full potential. In the aerospace and defense sector, we see examples of the digital twin and 3D CAD implementations. But it’s more than just managing 3D CAD – teams need a digital thread that seamlessly connects all aspects of the product twin to other phases of the development and production program for the continuous exchange of data – the automation of data – up and down the product development lifecycle (Figure 1).

Verify on the Fly Siemens
Figure 1: By implementing a digital thread, teams can verify requirements of complex systems faster – and share that information with teams from other product design domains.

With the digital thread, all processes are connected. Customers gain a deeper understanding and greater visibility into all product development phases up and down the value chain.

Digital Transformation and the Future of Manufacturing

Ultimately, if aerospace teams and defense agencies are to succeed in their digital transformation, global collaboration along with the latest tools must be introduced into the production and assembly process. Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies will play a key role in the future.  

Siemens AR on factory floor
Figure 2: AR on the factory floor – a key component to an end-to-end, model-based enterprise.

VR and AR technologies strengthen the link between the virtual design world and the physical factory floor (Figure 2). With a proper set-up, teams are able to replace 2D drawings and work instructions with 3D augmented reality. This allows users to locate parts using the rich features already available in the 3D models, thus completing an end-to-end, model-based enterprise operating in real time.

Tailored work instructions using AR is another feature of the smart factory. In most situations, work  instructions are based on the complexity of the installation; how often the task is performed, or whether the installation has changed since the last time it was completed. With AR tools, teams receive automatic verification notices once the part is installed, and the work is completed. This type of data can be shared across teams and across multiple locations. On the factory floor, this can be implemented via smart wearables freeing up the technician to do other activities simultaneously.

Time to Make the Digital Transformation Part of Your Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

At Siemens, we are committed to the overwhelming success of our aerospace and defense customers whether it’s large established leaders or emerging startups. Our goal is to help our customers achieve their strategic objectives for innovating new products faster with a focus on digitalization and sustainability. Siemens Digital Industries Software offers the broadest solutions for aerospace engineering and manufacturing. And as a trusted A&D partner, and through the power of our Xcelerator portfolio, we enable the further enhancement of automation and collaboration across all domains from engineering to manufacturing to product sustainment.

Considering a digital transformation within your agency or company – at a pace that fits your goals and objectives – is exactly what the industry needs right now. Let’s all join together to build products faster, at less cost, and in the process, create something that’s truly a game-changer.  

Dale Tutt is the Vice President of Aerospace and Defense Industry, for Siemens Digital Industries Software. He is responsible for defining the industry strategy for Siemens, leading definition of industry solutions for Aerospace and Defense customers. 

Austin: Need to Consider ‘Range of Capabilities’ in Developing Hypersonic Weapons

Austin: Need to Consider ‘Range of Capabilities’ in Developing Hypersonic Weapons

May 3, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

As the Pentagon continues to aggressively expand its development of hypersonic weapons, officials will need to consider the “range of capabilities” the Defense Department actually needs, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III told a congressional panel May 3.

In its 2023 budget request, the DOD included $4.7 billion for the research, development, test, and evaluation of different hypersonics programs, its biggest ask for the technology yet. The budget also outlined plans for the military to field its first hypersonic missiles within the next five years.

Yet while Austin has pushed both DOD and private industry to accelerate development, he also told the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee that thought will have to be given to how hypersonics will figure into the broader force.

“What’s important is that we need to consider … the range of capabilities, the mix of capabilities that we’re going to bring on board to support our warfighting concepts,” Austin said. “So hypersonics is an important capability. But there are other things that add to this equation as well.”

Austin’s comments follow those made by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who has warned that hypersonic weapons may not always be the most cost-effective or practical solution.

“We have to think about what’s most cost-effective for us … [Hypersonic systems are] very expensive compared to conventional weapons. So we’ve got to look at that very carefully and decide where we need to be in that tradeoff. I don’t think enough work has been done on that,” Kendall said in a January webinar.

Still, Austin expressed his continued support for more hypersonic research and development during the hearing, calling it “important to us,” and offered an endorsement for one effort in particular

SkyRange

A consistent issue in hypersonics development has been limited flight-test infrastructure and ranges, with not enough room or spots available for the various programs seeking to test their technologies.

One of several proposed remedies to that problem is SkyRange, which uses unmanned aircraft to clear the test space and relay telemetry in an effort to do more with the range space already available. The program addresses a “critical throughput shortfall for supporting the number of hypersonic flight tests required, as a sufficient number of existing assets does not exist,” budget documents state. “SkyRange augments existing air, sea, and land test support assets referred to as the ‘string of pearls,’ reducing the high costs associated with traditional flight test support. 

In October 2021, the Air Force transferred four retired RQ-4 Global Hawks to Northrop Grumman to repurpose for SkyRange.

Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) represents both Grand Forks Air Force Base, where the RQ-4s came from, and Northrop Grumman’s Grand Sky facility, where the modifications are taking place. And in the May 3 hearing, he took the opportunity to ask both Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley if the Joint Chiefs support SkyRange’s continued development.

“Yes, I do support it. And again, the Air Force will continue to work to make sure that the right capabilities are in place to support that effort,” Austin said, with Milley agreeing.

SkyRange was included in the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s research, development, test, and evaluation budget documents for 2023 as part of the request for the High Speed Systems Test project. The Pentagon is asking for $111 million for the entire project, building off $191 million appropriated in 2022.

In addition to RQ-4s, the program is also using MQ-9s, the budget documents state, and will “demonstrate initial capability” in 2023 and provide support using “telemetry, multispectral imaging, and atmospheric sensing sensor packages.”

Hypersonic Defense

Also during the May 3 hearing, Austin highlighted the importance of not only developing hypersonic weapons but also working on defensive systems to counter hypersonics being developed by the likes of China and Russia.

“In terms of defending ourselves, this is a priority for me, Austin said. “And as soon as we came onboard, I tasked my staff to make sure that we pulled the right elements together to make sure that we were pressing forward rapidly to increase our efforts in developing our defenses against the hypersonic threat. You’ve seen us engage industry on this issue, and we’ll continue to press. You know, we’ve made some progress, but we have a ways to go yet.”