Pentagon Wants to Make Commercial Space ‘Integral,’ Especially in These Areas

April 2, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

The Department of Defense wants to make commercial capabilities “integral” to its space architectures in a way that goes beyond how the Pentagon typically relies on contractors, with particular focus on more than a half dozen mission areas.

What’s more, the department made clear in its first-ever Commercial Space Integration Strategy released April 2 that it is prepared to protect those commercial assets in a conflict, a key signal to reassure industry.

The 16-page strategy, formulated by assistant secretary of defense for space policy John F. Plumb, reaffirms what Pentagon space leaders have been saying for months now: commercial satellites, ground control stations, networks, and operators will play an outsized role in the future of military space, especially as more and more companies join in and expand their operations in the booming sector.

“Deeper integration of commercial space solutions represents a conceptual shift away from legacy practices,” the strategy states. “ … Given the expansion of the commercial space sector and the proliferation of space capabilities, the Department will benefit by making commercial solutions integral—and not just supplementary—to national security space architectures.”

The strategy notes that the Pentagon and commercial companies already collaborate on programs like the Civil Reserve Air Fleet and the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement. But the department wants to go even further in space to “ensure access to commercial solutions across the spectrum of conflict,” not just during crisis.

There are multiple reasons for that, Mitchell Institute senior fellow and retired Space Force Col. Charles Galbreath suggested: the explosion of commercial interest in space, the unique characteristics of the space domain, and the small size of the Space Force.

Broadly, the Pentagon is open to working with commercial companies on any of the 13 defined mission areas laid out in the strategy. But because commercial space is inherently focused on technologies that are commercially viable outside of the government and some missions are inherent to the military, certain mission areas will be prioritized.

Most of those are “hybrid,” which Plumb told reporters means they will likely wind up being “50/50, some government and some commercial, pretty much even stevens.”

Hybrid mission areas include:

Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)

Space domain awareness

Environmental monitoring

Spacecraft operations

Satellite communications

Cyberspace

“It is good to see space domain awareness explicitly in the hybrid category,” Galbreath said. “In the near future, we could see commercial products calling out hostile or irresponsible behavior in the same way we saw commercial ISR monitor Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

The inclusion of spacecraft operations in the hybrid category lends more momentum to the idea the Space Force is exploring of relying on contractors to help fly its satellites. Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman recently said the service was considering the possibility.

One area is identified as primarily commercial: Space Access, Mobility, and Logistics. While there is growing interest and excitement around the possibility of in-orbit servicing of satellites, to include refueling, Plumb noted that for now, SAML largely refers to launch.

Given the tight bonds the Pentagon wants to build with commercial industry, the strategy lists four priorities it will pursue:

Ensure access to commercial solutions across the spectrum of conflict

Achieve integration prior to crisis

Establish the security conditions to integrate commercial space solutions, which means protecting commercial space assets under threat

Support the development of new commercial space solutions for use by the joint force

Galbreath praised the strategy for incorporating commercial space prior to conflict.

“As the saying goes, we go to war with the force we have,” he said, “so integrating the commercial providers into the mix early so we can incorporate them in wargames and exercises is essential to ensuring we can rely on them in conflict and work through any issues well in advance of an actual crises or conflict.”

The third priority will likely draw attention from companies who are worried their satellites will become targets if they contribute to government missions. The strategy states that “in appropriate circumstances, the use of military force to protect and defend commercial assets could be directed.”

It’s a question that military space leaders have been asked for months now, and while Saltzman has hinted the U.S. would protect commercial assets from attack much as the Navy protects shipping lanes, the strategy marks a definite, if open-ended, signal that the Pentagon is prepared to do so.

“The clear statement … is powerful. It still leaves open the range of military options including ground, maritime, air, cyber, and space,” Galbreath said.

In addition to military actions, the strategy notes three other ways it wants to protect commercial companies that collaborate with the Pentagon: establishing norms of behavior in space, sharing threat information, and financial compensation.

On the last front, the Pentagon pledges in the strategy to explore the possibility of U.S. government-provided war risk insurance for space like it does in the air and maritime domains.

Plumb declined to say when such insurance might be available, but he noted other kinds of financial protection that might be available to companies in case their satellites are targeted.

The release of the strategy likely signals the imminent release of the Space Force’s own commercial space strategy, which has been in the works for months. Saltzman said last week at the Mitchell Institute Spacepower Security Forum that he hoped to have the strategy released by the annual Space Symposium, which starts April 8.

“It is a little bit more focused on service-specific, acquisition-specific,” Plumb said. “And frankly, how he as a service chief wants to see his military service.”

Airmen and Guardians across North Dakota, Montana, Alaska Can Now Get Cold Weather Pay

April 2, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

Editor’s Note: This story was updated April 5 to correct the pay amounts for those with and without dependents.

The Department of the Air Force will offer supplemental pay to Airmen and Guardians who endure harsh winter conditions to incentivize assignments at certain bases and offset the financial challenges from living at temperatures below -20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Effective April 1, the department’s Cold Weather Assignment Incentive Pay offers a one-time payment to Airmen and Guardians upon committing to serve one to three years at certain locations. The amount, ranging from $500 to $5,000, is regardless of rank or the nature of individual’s assignment, Air Force spokesperson Sarah Fiocco told Air & Space Forces Magazine. The initial payment is slated for July 1, but any troops signing an agreement to relocate to designated sites starting April 1 will qualify for the incentive.

According to the service release, qualified locations include:

Minot and Grand Forks Air Force Bases and Cavalier Space Force Station in North Dakota

Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont.

Clear Space Force Station, Eielson Air Force Base, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.

Fiocco added that while these locations were chosen based on the 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone specified in the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, other U.S. Air Force sites in foreign countries are currently undergoing a separate review.

Level	Temperature	Without Dependents	With Dependents	Locations
Level 1	Above -20℉ with additional substantiating need	$500	$1,000	N/A
Level 2	-20℉ through -29℉	$1,000	$2,000	Minot, Grand Forks, and Malmstrom AFBs, Cavalier SFS and JB Elmendorf-Richardson
Level 3	-30℉ through -39℉	$1,500	$3,000	N/A
Level 4	-40℉ through -49℉	$2,000	$4,000 (tour is unaccompanied for Clear SFS)	Eielson AFB and Clear SFS
Level 5	-50℉ and below	$2,500	$5,000

“Airmen and Guardians living in extremely cold conditions face unique out-of-pocket costs,” Alex Wagner, assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs in a statement. “We want to ensure Airmen, Guardians and their families have the resources needed to safely live and work in an extreme cold-weather environment.”

For deployments to Alaska, Airmen and Guardians have to commit to 12 months at Clear. Individuals without dependents need to sign up for at least a 24-month tour at Eielson and Elmendorf, while those with a family have to stay for 36 months, Fiocco said.

In 2022, Congress passed legislation authorizing but not requiring cold weather incentive pay for the military, spearheaded by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), with the aim of addressing mental health for troops stationed in Alaska. Although the FY23 NDAA included a provision for the service to provide Arctic Incentive Pay, no additional measures had been taken under this initiative, prompting lawmakers to urge Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall in March to begin implementing the compensation for service members.

Since 2020, the Army has been offering a one-time payment of $1,000 to $4,000 called Remote and Austere Conditions Assignment Incentive Pay for soldiers serving in Alaska. With its new move, the Air Force is now also hoping to alleviate the financial burden of purchasing cold weather essentials such as gear, all-season or snow tires, engine block heaters, and emergency winter car kits.

“Anybody that has purchased a North Face jacket knows just how expensive it is to dress for winter,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), said in a statement. “I’m grateful to see this cold weather pay roll out to make these winters a little less expensive and stressful for our servicemen and women who are stationed here in North Dakota and already sacrificing so much to stand in the gap for our freedom.”

New Air Force Safety Plan Focuses on Nukes, Space, and ACE

April 2, 2024 | By David Roza

The Air Force Safety Center unveiled a new strategic plan meant to help keep pace as the Air Force writ large expands its operations in space, updates its nuclear inventory, and aims to move faster in combat than it ever has before.

“As safety leaders, it’s our job to ensure the safety enterprise is trained, agile, and ready to integrate new Air Force operational concepts to deter, and if needed defeat, great power competitors,” Maj. Gen. Sean Choquette, the Air Force’s chief of safety and commander of the safety center, said in an April 2 release. “Safety’s job is to prepare our forces with the resources and skills to make risk-informed decisions at home or in combat.”

The DAF Safety Strategic Plan 2024-2027 lays out six goals meant to keep safety in the front of mind for Airmen and Guardians. One of them is to strengthen nuclear surety, which is the term for keeping nuclear weapons safe, secure, and reliable.

The Air Force has struggled with nuclear surety in the past: in 2007, the service mistakenly flew nuclear weapons on a B-52 from North Dakota to Louisiana and left the bomber unguarded for about nine hours. That incident helped lead to new training procedures, standards, and the creation of Air Force Global Strike Command to oversee nuclear surety.

Airman 1st Class Jackson Ligon, left, and Senior Airman Jonathan Marinaccio, 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron technicians, connect a re-entry system to a spacer on an intercontinental ballistic missile during a Simulated Electronic Launch-Minuteman test at a launch facility near Great Falls, Mont. Senior Airman Daniel Brosam

Nearly 20 years later, the Air Force nuclear enterprise has major changes on the horizon as the service seeks to replace its aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile with the Sentinel ICBM. The Air Force also plans to buy at least 100 nuclear-capable B-21 bombers, and last month the F-35 fighter was certified to carry a nuclear bomb.

“Given the criticality of nuclear surety, the renewed focus on this capability, and the rapid growth of related programs, DAF Safety will continue ensuring the nuclear surety programs are correspondingly robust, comprehensive, and responsive to support this mission area,” the Center wrote.

The steps to get there involve developing a better nuclear surety operational assessment program; coordinating a plan to comply with new Defense Department standards, updating the Air Force’s nuclear surety policy, and upgrade the safety center’s mishap reporting system for “dull swords,” the term for nuclear events or deficiencies not categorized as an accident.

The Air Force Safety Center also seeks to integrate risk management into agile combat employment (ACE), the concept where small teams of Airmen launch and recover aircraft at remote or austere airfields, then relocate to avoid being targeted by enemy missiles. Many Airmen expect to carry out those operations without support and without connection to higher command, which is forcing a wider recalculation of risk across the service.

“We’re trying to teach our aeromedical evacuation members to assume risks that they probably would not have in the last 20 years when it comes to patient care,” one aeromedical evacuation Airman told Air & Space Forces Magazine in June.

“We are boiling down to old-school World War II tactics where we use rope, tape, and zip ties to pull submunitions off a runway all at once,” an Air Force Explosive Ordnance Technician added.

The Air Force Safety Center wants to update its framework for calculating risk in the age of ACE, which will start with a six-month evaluation of its risk management practices. The center aims to implement an initial version of an update plan within two years, followed by a full one within five.

But to be effective, whatever new plans are developed need to be practiced in the field.

“Ultimately, our safety mission success relies upon the disciplined approach of individual Airmen and Guardians—you are the vital component of the enterprise,” the center wrote.

U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 476th Maintenance Squadron load munitions onto an A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft during the fourth quarter weapons load competition at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Jan. 7, 2022. Load competition participants are judged on speed, accuracy, safety and reliability when loading aircraft munitions. **Airman 1st Class Deanna Muir**

To get after that, the first goal of the plan is to fully integrate risk management into all training and operations. The goal involves reviewing the “safety enterprise processes” for irrelevant tasks, launching a public affairs campaign on safety and risk management, and formalizing safety principles and risk management as Air Force core competencies.

Another Air Force Safety Center goals is to keep pace with the Space Force. Its objectives include developing a plan of action and milestones, determining the authorities for overseeing space safety within the Air Force and the wider Defense Department, and conducting a baseline manpower study in support of the space enterprise.

Beyond keeping pace with the new changes, the safety center wants to get ahead of the curve by using machine learning models to analyze safety data, providing better analysis to commanders through data visualization, and working with wing or delta safety offices to improve their processes.

“Mishap reporting data is a lagging indicator and limited tool,” the center wrote. “Our intent is to develop analytical tools to assist commanders with proactive risk reduction, mishap prevention, and maximized readiness.”

The Air Force Safety Center’s last goal is to modernize the safety workforce, largely by revamping formal safety education such as the Air Force Safety University. The center plans to take a look at the university’s infrastructure, budget, and course catalog.

Over the next few years, the safety center will set up offices of responsibility to oversee implementation of its strategic plan.

“Measuring success must be done by measuring results and outcomes,” the center wrote. “Success is not measured by checking off milestones passed or objectives completed.”

Guard Asks Congress to Add F-15EX, F-35 Fighters Back to Budget

April 1, 2024 | By John A. Tirpak

The National Guard Bureau has asked Congress to consider adding six F-35s and six F-15EXs to the fiscal 2025 budget—jets the Air Force said it cut to fit within the Pentagon’s financial constraints.

The dozen fighters, at a cost of $1.35 billion, represent the biggest items on the Guard’s $2.66 billion Unfunded Priorities List; the annual, congressionally-mandated wishlists of the top things services or combatant commands would buy if they had extra money beyond the “official” budget, which went to Congress in early March. The Air National Guard portion of the list amounts to $2.3 billion; the remainder would fund Army National Guard military construction projects.

The Air Force itself did not request additional fighters in its wishlist as it has in recent years. Instead, its $3.5 billion list focused solely on readiness items such as spare parts, exercises, and military construction, and not big-ticket platforms like fighters.

In its actual budget request, the Air Force asked for only 42 F-35s, versus its usual benchmark of 48. Officials explained that the service had other priorities and prefers to wait for the Block 4 versions of the fighter. Critics claim the Air Force has gamed the UPL to get Congress to put more F-35s into its budget than requested.

Air National Guard projects are frequently included with the Headquarters Air Force list.

In its justification for the F-35 request, the Guard noted that Headquarters Air Force has in the past “supported procuring 48 F-35 aircraft [per] year into the 2030s” to modernize the force and support the National Defense Strategy, and that this is a level that F-35 prime Lockheed Martin “can produce for the Air Force.”

Air Force officials have said they needed to make cuts to their procurement budget to live within caps set by the Fiscal Responsibility—the Guard noted the fiscal restraints in its justification and said its addition would “complete the planned F-35 procurement of 48 for FY25 and completes the build of a sustainable ANG fleet of 5 combat squadrons for increased capacity … plus builds one ANG FTU (Flying Training Unit).”

Likewise, the Guard noted that the Air Force truncated its buys of the F-15EX, the bulk of which will serve with the Guard. The Air Force’s fiscal 2025 plan would buy only 18 F-15EXs instead of the 24 called for in the previous budget and end procurement there, at a total of 98 airplanes instead of the previous goal of 104.

Once again, fiscal constraints were cited as the cause of the cut.

“These additional 6 F-15EXs will complete the planned F-15EX FY25 procurement and maximize [Defense Industrial Base] output,” the budget justification states. “It completes the build of a sustainable ANG fleet of 3 combat squadrons for increased capacity in [the] INDOPACOM theater.”

The Air Force cut its buy to 98 F-15EXs after originally structuring the program to yield 188 of the jets, which are built by Boeing at its St. Louis, Mo. facilities.

The six F-35s would cost $660 million, while the six F-15EXs would cost $690 million, according to the document.

There is a longstanding tension between the Guard and Headquarters Air Force over how to best modernize the Guard. Over the decades, the ANG has complained that it has been equipped with hand-me-down equipment, even though necessity has compelled it to assume a daily operational role in meeting theater commander requirements. Air Force leaders have pledged the Guard will be equipped with new gear in parallel with the Active-Duty force.

Guard leaders have also balked at the Air Force’s divestment of older aircraft in recent years, notably A-10 attack jets. The reductions have fallen disproportionately on Guard units, and as the Air Force inventory has shrunk, a number of Guard units have lost their flying missions.

Other items on the Guard unfunded priority list include:

$350 million to “properly” support 16 C-130Js that were added to the ANG in fiscal 2023. There was “a shortfall” in the amount Congress provided in fiscal 2024 for these aircraft, and the UPL request “corrects that … and allows for the full recapitalization of 2 ANG C-130H units.”

$288 million for additional conformal fuel tanks for its F-15EXs, noting that initial lots of the aircraft are being bought without these tanks, on which weapons can be mounted, and this limits the fighters’ range and weapons capacity. “The NGB (National Guard Bureau) request is in addition to the 12 sets sought” by the Department of the Air Force, the Bureau noted, and the 54 total sets of tanks—two per aircraft—“will be enough for all ANG F-15EXs, as we are planned to have 54 F-15EXs in inventory.”

$153 million for weapon system sustainment, increasing the amount of the requirement funded from 86 percent to 92 percent, to keep it in line with Guard Bureau strategic guidance and Headquarters Air Force goals.

$110.4 million to add 803 full-time positions. These would include 113 additional recruiters, 83 Civil Engineers, 303 security forces and 304 maintainers. These additional billets would enable the Air Guard to “focus on providing ready Airmen to the Joint Force in support of campaigning and integrated deterrence.”

$52 million for an additional 4,600 flying hours.

USAF, Philippines Gear Up for Fighter Exercise over the South China Sea

April 1, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

The U.S. and Philippine Air Forces are slated to conduct their first combat training exercise of the year this month, escalating tensions between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea. Scheduled from April 8-19, Cope Thunder will feature fighters from both countries operating from a newly renovated runway at Basa Air Base.

Cope Thunder was held for the first time in more than 30 years in 2023—the annual exercise ran from Clark Air Base in the Philippines starting in the mid-1970s but was suspended following the 1991 volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo, which led to Clark’s closure. Last year, two iterations of Cope Thunder in May and June included U.S. F-16s and F-22s, as well as the Philippines Air Force’s FA-50PHs, A-29s, and AS-211s at Basa and Clark.

The latest aerial exercise between the two allies was in February, when a U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber flew alongside three Philippine FA-50 fighters during a patrol over the South China Sea within the Philippines’ EEZ. A pair of B-52 bombers from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., are currently deployed in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, approximately 3,200 nautical miles from the Philippines, for Pacific Air Force missions.

The two nations also worked together to renovate the Basa runway to accommodate more and larger U.S. aircraft. Additionally, ongoing upgrades include the construction of a 625,000-square-foot transient parking apron, which will allow 20 U.S. aircraft to be deployed at the site. These projects are part of the the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the two nations, funded by the Pentagon’s Pacific Deterrence Initiative budget.

Basa represents the biggest U.S. investment among the five EDCA sites of the Philippines, with $66 million allocated to the base out of the initial total of $82 million. The base currently hosts the Philippines’ sole fighter squadron, consisting of 12 FA-50PH Fighting Eagles.

Last year, the U.S. added four more military bases to the EDCA, expanding the number of locations from which American troops can operate. The Department of National Defense in the Philippines has highlighted that these upcoming sites will support the country’s military modernization efforts, particularly through U.S.-funded projects such as runway upgrades, communication facilities and infrastructure support.

Cope Thunder will take place amid growing tensions between China and the Phillippines. Just last week, Phillippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a statement in which he reaffirmed the country’s commitment to countering “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous attacks” by the Chinese coast guard. The latest escalation occurred March 23, when Chinese forces employed water cannons to obstruct a Philippine resupply mission in the South China Sea.

Also last week, POLITICO reported that Japan would participate in upcoming joint naval exercises with the U.S. and the Philippines in the South China Sea later this year. Following the report, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported Tokyo intends to join the trilateral drill “at the earliest” opportunity, citing government sources.

U.S. President Joe Biden will host Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on April 11 in Washington, D.C. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last month that the three leaders would discuss cooperation to “further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.”

The heavily-trafficked South China Sea remains highly contested, with China claiming sovereignty over a large portion of its waters, despite international law granting the Philippines exclusive rights within its 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Allvin’s Newest Must-Read Book Inspired TV’s ‘Masters of the Air’

April 1, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

Apple TV+’s “Masters of the Air,” which tells the story of the 100th Bomb Group during World War II, has won strong critical reviews and piled up huge streaming numbers. But it’s not enough to just watch the serices. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin wants Airmen to read the book.

First published in 2006 and authored by Donald L. Miller, “Masters of the Air” is among four new additions to the Air Chief’s “Leadership Library,” which includes books, films, podcasts, and other media. The new additions, Allvin’s second update since being promoted to CSAF late last year, include two books, a research report, and a podcast, and add to a library that he says “weaves together leadership, draws parallels between historical and contemporary contexts, and explores advanced technologies that are revolutionizing military affairs,” Allvin wrote in a letter to the force.

Allvin’s new picks focus on operational effectiveness in lining up against a pacing threat. The selections include:

“Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany,” by Donald L. Miller

The TV adaptation of “Masters of the Air” has given the book new life, prompting a new printing and rising interest. The hit TV miniseries began streaming earlier this year on Apple TV+, a paid service costing $9.99 per month (after a weeklong free trial). The book is available in paperback for under $20, but older hardcover copies can cost upwards of $140. Airmen can borrow copies from the DOD Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Libraries.

In the book, World War II historian Miller, who wrote an earlier book about the Eighth Air Force, focuses on the Airmen of the 100th Bomb Group who flew the B-17 during the daylight bombing campaign over Europe, recounting the day-to-day lives of troops in the “Bloody Hundredth.”

“Airmen will gain valuable insights into the sacrifices, challenges, and triumphs of their predecessors in this World War II air campaign chronology,” Allvin wrote. “When we speak of empowering Airmen, and delegating to the lowest competent level, we can take heart in knowing that our young American Airmen can take on the tremendous responsibility if the country demands it.”

“Generations: The Real Differences between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents-and What They Mean for America’s Future,” by Dr. Jean Twenge

Twenge is a psychology professor specializing in generational differences “Generations,” released in the past year, provides “a data-driven analysis that delves into the impact of technological changes on the unique characteristics of each generation,” Allvin wrote. “By examining the traits of the Silent Generation through the newest generation emerging today, Twenge challenges common perceptions on how and why generations act the way they do. This valuable resource is essential for Airmen leading across multiple generations, providing insights that can shape leadership and communication styles.”

Former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass frequently noted the number of generations serving together in uniform and urged leaders to do a better job of understanding what motivates the youngest Airmen from Gen Z.

“Chinese Lessons from the Pacific War: Implications for PLA Warfighting,” by Toshi Yoshihara

This 112-page report, written by a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, “explores the explicit connections between historical campaigns and modern military affairs,” Allvin wrote. It does that by examining how the fight across the Pacific theater in World War II shapes China’s People’s Liberation Army to this day.

“China’s Approach to AI,” ChinaPower Podcast, from the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Senior analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies spend more than 40 minutes discussing artificial intelligence and China in this podcast, which Allvin said “offers insightful analysis as it delves into the strategies influencing adversarial behavior and underscores the geopolitical implications of AI advancement.”

Compared to the time commitment needed to consume the other three new additions, this one is the lightest lift at just over 42 minutes. That’s short enough to listen during the daily commute or a midday run. In contrast, the audio version of “Masters of the Air” runs more than 24 hours.

New KC-46 Air National Guard Squadron Activates in New Jersey

April 1, 2024 | By David Roza

The Air National Guard stood up a new KC-46 Pegasus tanker squadron at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL), N.J. last month, marking the latest step in a yearslong process as the Air Force seeks to replace its aging KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-10 Extenders.

The new unit, the 170th Air Refueling Squadron, activated on March 11, becoming the second KC-46 squadron in the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 108th Wing. The 170th and its sister squadron, the 141st, will share 24 KC-46s with its Active-duty counterparts in the 305th Air Mobility Wing: the 2nd and 32nd Air Refueling Squadrons.

That kind of arrangement, where two Guard or Reserve squadrons share aircraft with two Active-duty squadrons, is called an embedded classic association.

“The concept is that both the Active-duty and Air National Guard components are essential to mission execution,” said 108th Wing spokesperson Donna Jeffries. “In other words, their aircrew ratios to aircraft combine to equal what is needed.”

Members of the 170th Air Refueling Wing receive their newly designed squadron patch from Lt. Col Matthew Secko, 170th Air Refueling Squadron commander, during the 170th assumption of command ceremony March 7, 2024 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt Anna-kay Ellis)

Through the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress directed the Air Force to divest nine of the 108th Wing’s KC-135R refueling tankers in fiscal year 2023 and to replace two Air Force Reserve Squadrons, the 76th and 78th, with the 141st and the 170th.

“With the addition of the 170th to the 141st, the ANG will supply the appropriate number of reserve component crews for the 24 KC-46s on the joint base,” Jeffries said. “While losing the KC-135Rs, the 108th Wing has embraced the new Airmen and the new aircraft, as well as the opportunity to partner with active duty to deliver unmatched global reach.”

Many of the reservists from the disbanded squadrons are now part of the 170th, she explained. Not all its crews are qualified on the KC-46, but the new squadron “is moving rapidly towards full mission capability,” she said.

“It is a privilege and an honor to start this squadron,” Lt. Col. Matthew Secko, the 170th’s first commander, said in a press release. “Our first members bring talents and experience to the squadron from many backgrounds, and they will each make a difference.”

A KC-46A Pegasus assigned to the 305th Air Mobility Wing makes its first landing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., on Aug. 18, 2023. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aidan Thompson)

The squadron is named after the 170th Air Refueling Group, which used to be stationed at McGuire Air Force Base. Accompanying the new squadron was a new unit patch featuring a knight against a blue, globe-shaped background. The patch was selected from nine submissions during a wing-wide design contest. While the knight does not have a name, “it symbolizes the ancient chivalric traditions of honor and courage,” Jeffries said.

The Air Force plans to buy about 75 tankers to recapitalize its KC-135 fleet and keep air refueling aircraft in production until the Next-Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS)—a low-observable refueler—arrives in the mid-to-late 2030s. The tanker could be the Boeing KC-46 already in production, or another type, such as the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport being offered by Airbus.

“These are exciting times,” Col. Eric Guttormsen, 108th Wing commander, said in the release. “I have no doubt our Airmen will serve with character and a great sense of purpose, establishing strong foundations and supporting our forces’ global mobility with excellence.”

Minihan: New Mobility Systems Needed to Go with New Fighters and Bombers

March 29, 2024 | By John A. Tirpak

The ongoing “re-optimization” of the Air Force will ensure that mobility isn’t left behind as new fighters and bombers come into being, Air Mobility Command boss Gen. Michael Minihan said March 28. New kinds of airlifters and tankers with varying degrees of stealth will be needed to complement the shooters, he said, and USAF’s new requirements organizations will advance the various elements of the force together.

Speaking on a Defense One webinar, Minihan said the service’s new Integrated Capabilities Command—one of the principal new organizations announced as part of the re-optimization—will ensure the entire force is crafted to fit together.

“I was not overwhelmed with the roles that I had when it comes to developing the force of the future,” he said. “But the integration needed at the higher level … is absolutely something that needs to be addressed aggressively.”

In the 1950s, Minihan noted, the B-52 was developed in parallel with the KC-135, on which it depended, to complete the strategic mission “as a system.”

Now, “we tend to think of the mobility platforms as an afterthought when it comes to the next generation of fighters and bombers,” Minihan said. As a result, airlift and tanker platforms now significantly trail fighters and bombers in sophistication.

With Integrated Capabilities Command, “I think that ‘integration’ is going to be the key word of those three. The most important is that we integrate together,” Minihan said. Fighters, bombers, tankers, mobility, and weapons must be developed “as a system moving forward,” he said.

AMC will contribute experts to the new command to aid the process, Minihan said.

“I’m very grateful that this is being stood up and I think that we’re going to depart sharply from the status quo that has mismanaged the integration and we’re going to get to a higher place in a very good way,” Minihan said.

Meanwhile, AMC will maintain its strong operational focus, Minihan said, working hand-in-glove with Transportation Command, Strategic Command and Northern Command.

Minihan acknowledged that much of the airlift fleet “is old,” but demand from combatant commanders has not slowed. As a result, the fleet needs new platform investment.

“I want to put a team on the field that’s ready to handle the full spectrum of operations that may come our way,” Minihan said.

But “it’s not a ‘one size fits all’ approach,” he added.

Part of the fleet can operate in uncontested environments, while another piece will need to function in what Minihan called “semi-permissive” areas where “there could be everything from a low to medium threat, perhaps, to no threat.”

Finally, “we’ve got to have a fleet that can go into the high weapons engagement zone that has an enormous amount of risk,” he said.

Airlifters can shoot palletized munitions like the AGM-158 JASSM-ER, or launch decoys en masse, he said. They could also launch smaller aircraft to send a life raft to a downed Airman or a radio battery to ground troops, among other actions.

“If we take advantage of an effects-bases [mindset] instead of a platform-based, I think we’ll develop a very aggressive, highly integrated systems approach to supporting the Joint Force,” he said.

It’s too early to say how many stealthy and non-stealthy future aircraft are needed, Minihan said. It’s “important that that we look at the systems approach much more broadly than just the threat,” he noted.

However, “I believe the majority will be in the medium range that can go both ways.” Some of those aircraft of the future “look very close to what we do now.”

Beyond that, however, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said the service can no longer rely on “tube and wing”-type airlifters and tankers based on commercial aircraft.

Tankers in or near the battlespace “will be smaller fleets that have higher capabilities and have qualities that give them success,” Minihan said. They won’t necessarily have the same degree of stealth as fighters and bombers, “but I’m looking for low observable qualities,” as well as vertical takeoff and landing qualities.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s an exact mimic of what the what the fighters and the bombers look like,” he added.

Minihan reiterated his goal of outfitting 25 percent of the mobility enterprise with connectivity upgrades for the entire joint force by 2025.

“That’s about 250 airplanes,” but it’s also mobility headquarters and air operations centers, air mobility operations wings and contingency response units, he said.

“So I’m looking at the total enterprise when it comes to the 25 by ‘25,” Minihan said.

There’s “a lot of real estate” on AMC’s aircraft “that could do so much more than tanking and lift.” Minihan envisions tankers and airlifters functioning as communications relays and internet providers in the battlespace, with minimal changes to the aircraft and low-cost technology.

“This is not about Air Mobility Command,” he said. “This is about supporting the joint team first. And this is about supporting partners and allies second, so the best way we do that is connectivity.”

Such changes are likely to be deployed across the board, so AMC can “see what works best” before deciding where to invest more, he added.

“I’m willing to take risk here, because the risk of the status quo is not acceptable,” Minihan said. “And we’ve proven that both in real world operations [and] exercises that we’ve completed over the last two and a half years.”

Contractor Guardians? Space Force Considers Commercial Help for Operations

March 29, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

The Space Force is exploring the idea of using civilians or even contractors to help conduct operations, as the service sorts out how to best manage its small workforce, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman said this week.

“When you’re a small force as we are, we have to be very careful and very specific with how we use manage, attract, assess and retain our workforce,” Saltzman said at the Mitchell Institute’s Spacepower Security Forum on March 27. “So we are going to great lengths to make sure that we are actively looking at each of those elements to make sure we optimize it. Where do we need people to stay longer? And if it doesn’t say for a military member to stay longer, how do you augment that with either civilian workforce or commercial augmentation? And we are looking at what the right mix is for that across the force.”

The Space Force’s authorized end strength for 2024 is 9,400 uniformed Guardians, with another 4,600 or so civilians. The service plans to expand its total workforce in 2025 by four percent to 15,084 total, with 9,800 uniformed Guardians. The next smallest service, the Marine Corps, is 18 times bigger with 172,300 uniformed personnel—as well as some 20,000 civilians.

As a small branch that’s still just four years old, USSF has relied on the Air Force or broader Pentagon guidance for manpower plans, Saltzman noted.

“We get to manpower, and we don’t necessarily have Space Force-drive models for how to use our manpower,” Saltzman said. “So now we’re starting to think about it more individually as a service, build our own models, our own tools to be able to do that planning more effectively. But it will consider active force civilians, as well as contractor commercial augmentation.”

Tapping into the private sector or leveraging civilians is not novel for the military and other government space agencies. But this initiative may break new ground in how deeply integrated contractors could be involved in day-to-day operations and potentially managing critical missions.

Space Operations Command released a request for information (RFI) in late 2023, asking industry for input on the idea of asking contractors to “perform as operational crew members in support of 24/7 operations for SpOC missions, specifically, Space Domain Awareness, Missile Warning/Defense, MILSATCOM, Intelligence, and Orbital Warfare” on top of training and support tasks.

The RFI highlights how civilian operators will not only monitor, troubleshoot the satellite, and manage sensitive data, but also be in charge of executing government missions as well as operating foreign assets. For instance, a missile warning operator is expected to “conduct mission/program specific real-time spacecraft flight operations during readiness, execution, and evaluation phases.”

Such a move could help the service handle its expanding portfolio while operating in a fiscally-constrained environment. It could also have an effect on uniformed Guardians’ training and development, an area Saltzman has made a key part of his tenure as CSO. At the AFA Warfare Symposium in February, he announced the Space Force would establish a common Officer Training Course to ensure all space operators possess comprehensive understanding across satellite, cyber, and intelligence.

However, integrating contractors onto military teams could create concerns about the implications of outsourcing operations and chain of command. Already, industry leaders have emphasized the need of clear guidelines regarding accountability in government-private company cooperation, adding that even with written documents, complications could arise in dire situations.

The imminent release of the Space Force’s long-awaited commercial strategy is expected to offer a framework for a greater level of collaboration between the service and industry.