Spark Tank Finalists: Turning Drones into Gliders with Aerial Towing

March 2, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

The Department of the Air Force’s annual Spark Tank competition takes place March 4, when six teams will take to the stage at the AFA Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. Each team will pitch the most senior leaders in the Air and Space Forces on how their innovations can save money, improve the lives of Airmen and Guardians, and transform the department.

Air Force Magazine is highlighting one team each day from now through March 3. Today, we look at “Aerial Tow Rehookup—Novel Range Extension,” led by Cadet Grant Schlichting of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Schlichting may be the youngest competitor among the Spark Tank finalists this year, but his idea has its roots deep in Air Force history.

Taking part in the glider program at the Air Force Academy, Schlichting noticed paintings of World War II gliders on the walls. Intrigued, he started doing research into the Air Force’s history with gliders and towing, ranging from D-Day to satellites.

“And I thought, ‘Well, gee, if we’ve done it in the past, why did we stop?’” Schlichting told Air Force Magazine.

Originally, Schlichting’s idea was to tow a battalion of tanks on a glider, but once he worked on it and found that “it’s kind of tough to make a glider that can tow a 200,000 pound tank,” he reshaped the concept, with encouragement from his mentors at USAFA.

The result is ATR—a system whereby drones can latch onto aircraft midflight using only a tow rope and mechanical connection and be towed to their destinations, extending their range. The idea would be especially vital, Schlichting argues, as the Air Force looks to develop autonomous drones to serve as “loyal wingmen” for fighters and bombers and as ISR assets.

Schlichting has been working on ATR for two years now, conducting research at the Academy, filing for a provisional patent, and using conferences and internships to learn more. The initial idea to enter Spark Tank, however, wasn’t his.

“I had a mentor of mine who was an upperclassman that got me interested in aero, he’s out doing great things in the big Air Force,” Schlichting said. “And he said, ‘Hey, you should throw your name in the hat.’ And I was kind of thinking about it. I didn’t really know if I had a chance just being a Cadet. But I said, ‘You know what, what the heck, let’s throw it out there and see if anybody thinks anything of it.’”

Schlichting is just the second Air Force Academy Cadet to be named a Spark Tank finalist—in 2019, Preparatory School Cadet Usama Bamieh reached the finals with a software program designed to help weather forecasters. Knowing Bamieh had made it that far, Schlichting said, encouraged him to enter the competition.

“And hopefully this will be an example for other cadets and other spark cells and people that may be new to the Air Force, that just because you’re new doesn’t mean that you don’t bring up a fresh perspective and a good idea that can help the future fight,” he said of making the finals himself.

For his Spark Tank pitch, Schlichting is asking for $1.2 million to fund a six-month program at the Academy for more research and testing. But regardless of whether his pitch wins or not, Schlichting already has the future path for the idea charted out.

“To continue with the risk reduction for flight tests, we’d like to go to the emerging technologies [Combat Training Squadron], which is at Edwards [Air Force Base, Calif.]. They’re well positioned to look at some autonomous docking and other application characteristics,” Schlichting said. “And then finally doing a manned flight test. So that would be using a C-130 or C-17 that is currently outfitted to do parachute drop tests, only we’d be testing their towing capabilities.

“And then long-long-term, if it still has merit going through all these different stages, I’d like ATR to be a MIL-SPEC, so when new autonomous fighters and loyal wingmen come out, that they can either meet aerial refueling requirements or aerial towing requirements. So that way, I’m trying to get the system to be a methodology for the Air Force, not just for one drone [but] that any drone you can combine to it.”

At the end of the day, though, Schlichting said he doesn’t need to be involved in all of these future plans, something that going through the Spark Tank process taught him.

“I had to take a step back, going through all these rounds, and they’d give me feedback on how the pitch should go, and it was very useful. At first it was hard, because it’s my baby. I’ve been working on this for two years,” Schlichting said. “But once I kind of stepped back and said I’m just shepherding this idea along, this is to help the Air Force, that I was able to really grow.”

That’s not to say that he wants to walk away completely—Schlichting is hoping his first assignment will be to graduate school, where he would be able to serve as “innovation consultant, or the person that’s supposed to shepherd the idea.” After that, he hopes to go to Undergraduate Pilot Training, where he doesn’t anticipate much free time to work on ATR. Still, he wants to be “a reference for the program manager and the group that takes it forward.”

air force towing — U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet Grant Schlichting poses with his invention, Aerial Tow Rehookup. U.S. Air Force Photo by Joshua Armstrong

Maj. Giselle Rieschick, 99th Medical Support Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.: “Blood Delivery by UAV”
Maj. Ryan Sheridan, 10th Air Base Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy: “Custom Facemasks for Fighter Pilots and Beyond”
Matthew Correia, Air University’s Eaker Center, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.: “DAGGER: Developing Airmen and Guardians with Games for Enhanced Readiness”
Maj. Allen Black, 412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.: “Project FoX (Fighter Optimization Experiment)
Senior Master Sgt. Brent Kenney and Tech Sgt. Matthew Connelly, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany: ”Project Arcwater”

Senior Leaders’ Career Advice on How to ‘Be Ready’

March 2, 2022 | By Amanda Miller

Senior Air and Space Force leaders urged Air Force Academy cadets to be real and ready, during the Academy’s 2022 National Character and Leadership Symposium.

Four of the top officers and enlisted leaders from the Department of the Air Force answered cadets’ questions on the core topic of “Ethics and Respect for Human Dignity.” The yearly conference, held Feb. 25, exposes cadets to diverse perspectives from inside and outside the Air Force and Space Force.

Some of their insights:

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. on:

Motivation out of failure: After reporting to Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, for his first operational assignment as an F-16 pilot, Brown failed his “check ride.”

“You might imagine the impression you leave as you come into your new squadron as a brand-new lieutenant and failing the check ride,” Brown said. “And then I did the recheck. I passed, but I got some additional training because I didn’t quite make it all the way. And it was a motivator to me, for me to actually take a hard look at myself. … It’s not so much that you failed, but how you respond to the failure. It’s the attitude that you have. And I have a pretty positive attitude about a lot of things, and I was able to bounce back.”

Freedom to disagree: Brown said he encourages people to speak up when they disagree with him because, “I really believe iron sharpens iron.”

“I disagree with people all the time,” Brown said. “Sometimes as a leader, you really want to bring in those that disagree with you—because if you don’t, and you surround yourself with everybody who agrees with you, you’re going to have a blind spot. So I actually look for disagreement.

“One of the things I tell the deputy chiefs of staffs and our MAJCOM [major command] commanders: I want to have the meeting after the meeting in the meeting. Too often when we have a meeting, no one says anything because they don’t want to upset the Chief. And then what happens is, when they get in the hallway, when we turn off the video teleconference, now everybody has an opinion. I’d rather have those opinions in the meeting. I want to have the disagreements in the meeting. Because it’s going to help us to make a decision.”

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass on:

Winning with diversity: When Bass looks to learn lessons from high-performing teams, she recognizes that “all of them value the diversity and the strengths and the talents for every single team member that’s on it.

“So as you’re getting ready to go out there and as you’re, you know, leading in the capacity that lieutenants might lead … I would offer: Go out there and know your folks and look at the talent and the strengths and the diversity that those folks bring to the team, and then consider those things.”

Creating opportunities to connect with Airmen: Whereas Brown sets up breakfasts and brown-bag lunches to meet with troops where he travels, Bass likes to drop in unannounced:

“It’s about listening to your folks and providing opportunities to do that,” Bass said. “I love to just go in and visit places where they aren’t expecting me to be there and I’ll just cold pop in and be real and really ask, you know, what are some of the challenges you guys are going through—and also kind of humanizing myself.”

Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson on:

Focusing on today to be ready for tomorrow: When Thompson was a cadet at the Air Force Academy, he suspects he and the rest of his cadet squadron would have been “concerned” to discover the extent the country has now put the Air Force’s and Space Force’s “leadership in our hands.” He joked—but not entirely.

“And so what I would encourage all of you to do is: First, understand what your goals are—short-term goals, medium-term goals, and long-term goals. Understand what they look like. Think about the milestones and paths that you need to get there. But then don’t worry about them too much …

“Don’t worry about the job you didn’t get. Don’t worry about your next job. Worry about what you’re doing today and what you need to do to prepare yourself for the future, and I assure you when that day comes—when somebody out there is sitting in this chair or that chair,” Thompson said pointing to his and Brown’s, “you’ll be ready.”

Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger A. Towberman on:

Getting input from everyone on the team: Whereas he supposes at one time “maybe leaders were best served by knowing the answers, I don’t think that time is now.

“I think leaders now ask questions,” Towberman said. “Knowledge is all around you on that diverse team, and drawing that out—drawing those answers out—is probably the most important thing that you can do for the team.

“And you can’t listen to everyone if you don’t pay attention to who’s maybe not voluntarily providing input and then drawing it out of them. There’s always going to be the person happy to give you a thought. If you’re really going to make your team effective, you’ve got to get thoughts from everyone.

“A diverse team is great—an inclusive team is what wins. And you’re inclusive when you get that input from everyone.”

Working through the ethical dilemma of what it means to kill: The military’s very existence poses an ethical dilemma, Towberman said, and being ready could come down to facing that fact upfront.

“We’re in the business of killing people, which we don’t think is OK, right?” Towberman said. “And I’ve had many instances in my career where seconds after I made a radio call, I knew someone was going to die. And they did. And I always, myself, knew that that was about saving lives and that there was a choice that needed to be made. But I’ll tell you, I never scrambled after the mission to find the video so I could high-five everyone over a life that was lost.

“It’s a very serious business that we’re in, and the better that we wrap our heads around that from a very early age—the more open we are about talking about those hard choices—the more, the better we prepare for those, the easier we’ll navigate a real ugly, difficult business that we’re in.”

Biden’s Warning in State of the Union: US Will Defend ‘Every Inch’ of NATO Territory

March 1, 2022 | By Amy Hudson

President Joe Biden, in his first State of the Union address, said Russian President Vladimir Putin “badly miscalculated” when he launched a “premeditated and totally unprovoked” attack on Ukraine a week ago. Instead of weakening NATO, Putin’s actions only strengthened the alliance, Biden said, and he vowed to protect “every inch” of allies’ territory.

“Six days ago, Russia’s Vladimir Putin sought to shake the very foundations of the free world, thinking he could make it bend to his menacing ways,” Biden said. “But he badly miscalculated. He thought he could roll into Ukraine and the world would roll over. Instead, he was met with a wall of strength he never anticipated or imagined. He met the Ukrainian people.”

Ukraine’s strength and resolve in the face of Russia’s attack inspires the world’s democracies, Biden said, unifying and strengthening them.

Putin “thought the west and NATO wouldn’t respond. He thought he could divide us at home, in this chamber, in this nation,” Biden said. “He thought he could divide us in Europe, as well. Putin was wrong. We are ready. We are united.”

Noting that nearly 14,000 U.S. troops have either deployed or repositioned to NATO’s eastern flank, Biden emphasized they are not there to fight the war in Ukraine, but to protect NATO allies Poland, Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia and deter Russian forces from furthering their push west.

“I’ve made it crystal clear,” said Biden, “The United States and our allies will defend every inch of … NATO territory with the full force of our collective power—every single inch.”

Russian flights are now barred from U.S. airspace, he said, “further isolating Russia” and “squeezing” its economy. He said the U.S. Justice Department is forming a task force to go after Russian oligarchs, threatening to seize their “yachts, luxury apartments, and their private jets.”

“We are choking Russia’s access to technology that will sap [it] of the economic strength and weaken its military for years to come,” Biden said. “Tonight, I say to the Russian oligarchs and corrupt leaders who built billions of dollars off this violent regime, no more.”

Supporting Veterans Back Home

After 12 minutes on Ukraine, Biden spent the middle portion of his 62-minute speech on domestic affairs, pressing not just a Democratic agenda but exhorting non-partisan action on a range of issues from child care to tax fairness, the opiate crisis and prescription drug prices to the scourge of mental illness.

Then he pivoted again, praising America’s veterans as the “backbone and spine of this country,” and noting the nation’s “sacred obligation” to properly equip troops before they go to war and to care for them and their families when they return. He spoke of training, housing, and “debt-free” care for lower-income veterans.

Biden also addressed illnesses tied to burn pits, once a controversial health care issue that the Pentagon sought to minimize. Burn pits were widely used to dispose of all manner of waste during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and Biden acknowledged that their fumes caused countless deaths and illnesses.

“When [troops] came home, many of the fittest and best-trained warriors in the world were never the same,” he said. “Headaches. Numbness. Dizziness. A cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin. I know,” Biden added: “One of those Soldiers was my son, Maj. Beau Biden. I don’t know for sure if a burn pit that he lived near in Iraq and earlier… than that in Kosovo was the cause of his brain cancer, or the diseases of so many of our troops. But I’m committed to finding out everything we can.”

He announced the Department of Veterans Affairs will expand eligibility for care to veterans suffering from nine respiratory cancers and he called on Congress “to pass a law to make sure veterans devastated by toxic exposures in Iraq and Afghanistan finally get the benefits and comprehensive health care they deserve.”

Biden concluded declaring that “The State of the Union is strong—because you, the American people are strong.

“We are stronger today than we were a year ago, and we will be stronger a year from now than we are today,” Biden said. “This is our moment to meet and overcome the challenges of our time, and we will, as one people. One America. The United States of America.”

Pentagon Must Overhaul Global Posture After Russian Invasion of Ukraine, DOD and Think-Tankers Say

March 1, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak and Greg Hadley

The Pentagon’s Global Posture Review, signed off by President Joe Biden in November, needs an overhaul in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the substantially changed security environment, Mara Karlin, assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities, told the House Armed Services Committee March 1. The situation may also drive a delay in the National Defense Strategy and Nuclear Posture Review.

Members also urged DOD witnesses to take advantage of bipartisan support for Ukraine assistance and provide an “ask” for additional resources.

“Obviously, we are following the situation really closely,” Karlin said in a hearing about engagement with allies and partners.

The review, conducted by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III last summer, “looked closely at our posture in Europe and saw largely that it was about right” at the time, Karlin said. But with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and a potential threat to NATO partners in the Baltics and Black Sea region, the situation has become “dynamic,” she said.

That “requires us to give it another fine-toothed look to see what’s necessary” to ensure Russia is deterred from attacking NATO, Karlin said. The goal is to “absolutely, 150 percent, say that NATO is safe and secure.”

Options being examined include increased numbers of troops and other capabilities, where they would be placed, and whether additional forces would be deployed on “a rotational or permanent” basis, she said.

Karlin noted that Austin has made “numerous trips” to the Baltic region in the last few months, conferring with the allies on their concerns and wishes relative to new forces positioned in or near their countries.

In looking at “permanent” posture in Europe, “we’re trying to take into account a wide variety of criteria,” unique to each country and region, Karlin said. “Given the changes we’ve seen, … it’s incumbent for us to step back and look at how things have changed.”

Asked what the Pentagon expects to happen in Ukraine in the next week or so, Karlin said, “The Ukrainian military is fighting so incredibly hard, the political will that they have demonstrated … has been a lot more and a lot harder than Putin and his military would have expected.”

“I would expect they will continue to do all they can,” she added. “Assistance is flowing to them, and I think they will continue to try to push back this invasion to the extent possible.” She said the Russian military is “prioritizing increasingly horrific approaches with indiscriminate bombing.”

‘Ask us for Things’

Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) urged Karlin to ensure that equipment provided to Ukraine “actually arrives and is not just sitting somewhere.”

“You have an absolutely unique moment where the U.S. Congress has bipartisan agreement on giving you what you need. And we’re not getting an ‘ask,’” Slotkin said. “Ask us for things.” Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) added, “I think that is a very reasonable request, to get that focused. Ask for what it is you want us to do.” The comment was echoed by several other members in the hearing.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) criticized Congress for failing to act swiftly to take up a $6.5 billion emergency aid package for Ukraine, which will partly fund replacing the military equipment the U.S. has provided, and some $2.5 billion of which is for humanitarian relief.

“Ms. Slotkin is exactly right,” he said. “There is bipartisan support. We could have passed this last night on a voice vote. It’s wrong of us to wait a week to do his.”

Karlin and Jessica Lewis, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, both indicated that the Nuclear Posture Review is still not yet complete, adding that the National Defense Strategy is also still in the works. The posture review and NPR both figure into what the NDS will say. The last NDS was released in 2018, but the turmoil in Europe has likely driven changes in what it will say, particularly about deterrence. Karlin said the NPR, “once decisions are made” about it, will look at threats and deterrence “holistically” and did not comment on remarks from members who urged the Administration not to adopt a “no first use” policy.

Asked about a number of bluff attacks by Beijing against Taiwan in recent months, involving scores of aircraft, Lewis noted that Taiwan has received $18 billion worth of security assistance aid and arms transfers in the last five years, and the goal is to help “build the asymmetric capabilities of Taiwan” to defend itself.

Changing Posture

Over at the Senate Armed Services Committee, think-tankers Heather Conley, president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and Roger Zakheim, director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, said Russia’s invasion—coupled with mounting Chinese capability and alignment with Russia—now compels the U.S. to change its posture.

“Unfortunately, the world we want is not the world we have,” Conley said, noting that the U.S. must return to a two-theater war force structure. During 20 years of focus on counter-terrorism, the U.S. could afford a “one adversary at a time” approach, but no more, she said.

China, “the pacing challenge,” has the economic strength to challenge the U.S. long-term, while Russia is “a grievance-filled revisionist power, which has repeatedly deployed its military to restore its traditional sphere of influence in Europe.” Both are dangerous, but Russia is “by far the most dangerous today,” she said.

Conley noted that on Feb. 4, China and Russia “joined together in a dynamic alignment against” the United States.

“The U.S. must adjust to this reality,” she said. “Our adversaries have ended our tunnel vision for us, … we must strategically look at China and Russia together,”

Conley said NATO allies on the eastern flank have all met their defense spending targets of two percent of GDP, and the U.S. needs to “invest in them and make them as strong as possible.” But, “this does not mean supporting our allies so we can leave.” Aided by the U.S. nuclear umbrella, “we can make our allies so much more capable with strong U.S. support and engagement.”

Zakheim said the Biden Administration must do more in terms of its conventional presence in Europe, which “matters,” he said.

“We should be reinforcing, more than the Administration’s already done,” the NATO countries bordering Ukraine, he said. “Lethal force should have been delivered. It was not. We gave up the airspace; we’re paying the price now.” He also said there should have been more exercises “showing force and how we would operate together.”

Zakheim asserted that the 2018 National Defense Strategy “was clear that we need to be able to prevail in one major conflict and deter in a second theater, and that … seems to be forgotten.” But even though the NDS called for a two-war capability, “we never had a force capable of doing that.”

He said he hopes the next NDS “recognizes that U.S. leadership should be present in three regions of the world”—the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe—and is sized “large enough to prevail in one conflict, hold another theater, and eventually swing to that second theater.”

The NDS should also call out the need for pre-positioned war materiel stocks in the Indo-Pacific region, so the U.S. “can distribute our forces deeper into the region and contest” China there. U.S. Transportation Command needs to “come up with the logistical frameworks” that will make that approach possible, he said.

The “hub” approach of the last strategy “is not really adequate and it raises vulnerabilities.”

Spark Tank Finalists: ACE-ing Logistics When It Comes to Water, Power

March 1, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

Air Force Magazine is highlighting one team each day from now through March 3. Today, we look at “Project Arcwater,” led by Senior Master Sgt. Brent Kenney and Tech Sgt. Matthew Connelly of the 52nd Fighter Wing stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

On Dec. 14, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. signed the Air Force’s first doctrine note on agile combat employment, the buzzy new operational approach based on multi-capable Airmen who can operate in austere locations and move quickly.

The note articulated five core concepts of ACE: posture, command and control, movement and maneuver, protection, and sustainment. But with the way the Air Force currently operates, that last element of sustainment presents a particularly large challenge.

“The way we do things today, we need to take food, fuel, water, and most importantly, equipment to complete a mission,” Kenney noted in his Spark Tank submission. “Many things are simply non-negotiable. Decision makers are faced with hard choices of what to take and what to cut.”

Put another way, “the No. 1 thing is space,” Connelly told Air Force Magazine. “So they get a very limited [amount] of space to take the most vital things, and that’s what they’re going to use for the mission. Other than that, it’s got to be shipped in.”

The biggest space-eaters, both Airmen noted, are often fuel and water, the resources needed to power any base and the personnel on it.

Kenney had been considering this problem for a while when he approached Connelly in March of 2021—Connelly, an innovation manager, was hosting a class that Kenney attended.

“He got a hold of me at the end of class and then he says, ‘Hey, Matt, I got this idea I want to run by you, let me know what you think,’” Connelly recalled. “And he starts talking to me about three-phase power and about HVAC efficiency, how one HVAC unit … uses as much power as a single American home does. It’s very power inefficient. And we’ve been using the same tried and true methods for decades upon decades, just diesel engines powering a whole bunch of things.”

Together, the two started stitching together ideas, all with the common goal of increasing efficiency and reducing the logistical footprint. The end result is a three-pronged system Connelly said could save millions and free up massive amounts of space for mission planners.

First, there’s the lightweight, highly efficient solar panels.

“What do we mean by highly efficient? Meaning if there’s moonlight, we’re still generating power,” Kenney said.

Second, there are the water harvesters, “essentially dehumidifiers, but … incredibly efficient by comparison to the kind of stuff that we can get at Home Depot,” said Connelly. Using solely the humidity in the air, one water harvester can generate nearly 30 gallons of water per day. With environmental sources of water like rivers or ponds, it can produce upwards of 300 gallons.

Finally, there’s an HVAC unit for heating and cooling workspaces that uses a third of the power of traditional units. In a three-day, 30-person test, Connelly and Kenney said, the small generator needed to power a simulated forward operating base only consumed 10 gallons of fuel, compared to the more than 150 that it would typically need.

“Having an innovation like this in our arsenal would significantly decrease our logistical footprint when operating in a bare base location,” Kenney said.

“Essentially, we’re taking independently conceived components out in the commercial world and we’re sewing them together into a package that fits the mission set of agile combat employment: Small teams, very little resources, big tasks,” Connelly said.

But it’s not just logistics and space that would be freed up—Project Arcwater is also aimed at the bottom line.

“One of the things Brent is very fond of saying is that we buy fuel, to fly fuel, to transport fuel, to burn fuel,” Connelly said. “And what he’s saying is that the actual price per gallon, when that diesel hits the generator at the operating site, is closer to $30 a gallon than it is to $4 a gallon because of all the work that went in to getting it to that location.”

Kenney and Connelly are hardly alone in exploring the potential benefits of new technology for essential utilities like power and water. Since they’ve begun work on the project, agencies like DARPA and MGMWERX have reached out to collaborate, something they’ve embraced. But they believe their particular system has an advantage.

“We’re kind of combining those efforts, with the key difference that this thing was built in the field, not in a boardroom or on a chalkboard,” Connelly said.

With so many agencies already pursuing the idea, Kenney and Connelly aren’t focused on securing funding in Spark Tank. Instead, they’re asking for the project to be assigned an office of primary responsibility. The thinking is simple—someone needs to lead the charge.

“If it’s an orphan, then whose responsibility is it? It’s the curse of the commons. If it’s everyone’s responsibility, then it’s no one’s responsibility,” Connelly said. “But if we point to someone and say, ‘you know what, we need to make this your new way of doing business,’… this will be a good thing. We’re replacing big chunky diesel generators and replacing them with solar fabric that you can breathe next to.”

Read about the other Spark Tank finalists:

Maj. Giselle Rieschick, 99th Medical Support Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.: “Blood Delivery by UAV”
Maj. Ryan Sheridan, 10th Air Base Wing, U.S. Air Force Academy: “Custom Facemasks for Fighter Pilots and Beyond”
Matthew Correia, Air University’s Eaker Center, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.: “DAGGER: Developing Airmen and Guardians with Games for Enhanced Readiness.”
Maj. Allen Black, 412th Test Wing, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.: “Project FoX (Fighter Optimization Experiment)

VanHerck: China’s Efforts of Hypersonics ‘Tenfold’ What US Has Done

March 1, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

China’s efforts to develop and field hypersonic weapons has been “tenfold” that of the U.S.’s own push, but the Pentagon will likely increase funding for testing, development, and threat warning in that area in the forthcoming 2023 budget, the commander of U.S. Northern Command told Congress on March 1.

That assessment from Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, who also serves as commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command, comes after months of increased reports about Chinese progress in hypersonics and American efforts to develop its own capabilities.

“They’re aggressively pursuing hypersonic capability tenfold to what we have done, as far as testing within the last year or so, significantly outpacing us with their capabilities,” VanHerck told members of the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee.

“[But] we’re picking up in the department. I’m confident we’ll see when the budget comes out, we’ll see additional resources applied into the hypersonic area, as well as in threat warning and attack assessment for those capabilities.”

The Air Force, Army, and Navy are all pursuing projects in hypersonics, with the Army appearing most likely to field such a weapon first. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, meanwhile, has warned of putting too much emphasis on hypersonics just because China is advancing in that area.

According to reports, however, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III told the military services their proposed 2023 budgets weren’t aggressive enough in pursuing hypersonics. Austin has also reportedly pressed industry CEOs to move faster in the area.

In its 2022 budget request, the Pentagon devoted $3.8 billion to hypersonics programs, though the funds in that budget have still not been approved by Congress.

The exact totals in the 2023 budget have yet to be revealed, but one senior lawmaker indicated the legislature would be supportive of increased funding, especially for testing infrastructure.

“You’re going to have substantial support from the Hill to upgrade infrastructure given the fact that we are behind right now on developing hypersonic weapons,” Rep. James R. Langevin (D-R.I.) said.

On that front, the DOD has already made some progress, said Sasha Baker, deputy undersecretary of defense for policy.

“I can assure you and assure the committee that we have made substantial investments in the test infrastructure, both air and ground, in order to accommodate hypersonic testing and other advanced technology testing that we anticipate will be coming down the road,” Baker said.

China’s ‘Strategic Breakout’

China’s aggressive development, however, hasn’t just affected the U.S. in hypersonics, U.S. Strategic Command boss Adm. Charles A. “Chas” Richard told the Congressional panel.

Richard, who has previously called China’s growth in the area “breathtaking,” declared China has grown into a near-peer nuclear adversary with its “strategic breakout” of nuclear capabilities. As a result, he added, the modernization of the U.S. nuclear enterprise is now an “imperative.”

“The strategic security environment is now a three-party nuclear near peer reality. Our existing nuclear forces are the minimum required to achieve our national strategy. We must modernize and recapitalize the nation’s nuclear triad, nuclear command and control, nuclear complex, and supporting infrastructure to meet presidential objectives.”

Richard said he is confident the 2023 budget will continue to support those modernization efforts, but as China’s own modernization efforts progress, the U.S. will have to stay focused.

“We don’t know the end point of where China is going in terms of the capabilities it’s developing and the capacities that it’s developing,” Richard said. “And while I’m very confident we’re going to wind up with a very good strategy, I think it will need to be a question that we continue to ask ourselves as we see where China goes, as we see where others go, what are the overall capability and capacity that the United States requires in order to execute that strategy against a changing threat? And we’re going to have to ask that question much more frequently than we have in the past.”

What’s Next for Space Force Uniforms: Tweaked Collars, Less Baggy Pants, Supply Chain Problems

March 1, 2022 | By Greg Hadley

It’s been more than five months since Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond unveiled the Space Force’s first prototype service dress uniforms to the world at the Air Force Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference.

Since then, members of the Air Force Uniform Office have been busy entering what director Tracy Roan called a “true development cycle,” making subtle tweaks, correcting fits, and incorporating Guardians’ feedback.

Still, it will likely be quite some time before the uniform is officially rolled out, Roan told Air Force Magazine in an interview.

Supply chain issues have hit multiple branches of the military hard, leading to uniform shortages for the Air Force and Coast Guard. And they have “definitely hindered” Roan’s office as it tries to move forward with the Space Force uniform, she said, noting her team isn’t even slated to receive fabric for test assets until “late summer.”

As a result, the process of actually getting the uniform to Guardians is taking “much longer than we would like,” Roan said, declining to estimate a timeline for when that might happen.

Design Tweaks

After the initial prototype was unveiled, reactions poured in—plenty of civilians compared the design to those from science fiction, while those in the military were quick to note that the pants on the female Guardian in particular seemed baggy and ill-fitting.

The Space Force acknowledged that criticism, tweeting in October, “We heard your feedback. New pants, new fit coming soon.”

We heard your feedback. New pants, new fit coming soon. pic.twitter.com/tsk5g7fOM0
— United States Space Force (@SpaceForceDoD) October 1, 2021

Roan heard the feedback too, and she credited the poor fit to several factors, including fabric that has more stretch and drapes differently compared to other military pants. The Uniform Office is now looking to “make sure that the pattern coincides with the fabric needs,” she said.

“Truly the basis of this is everything was accelerated: the fit, the samples were made, I believe the model lost some weight right prior to the introduction,” Roan added. “There really just wasn’t a lot of time to make sure that all those details were addressed or even known prior to her really being in front of the public, and I would say as much as anything, in the position that you stand at attention is probably not super flattering for most people, really. So it just kind of was a perfect storm.”

In addition to the pants, Roan said her office is also making adjustments to another element: the collar.

“The original collar on the prototypes unveiled had a very wide opening that revealed a lot of the dress shirt underneath,” Roan said. “We’ve closed that up some. It still is open, you still see the shirt, it’s just not as wide. I think actually, it looks more flattering because the … wider opening actually widens someone’s neck. So I think this new shape is a little more flattering. And it’s just a really, truly simple fix.”

Since the Space Force unveiled the prototypes, the service has conducted six “roadshow”-style events, where Guardians have been able to examine the uniform up-close and in-person. The response from these events has been mostly positive, Roan said, with many Guardians expressing appreciation for the fabric used. “They’re unique from our current Air Force fabric or some of the other services’ fabric in that they actually have stretch built in, so hopefully the comfort will be enhanced because of that,” Roan said.

Still to Come

In addition to the feedback on the prototypes, the Space Force has also been seeking input from Guardians on the covers that should accompany the uniform—the models at ASC weren’t wearing any.

“Right now we are utilizing a variation of the Air Force garrison cap. But I would say it’s kind of in a TBD stage as we work through the comments and feedback,” said Roan, adding that her office is also considering a billed cap similar to the Air Force’s service cap, sometimes referred to as the bus driver cap.

There are other uniform items also still in the works.

We’re “determining what other items are needed—sweaters, there’s a lightweight jacket, some other things like that,” Roan said.

space force insignia — The Space Force released its insignia for enlisted Guardians on Sept. 20, 2021. Space Force Twitter.

In the Meantime

In a recent video update sent to Guardians, Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger A. Towberman announced that the service would be making subtle tweaks to the Air Force dress uniform while it waited for its own version, aiming to “space it up a little bit,” he said.

Roan confirmed those changes as relatively minor in nature, focused on the new insignia being rolled out, buttons, and nameplates.

Despite these changes, though, the plan for a completely distinct dress uniform is not being abandoned, and Roan indicated the prototypes won’t be overhauled or scrapped.

“It’s mostly what was seen, just with some finessing of fit, that sort of thing,” she said.

One uniform element that isn’t set to change is the use of the operational camouflage pattern uniform as the service’s duty uniform, Roan confirmed.

PT Gear

Overshadowed somewhat by the debut of the service dress prototypes, the Space Force also announced in September that it was wear-testing its new PT gear—black shorts with a version of the service’s delta logo in white and a gray T-shirt bearing the stylized words “Space Force” in white on the back.

That uniform set continues to progress through the Pentagon’s approval process, Roan said. It is currently in front of the Defense Logistics Agency “for the initial contracting, moving to the production phase.”

Roan declined to provide an estimate for when the PT uniform would be officially rolled out. The Air Force is also working to roll out its own new PT uniform, and Roan indicated that process is reaching its latter stages, with a procurement contract set to be awarded in May.

David T. ‘Buck’ Buckwalter, Former AFA Exec VP, Dead at 72

Feb. 28, 2022 | By John A. Tirpak

Retired Col. David T. “Buck” Buckwalter, a former Air Force Association executive vice president who inaugurated its CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers programs, died Feb. 27 at the age of 72. Buckwalter spent 27 years in the Air Force as a weapon systems officer, logistician, and an instructor.

Buckwalter was commissioned out of Air Force Officer Training School in 1972, after earning a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in New York. He attended navigator training and was a weapon system officer and flight commander on the RF-4C Phantom reconnaissance jet in Vietnam, where he earned the Air Medal. He accumulated more than 2,200 flight hours during his time in the service.

He was a maintenance squadron and logistics group commander, and the senior Air Force advisor to the president of the Naval War College, as well as executive officer to the director of operations for U.S. Air Forces in Europe. Buckwalter retired as a colonel in 1999, having earned a Master’s degree in management from Troy University and another Master’s in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He also received a certificate in general studies from Salve Regina University.

“Buck was a wonderful friend and leader over the years,” said AFA President, retired Lt. Gen. Bruce “Orville” Wright. “Remembering our time flying F-4 Phantoms as we defended our nation, Buck was always an exemplary air warrior and it was an honor to serve together in the higher calling of our Air Force mission.”

Buckwalter was a Life member of AFA, which he joined upon his entry into the Air Force in 1972, and served as a Chapter, State, and Region president. He was a trustee of the former Aerospace Education Foundation (AEF) and headed the Strategic Planning Committee and the AFA21 Task Force Tax Status team, which earned AFA its 501(c)(3) tax status. He also chaired the Constitution Committee and managed the merger of AFA and the AEF. He was an AFA national director from 2004-2007 and vice chairman of the Aerospace Education Council in 2007.

Among his AFA awards were the Medal of Merit, Exceptional Service Award, and Presidential Citation.

Buckwalter joined the AFA staff as executive vice president in 2008 and held the role until 2012, where he managed the association’s professional staff and day-to-day operations. In 2009, while EVP, Buckwalter executed the first full season of CyberPatriot, a cyber defense competition designed to interest students in science, technology, engineering, and math. Today, CyberPatriot is a global success, with nearly 5,000 teams competing from schools in the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Germany, and the Republic of Korea.

Later, as a volunteer, Buckwalter sought to build on that success, helping to found StellarXplorers. StellarXplorers is a space system design competition that teaches participants about satellite design, orbits, and operations.

Gerald R. Murray, former Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and Chairman of the Board of AFA, noted that 2022 marks Buckwalter’s 50th year as an AFA member.

“For decades, he has put his time, treasure, and heart into serving AFA,” Murray said. “Buck always looked out for our chapters … He made work fun for AFA staff and treated everyone with respect.”

Buckwalter was the “guiding hand in the fundamental reorganization of AFA, enabling us to transform into the vibrant aerospace education organization we are today,” Murray said. Of all the AFA programs he got involved with, CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers were “perhaps the nearest to his heart,” Murray continued. “Buck’s legacy will live on in the smiles of students competing in these programs for many years to come.”

Pentagon: Russia Aims to Cut Off Eastern Ukraine, EU Offers Fighter Jets

Feb. 28, 2022 | By Abraham Mahshie

The Defense Department outlined Feb. 28 a perceived Russian strategy in Ukraine to encircle Kyiv and cut off the eastern half of the country, but execution or planning failures have slowed progress as the U.S. and partners coordinate to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in new defense assistance to Ukraine.

Ukraine’s air space remains contested, with the government of Ukraine retaining aircraft and missile defenses, a senior defense official told journalists, noting heavy fighting in the second city of Kharkiv, and a continued Russian advance from the south. The southern advance opens a possible third vector to Kyiv that could soon encircle the city. Meanwhile, U.S. ground and airborne defense assistance has arrived to Ukrainian fighters “in just the last day or so,” and European allies have promised to give Ukraine combat jets, according to the official.

“The Russians have not achieved air superiority over the whole country,” the official added. “Ukrainian air defenses remain intact and viable, both in terms of aircraft and missile defense systems.”

Ukraine’s aircraft and air defense systems are about to improve thanks to a $561 million commitment by European Union countries.

“We are going to provide even fighter jets,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Feb. 27.

Although the fighters will be Soviet-made, like those already in the Ukrainian inventory, it’s not clear how they will get there since many of the airfields are badly damaged, or whether the jets will come with munitions.

While not involved in the EU offer, Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said the Defense Department is coordinating defense assistance with partners.

“We continue to coordinate closely with allies and partners about the security assistance that the Ukrainians continue to get, not just from us, but from them as well,” Kirby said in response to a question from Air Force Magazine.

Still, Russian forces are fighting intensely for the eastern city of Kharkiv and are moving closer to Mariupol in the south, marking a potential front to divide the country in two.

“If they can get Kharkiv and then get Mariupol, if you draw a line between those two cities, you can see that that would allow them to section off the eastern part of Ukraine and fix whatever Ukrainian armed forces are in the east and keep them there,” the defense official said.

Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation is positioned on the southeastern front where Russian-backed separatists have declared independent republics in Donetsk and Luhansk after Russia invaded in 2014. On Feb. 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the republics and sent tanks and troops into the area in the beginning salvo of the current conflict.

Separately, Russian forces are believed to have advanced to within about 15 miles of Kyiv from northern approaches that launched from Belarus, and satellite imagery shows a 17-mile long Russian convoy approaching the capital.

“We expect that they’re going to want to continue to move forward and try to encircle the city in coming days,” the official said.

https://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1497554238695743493

Russia has launched 380 missiles into Ukraine and has committed 75 percent of its amassed forces inside Ukraine, DOD assesses. However, progress has been slowed by Russian logistics challenges and heavy resistance.

“Mr. Putin still has at his disposal significant combat power,” Kirby said. “He hasn’t moved all of it into Ukraine.”

With battlefield delays and global opposition mounting, Putin Feb. 27 announced his strategic forces would be on high combat alert, a declaration still not well understood by the Pentagon. Nonetheless, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III is confident in the U.S. strategic stance.

“We’re reviewing and analyzing that announcement,” Kirby said. “Secretary Austin is comfortable with the strategic deterrent posture of the United States and our ability to defend the homeland, our allies, and our partners.”

In recent weeks and days, President Joe Biden imposed heavy sanctions on Russia and ordered 14,000 troops to NATO’s eastern flank, including new deployments to Europe and the repositioning of forces already in theater. In addition, at least 30 F-16s, F-18s, and F-35s re-positioned in the east to conduct air policing missions from the Baltics down to the Black Sea.

“This is airspace that now butts up against what is now contested airspace,” Kirby said. “In many ways, these air policing missions are more important than ever before.”

Reports have not emerged yet from peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian diplomats held Feb. 28 at the Ukraine-Belarus border, but the Pentagon said Putin has shown no signs of slowing his assault on the fifth day of the war.

“The one place this still could go is a peaceful diplomatic outcome,” Kirby said. “There’s nothing other than perhaps his own obstinance preventing Mr. Putin from doing the right thing here and to try and to find a way to stop this war.”