DOD Concerned About Spread of COVID-19 ‘Delta’ Variant

DOD Concerned About Spread of COVID-19 ‘Delta’ Variant

June 30, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Defense Department is beginning to see the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 among service members, and officials are urging more troops to receive vaccinations, saying health protection conditions could increase if cases rise.

The new variant, which emerged from India and is expected to become the predominant type of COVID-19 in the United States, “poses a threat to the return to normal,” particularly in areas of the country that have lower vaccination rates, said Dr. Terry Adirim, the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, on June 30.

“We anticipate health protection conditions could change at some of our installations in the future,” Adirim said.

The majority of current COVID-19 infections in the military are not the new Delta variant, but the number is rising, said Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, the director of the Defense Health Agency.

So far, about 68 percent of the total Active-duty force has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. About 61 percent of the Department of the Air Force’s Active-duty component has received one dose, lower than the Army’s 70 percent and the Navy’s 77 percent but higher than the Marine Corps’ 58 percent.

As of June 30, there were 21 COVID-19-positive individuals hospitalized at DOD installations, down from the peak of 240 on Jan. 8, Place said. Zero of those currently in hospitals have received a vaccine.

“The benefits of vaccination are remarkably clear,” Place said.

So far, the Defense Department has administered more than 4.2 million vaccine doses and the military has administered 1.26 million tests this year alone. Outside of the ranks, three-quarters of Defense Department Education Activity teachers and school staff have received the vaccines, allowing the schools to be fully opened, said Max Rose, the senior adviser to the Secretary of Defense.

The Pentagon is still pushing for more vaccines and precautions despite the continued momentum, Rose said.

“Our work as a department will continue until we see this global pandemic come to an end,” he said.

White House Lays Out its Case for Syria Strikes as Congress Considers AUMFs

White House Lays Out its Case for Syria Strikes as Congress Considers AUMFs

June 29, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

President Joe Biden on June 29 laid out his case to Congress for the airstrikes two days earlier that targeted Iranian-backed militias in Syria, as Congress is pressing to assert its control over war-making decisions and to repeal older authorizations for military force.

“I directed the June 27 strikes in order to protect and defend the safety of our personnel, to degrade and disrupt the ongoing series of attacks against the United States and our partners, and to deter the Islamic Republic of Iran and Iran-backed militia groups from conducting or supporting further attacks on United States personnel and facilities,” Biden wrote in a letter to Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). “In support of these aims, the targeted strikes were directed at facilities used by groups involved in these ongoing attacks for weapons storage, command, logistics, and UAV operations.”

The airstrikes, from USAF F-15 and F-16 aircraft, targeted three facilities in rural areas near the Syrian-Iraq border. The buildings “have been involved in a series of unmanned aerial vehicle and rocket attacks against United States personnel and facilities in Iraq. These militia attacks have escalated in recent months,” Biden wrote.

Biden said his letter is consistent with the War Powers Resolution to keep Congress informed, though some lawmakers following the attacks called for more advanced notice of such attacks.  

“Both the Constitution and the War Powers Act require the President to come to Congress for a war declaration under these circumstances,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, and Counterterrorism, in a statement.

Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said the attacks showed the need for a look at the current Authorizations on the Use of Military Force and a possible replacement.

The House of Representatives has taken multiple votes to that end. On June 29, the House voted 366-46 to repeal an AUMF enacted in 1991 in advance of the Gulf War and another authorization passed in 1957 during the Cold War. The House earlier this month voted to repeal the 2002 AUMF enacted for the war in Iraq. The body has not scheduled a vote to repeal the often-cited 2001 AUMF that was passed following the 9/11 attacks. Similar measures are in the works in the Senate.

The White House and the Pentagon have said the June 27 airstrikes are legally justified by Article II of the Constitution, outlining the President’s responsibility to protect Americans. “The President was operating clearly and unequivocally inside his Article II authorities for self defense,” Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said June 29.

That said, the Pentagon does support a new look at the authorizations. “The department is in full support of taking a look at the AUMF and more narrowly defining” the authorizations, Kirby said.

The day after the June 27 airstrikes, militias fired rockets at U.S. positions inside Syria, and American troops in turn responded with artillery fire. Kirby said the rockets hit two buildings at a U.S. base, though no casualties were reported.

“I’m not in a position to get into specifics about the number of rockets, and we’re still assessing the attribution on this,” Kirby said, adding that the Pentagon is “working under the assumption that they were fired by Iran-backed militias or militia.” 

Russia and China Could Team Up to Challenge US Space Superiority, Experts Say

Russia and China Could Team Up to Challenge US Space Superiority, Experts Say

June 29, 2021 | By Abraham Mahshie

Sanctions are crushing Russia’s efforts to counter American space superiority, but analysts have a rising concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin may link up with China’s wealth to develop the weapons that could stop American war fighters in their tracks.

Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond has warned that America’s adversaries are already operating as if space was a war fighting domain, exhibiting ground and space-based weapons capabilities that can target vulnerable American satellites. House Armed Services Committee chairman Adam Smith admitted to Air Force Magazine on June 29 that satellite survivability and redundancy were his priorities for fending off adversaries, but a closer look at the budget was necessary.

“I don’t think ‘catch-up,’ is the right word,” Smith said when asked about American space weapons compared to adversaries in a Defense Writers Group discussion. “We’re not behind in this area.”

The Washington state Democrat said his priorities were cost-effective launch and the survivability of satellites and command-and-control systems.

The dropping cost of launch in America’s domestic capability has had the dual effect of robbing Russia of needed dollars to support its military space program, retired Col. Douglas Loverro said at a June 28 Center for Strategic and International Studies forum on Russia’s evolving military capabilities in space.

Loverro, who served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy from 2013 to 2017, also described Russia’s July 2020 test of a co-orbital satellite that aligned with an American spy satellite and fired a projectile in space.

“They view this as a decisive factor,” Loverro said. “Certainly, they are building the means, as best we can tell, to go ahead and make sure that they can eliminate U.S. space capabilities if war does occur.”

The Russian capability is despite a drop in oil prices that has cut into Moscow’s revenue coupled with crushing American sanctions related to the invasion of Crimea in 2014. Russia’s commercial space and launch programs have also taken a hit in recent years, depleting resources to invest further.

Loverro said Russia’s 10-year space development budget, released in 2016, called for $53 billion, but Moscow could only afford to commit $10 billion.

“Diplomatically, Russia is trying to reign in U.S. efforts by going ahead and aligning with China and other BRIC nations [Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa],” he added, describing UN efforts to limit the presence of weapons in space. “Those are clearly designed to try to slow down U.S. progress in this area.”

Teaming Up with China

Russia and China jointly submitted a UN resolution in 2008 to limit space weapons, but of late, their cooperation has gone further. Recently, the two cooperated on the Chinese space station and signed a memorandum of understanding on a potential lunar base.

Commercial cooperation between two of America’s chief space adversaries can easily extend to military applications, the expert panel argued, even though historical differences may arise.

“Russia has experience on deception in space,” Loverro said. “Russia has experience that is incredibly valuable to a technologically advanced, but operationally inexperienced China.”

The former head of NASA’s human spaceflight program also qualified Russia’s malicious expertise as more in the cyber realm while he viewed China as more advanced in the space domain.

“The combination of those two could be very dangerous,” he said.

Former commander of U.S. Strategic Command and Air Force Space Command, retired Gen. C. Robert Kehler spoke to his Cold War-era knowledge between the two communist countries.

“I think it remains to be seen what that partnership really does,” he said.

“During the Cold War, from my perspective, when Russia and China said that they were working together, they were going to cooperate on things, they have never seemed to me to be natural partners,” Kehler explained. “I don’t know it’s going to result in anything that’s meaningful here.”

Loverro offered the last word about the increased proximity of civil space cooperation between Russia and China.

“That represents a very dangerous position for us because Russia has the operational space knowledge, China has the technology and the funding,” he said. “Together, they can be a significant competitor for the U.S., and certainly their ambition remains to be a great space power.”

Smith hedged when asked if the $17.4 billion Space Force budget request was correctly apportioned to meet the threat posed by America’s space adversaries.

“More or less, I think that the Space Force budget is correct,” he said. “I got to do a deeper dive on that to really understand it, but I think it’s moving more or less in the right direction.”

Smith was less certain that a combined Russia-China team was percolating to challenge American space superiority, but he said the U.S. should prepare regardless.

“I don’t think anyone has any idea whether or not Russia and China are going to team up,” he said. “But whether they team up or not, we need to be ready for it. We need to be able to protect our systems and we need to be able to deter our adversaries from attacking them in the first place.”

House Appropriators Release 2022 Defense Budget Draft With Extra C-130s, MQ-9s

House Appropriators Release 2022 Defense Budget Draft With Extra C-130s, MQ-9s

June 29, 2021 | By Greg Hadley

The House Appropriations Committee released its draft of the fiscal 2022 defense budget on June 29, adding C-130s and MQ-9s to the Air Force’s budget request while leaving the service’s request for F-35s untouched.

The draft, released by committee chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and defense subcommittee chair Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), provides $705.9 billion in funds, not counting roughly $10 billion in military construction funding That’s largely in line with the $715 billion Defense Department request from President Joe Biden’s administration. Cuts were made to the requests for military personnel and research, development, test, and evaluation, while procurement and operation and maintenance figures were increased slightly.

For the Department of the Air Force in particular, the bill maintains a proposed cut of 5,175 Active duty service members. It does add funds for “key readiness programs,” including more flying hours, after the President’s budget proposal cut 87,000 flying hours from the 2021 budget.

The Air Force’s budget request included a number of puts and takes across the fleet of C-130s in its various configurations for both mobility and special missions, including the retirement of 20 airframes, as well as the procurement of three new MC-130Js. The Department of the Navy requested the procurement of six new KC-130Js for the Marine Corps.

The House Appropriations draft provides funding for 13 C/KC/MC-130J aircraft. Air Force Magazine has reached out to a committee spokesperson requesting clarification on how many of the four additional C-130s will go to the Air Force.

Similarly, the Air Force’s budget did not look to buy any new MQ-9 Reaper drones in 2022, though it did include an increase of 21 airframes as previously budgeted MQ-9s are delivered. The House committee draft, however, funds the procurement of 12 Reapers between the Marine Corps and Air Force, six more than requested by the two services combined.

The Air Force and Navy departments requested to buy 85 new F-35 fighters between them, 48 to the USAF and 35 to the Navy and Marine Corps. The House draft funds that amount but no more. Last year, Congress added 12 more of the fifth-generation fighters to the Air Force’s request, in line with the service’s unfunded priorities list. This year, the Air Force’s UPL did not include any additional F-35s.

The appropriator’s draft does fully fund the Air Force’s requests for RDT&E in the B-21 and Next Generation Air Dominance programs, while providing $2.5 billion for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, down slightly from the requested $2.6 billion across the Defense Department.

The bill also fully funds several key procurement programs for the Space Force, including $1.3 billion for five National Security Space Launch services and $601 million for two GPS IIIF spacecraft. It does, however, trim the Space Force’s request for RDT&E for the National Security Space Launch, from $221.5 million to $184 million.

Editor’s note: This article was updated at 10 a.m. on July 1 to correct the funding level for GPS IIIF spacecraft. It is $601 million.

US Troops May Return to Somalia After Force Structure Review

US Troops May Return to Somalia After Force Structure Review

June 29, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Defense Department is considering sending U.S. troops back to Somalia just about six months after pulling them all out of the country as part of a broader look at the military’s force posture.

In December, then-President Donald J. Trump ordered troops to leave Somalia as part of a global push to draw down the numbers of deployed forces. Since then, U.S. forces have been “commuting to work” by flying in from nearby nations for training events and then leaving.

AFRICOM boss Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, speaking June 29 during the Center for Strategic and International Studies EU Washington Defense Forum, said the Pentagon under President Joe Biden is in the final stages of changing the force posture in the region.

“I’ve been communicating back and forth with my civilian leaders in the Department of Defense, the Secretary of Defense, giving him options,” Townsend said. “And I think we’ll keep those options right where they should be, in private communications with the Secretary Defense, so our civilian leaders have the opportunity to make their decisions.”

Townsend said it is his belief that the best way to work with partners in Africa is “side-by-side, face-to-face, shoulder-to-shoulder,” and it’s gotten much more difficult to do that with American forces flying in for short periods of time.

“There’s really no denying that our … fairly sudden repositioning out of Somalia earlier this year has introduced new layers of risk and complexity to our mission there,” Townsend said. “So, what we’re trying to do is manage that risk and complexity as we still try to help our African partners with their security challenges.”

The withdrawal from Somalia was a large-scale undertaking, led by USAF aircraft and other air power. USAF C-130s flew about 200 sorties as part of “Operation Octave Quartz,” bringing out about 4 million pounds of cargo and hundreds of personnel.

A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier deployed to the region, with U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs providing overwatch of moving American troops. USAF MQ-9s and special operations aircraft also provided surveillance. Air Force F-16s and KC-135s from U.S. Central Command also flew down to the region, with an E-11 Battlefield Airborne Communication Node helping the forces communicate, U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa boss Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian told Air Force Magazine earlier this year.

“As we did this, we recognize that when you pull together a joint task force made up of Americans that are focused on a mission, they’re going to figure out a way to get it done,” Harrigian said. “And they’re going to do it by protecting Americans. They’re going to do it safely and effectively, and they did it in an extremely short period of time.”

Also in 2020, the Pentagon announced it was looking to move AFRICOM’s headquarters as part of its force posture changes. Townsend said June 29 that his command “is very happy to be right where we are in Europe, in Germany,” and it would be “tough to choose” a possible location in Africa. “I think we’re in a great place,” he said.

Don’t Get Caught by Trends: Why Microelectronics Trust and Assurance Requires Enduring Solutions

Don’t Get Caught by Trends: Why Microelectronics Trust and Assurance Requires Enduring Solutions

June 29, 2021 | By George Lecakes

The U.S. Air Force and every other branch of U.S. military service depend on safe and reliable microelectronic devices and embedded systems. Without them, modern defense weapons systems can’t function. And when the integrity of these components is compromised, it puts people, systems and entire military operations in peril.  

The microelectronics industry is a broad and complex ecosystem of global supply chains that involves many different players, places and steps — and that won’t be changing anytime soon. In the past, our government led technological advancements in microelectronics, but various policies and regulations have driven up the cost of manufacturing devices in the U.S. and pushed that part of the process overseas. Subsequently, microelectronic components like field-programmable gate arrays, application-specific integrated circuits and printed circuit boards (PCBs) are designed in the U.S. but are fabricated, tested and packaged in other countries.  

Why the Latest Tools Aren’t Enough 

This presents every facet of U.S. Armed Forces with a plethora of trust and assurance challenges because very real threats are posed by malicious or counterfeit chips from foreign countries run by governments that do not have the U.S.’s best interests in mind. Without the proper safeguards, it’s all too easy for poor-quality, fake or pernicious devices to be introduced into U.S. defense systems. 

There are, of course, cutting-edge tools designed to scan microelectronics devices for issues, but these alone are not enough to ensure their safe and reliable operation on the critical platforms used by the U.S. Air Force and our nation’s other military sectors. Not only does the current breakneck pace of technological change make it impractical and impossible to constantly buy new products and implement wholesale changes, but in today’s world, new threats arise on a daily basis.  

Given all these factors, the only truly cost-effective, dependable way to maintain safety and trust assurance is to employ enduring solutions that have the ability to continually learn and improve. This means that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning cannot just be buzzwords — they must be utilized to their full extent. 

Lasting Solutions That Continually Improve Over Time 

For example, there is a great need for tools that can verify and validate the trust and assurance of PCBs — the foundational building blocks or “brains” of most electronic devices — while scanning for counterfeits. Electronic systems have become incredibly complex and expensive and getting a single PCB ready for use can require 150 or more intricate steps. These crucial components are being used by organizations responsible for national defense and homeland security, but with the private commercial sector heading the modern-day microelectronics charge, the U.S. military has no choice but to rely on consumer off-the-shelf (COTS) PCBs from outside sources. As a result, cost and integration with current systems cannot be overlooked.  

By leveraging the power of AI and machine learning, we can create and maintain a database of the “gold standard” of PCBs, ensuring that all scans are assessing authenticity using the most accurate and up-to-date information available. My company, Battelle, has developed a software suite called Rapid Assembly Inspection for COTS Security (RAICS) that analyzes PCB assemblies in this manner. Using complementary imaging hardware, RAICS generates multimodal signatures from an array of industrial sensors and quickly assesses the integrity of the COTS device being scanned. And thanks to AI and automated machine learning, the more RAICS runs, the more robust and adept it becomes. 

Similar enduring solutions are needed to protect the embedded code that runs on communications buses within larger systems. The code and components of distributed control networks like smart grids, autonomous vehicle systems and medical monitoring are prime targets for hackers, but an algorithm that leverages machine learning can be applied to continually improve their ability to protect themselves from cyberattacks.  

Battelle’s CANProtect technology attaches to and observes the commands sent through cyber-physical networks and searches for anomalies using explicitly programmed machine learning techniques. Like RAICS, the longer it’s in the field, the more adept it becomes at protection. CANProtect can also be used across services and installations, from Apache helicopters to aircraft refuelers. 

Those of us who serve our country through the U.S. armed services know all too well that there will always be looming threats to keep at bay and the cybersecurity of our critical systems will continue to face increasing pressure and risk. While the latest shiny new tech objects may seem like the best defense, they can’t be the only tools in our arsenal. To effectively combat dangers and risks while working within the realities and confines of current budget and implementation constraints, it’s imperative that we focus on and emphasize enduring solutions that continually grow smarter over time. The trust and assurance of our nation’s defense systems merit airtight protection that can go the distance. 

Learn more about Battelle’s capabilities in Microelectronics Trust & Assurance. 

George Lecakes is the Vice President and General Manager of National Security at Battelle.

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ACC Activates the First Spectrum Warfare Wing

ACC Activates the First Spectrum Warfare Wing

June 28, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Air Combat Command on June 25 activated the first-of-its-kind 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, which will provide electronic warfare maintenance and expertise for Combat Air Forces.

The wing, which is temporarily based at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., while the Air Force does an environmental study for its permanent location, has long been previewed by service officials as a key step to ensure the U.S. military has superiority in spectrum.

“The competition in the electromagnetic spectrum is more important than ever before. The joint force is connected by and delivers effects in and through the EMS,” said Col. William Young, 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing commander, in a release. “If we lose the fight in the EMS, we will lose the fights in all other domains. We’re here to help make sure that doesn’t happen.

Following the release of a Defense Department-wide electromagnetic spectrum strategy in October, the Air Force announced it was creating the wing. The Air Force’s skills in the area “atrophied” during recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the new wing will help build a new capability, former Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen W. “Seve” Wilson said in October.

The wing is aligned under the new 16th Air Force. Existing units such as the 53rd Electronic Warfare Group are moving to the new wing.

“The activation of the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing is the latest step the Air Force has taken to maintain our competitive advantage in electromagnetic warfare,” said Maj. Gen. Case A. Cunningham, United States Air Force Warfare Center commander. “Placing this critical mission under a wing commander dedicated to this mission set is fundamental to accelerating needed change and ensuring our warfighters can continue to fight and win in the EMS.”

The Air Force expects the wing’s permanent location to be decided in the spring of 2022.

Here Are Some of the New PT Test Exercise Options the Air Force Will Offer

Here Are Some of the New PT Test Exercise Options the Air Force Will Offer

June 28, 2021 | By Greg Hadley

The Department of the Air Force will resume revamped physical fitness testing on July 1 after a lengthy, COVID-induced delay, but still more changes are coming as the service is set to debut new alternative options for the test in January 2022. 

The official announcement on what those new testing options will be outside the standard 1.5 mile run, push-ups, and sit-ups is coming “soon,” Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass said June 28 in a virtual “Coffee Chat” event. However, Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel, and services, offered a sneak peak on what has and hasn’t been approved.

“Say you’re not a long distance runner, … we have a way to do a shuttle run back and forth, about 20-25 meters apart over a timed distance, and the fastest you can do that will correlate your score, just like your 1.5 mile distance,” Kelly said. “… There’ll be an option to walk. Today you can only walk if you get a medical leave, right? You’ll have an option to walk as well.”

For sit-ups, planks will be allowed as an alternative measure of core strength. For push-ups, Kelly said, there will be a new option to do what he termed “raised hand push-ups.” 

“So instead of just going up and down, you’ll be in your push-up position and periodically raise a hand up and push the hand down and do that for a certain amount of time.”

Airmen will be able to pick and choose which testing options they prefer, Kelly said, and can mix traditional elements in one component with alternative ones in another. The scoring system will remain on a scale of 100 points, with 60 points going towards the cardio component and 20 each for the other two.

There will be a six-month “break-in” period when the new options are introduced, and adjustments will be made as necessary, Kelly added.

While it is not clear if there will be any other alternative options allowed in the new system, Kelly did throw some cold water on the notion that exercises like swimming, biking, or rowing would be included.

“In the end, we probably won’t offer those, and the reason we won’t offer those is it’s really hard to offer those at all locations,” Kelly said. “If you happen to be Airmen at a remote location or something and you can’t get a pool and it’s not available to you, it just doesn’t make it equitable for the force. We need to be able to execute each component everywhere.”

Bass added that she was initially a fan of including rowing as an option but realized that rowing machines weren’t widely available. That doesn’t mean things can’t change in the future though, she said.

One element of PT testing that won’t be coming back July 1 is the waist measurement component. But starting in October, there will still be body measurements taken, as is required by law, Kelly said. However, he noted, that leadership is looking into possible alternative methods to measure body composition.

The Space Force is expected to release its own guidance for PT testing, but will continue to follow Air Force guidance for the time being.

USAF Fighters Strike Iranian-Backed Militias on Iraq-Syria Border

USAF Fighters Strike Iranian-Backed Militias on Iraq-Syria Border

June 28, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

U.S. Air Force F-15E and F-16 aircraft on June 27 conducted strikes on three facilities on the Syria-Iraq border, where the Pentagon said Iranian-backed militias were building and storing the small drone weapons used to attack U.S. and partner bases in recent months.

The strikes hit buildings in As-Sisak, Al Hury, and Qasabat in Syria, with video released June 28 showing the buildings in rural areas destroyed by airstrikes. The buildings are linked to militias such as Kata’ib Hezbollah and Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, the Pentagon said in a statement.

“As demonstrated by this evening’s strikes, President Biden has been clear that he will act to protect U.S. personnel. Given the ongoing series of attacks by Iran-backed groups targeting U.S. interests in Iraq, the President directed further military action to disrupt and deter such attacks,” Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said in a statement.

The strikes were “necessary to address the threat and appropriately limited in scope,” Kirby said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that seven members of a militia were killed, with more sustaining serious injuries.

The Iraqi government criticized the strikes, with Ministry of Defense spokesman Yehia Rasool saying it was a “blatant and unacceptable violation of Iraqi sovereignty.”

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a June 28 briefing that the White House and Pentagon notified lawmakers and was in “close touch with partners in the region” before and after the strikes. It is Biden’s view that, “we should and will take necessary measures to defend U.S. personnel, allies, and partners in the region,” she said.

At about 7:45 local time on June 28, U.S. forces inside Syria were attacked by an undisclosed group firing multiple rockets. No one was injured and damage from the attack is still being assessed, Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman Col. Wayne Marotto said. U.S. forces in response fired counter-battery artillery fire at the rocket launching positions, he said.

The strikes come amid discussion on Capitol Hill on the existing Authorizations on the Use of Military Force, and whether the measures should be repealed and replaced to govern military action in the Middle East.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the strikes showed “decisive action” to protect U.S. personnel and interests, and his committee will investigate the strikes and a “broader discussion” on the 2002 Authorization on the Use of Military Force as it relates to combatting Iranian-backed militia groups.

Some lawmakers raised concern that the repeated retaliatory strikes, conducted without Congressional notification, would now qualify as a “pattern of hostilities” under the War Powers Act.

“Both the Constitution and the War Powers Act require the President to come to Congress for a war declaration under these circumstances,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), the chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, and Counterterrorism, said in a statement.

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that “Iran’s persistent attacks on American personnel via its proxies cannot be tolerated.” The threat shows the continued need for the AUMF, or “at a minimum” the need for a comprehensive replacement.

President Joe Biden, speaking during a brief appearance at the Oval Office, said the Iranian-backed groups were responsible for attacking U.S. personnel and “I have that authority under Article II [of the Constitution] and even those up on the Hill who are reluctant to acknowledge that have acknowledged that that’s the case.”

It is the second time in about four months that Biden has approved airstrikes on the militias in the region. On Feb. 25, two F-15Es dropped seven precision-guided munitions on a border crossing complex used by the two militias to bring fighters and weapons into Iraq.

Small UAVs carrying explosives have become a major issue for U.S. and partner forces in the region. U.S. Central Command boss Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. told lawmakers in April that they represent a “persistent and dangerous” threat.

“These small- and medium-sized UAS proliferating across the [area of operations] present a new and complex threat to our forces and those of our partners and allies,” he said. “For the first time since the Korean War, we are operating without complete air superiority.”

In recent months, there have been several such attacks on U.S. positions in locations such as Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan and al-Asad Air Base.

Last month, USAF personnel began using a new counter-drone system, first developed for the Air Force’s nuclear bases, to protect aircraft and personnel at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 6:44 p.m. on June 28 to include Congressional reaction.