Registration Opens for the Second Annual Hack-A-Sat Program

Registration Opens for the Second Annual Hack-A-Sat Program

May 5, 2021 | By Amy Hudson

The Department of the Air Force wants to know if you can hack its satellites.

Registration for the second Space Security Challenge: Hack-A-Sat opened May 4, with the qualification event slated to run June 26-27. Teams will earn points for speed and accuracy in a “Jeopardy”-style round with a chance to win up to $10,000.

The top eight teams will move on to the next round, where they will compete in a “capture-the-flag-style hack-a-sat” final event on Sept. 17-19. Each team will be tasked with defending their own satellites while trying to simultaneously hack their opponents’ satellites. The department is looking for teams with advanced technical knowledge of space systems, according to a May 4 release.

The first-place winner will receive $50,000; second place will win $30,000; and third place will earn $20,000.

“The first Hack-A-Sat was a tremendous success in bringing together a diverse group of government, commercial, and private organizations and individuals to test and develop cybersecurity solutions for our unique space networks,” said Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, commander of the Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center, in the release.

The inaugural event brought in 2,000 teams consisting of some 6,000 hackers, and the final event included the first-ever on-orbit hacking challenge.

“The security and cyber-resiliency of our on-orbit systems is an absolute necessity as we look to ensure the peaceful development of the global commons of space over the coming decades,” Thompson added. “This required a multitude of specialties, so partnerships across the entire professional cybersecurity spectrum are vital to developing the next-generation of secure space systems.”

Although last year marked the first Hack-a-Sat challenge, the first Hack the Air Force event in May 2017 also targeted space assets. The Defense Department first opened its doors to white hat hackers in 2016 in the inaugural Hack the Pentagon event.

To register, visit hackasat.com.

ICBM Shuts Itself Down Before Launch, Test Aborted

ICBM Shuts Itself Down Before Launch, Test Aborted

May 5, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

An unarmed Minuteman III test launch was aborted May 5 when the missile’s computer detected a fault during its terminal countdown and stopped the launch process, Air Force Global Strike Command said in a statement.

The Air Force regularly tests its ICBM fleet with launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, to ensure the missiles are effective.

“The missile did exactly what it was designed to do,” Air Force Global Strike Command said. “During terminal countdown, the missile computer detected a fault in the sequence of checks it does prior to launching. Upon detection of this fault, it shut itself down.”

The command will not speculate on the root cause of the fault, and the incident is under investigation.

“The Air Force adheres to strict protocols while performing operational test launches, only launching when all safety parameters with the test range and missile are met,” the command said.

Air Force officials are assessing the possibility of rescheduling the launch.

It is the first unsuccessful test of a Minuteman III since 2018, when a launched missile developed an “anomaly” during flight. The issue created an “unsafe flight condition,” so the crew destroyed the rocket before it reached its destination. That incident was the first problem with a test launch since July 2011.

The May 5 incident comes as Defense Department officials are pressing the case for the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program to replace the aging Minuteman III system. U.S. Strategic Command boss Adm. Charles “Chas” A. Richard told lawmakers in April that there is “no operational margin” left in the ICBM leg of the triad and that the aging Minuteman III fleet is “at risk of losing credibility” in the eyes of potential adversaries.

“Nothing lasts forever,” Richard said. “You cannot indefinitely life-extend anything. I cannot deter with the leftovers of the Cold War forever. … I need a weapons system that will actually work and actually make it to the target.”

Guard Chief Pushes Back on Proposed Cut to C-130 Fleet

Guard Chief Pushes Back on Proposed Cut to C-130 Fleet

May 4, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Defense Department planners need to better understand how C-130s are used in domestic operations, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau said.

Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson told members of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee on May 4 that he needs to “retain every single one of those flying squadrons because of what they bring for our nation.” C-130s are used for airlift support, Antarctic resupply, aeromedical missions, weather reconnaissance, aerial spray missions, firefighting duties, and natural disaster relief missions. Those domestic missions, however, are not typically at the forefront of decision making, he added.

Hokanson pointed to the 2018 Mobility Capabilities Requirements Study from U.S. Transportation Command and the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office, which looked at the optimal size of airlift, sealift, and refueling fleets. That study prioritized refueling and sealift and contradicted Air Force planning that called for more airlift aircraft. Specifically, it called for 300 C-130s, a cut to USAF’s fleet of 325 C-130Hs and C-130Js. The 2020 study is still underway.

Hokanson said the 2018 study did not take into account the C-130’s domestic role, which was critical in 2020 when the National Guard was busier than it has ever been.

Within the last year, 75 different aircraft conducted more than 600 missions in 16 different states. Additionally, following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the Guard deployed more than 26,000 personnel from every state and territory, with many flown in on Guard aircraft. The use of Guard aircraft allowed for the activations to happen quickly.

“If you don’t account for that, it would give you a different picture that would make you think that you can reduce that capability,” Hokanson said.

If the “homeland is no longer a sanctuary,” the Guard needs its C-130s “resident in the nation” and modernized to be able to respond to those threats, Hokanson said.

“The overall intent we would like to do is see every one of our squadrons modernized so they remain relevant into the future,” he said.

Report: Militia Threats Forced U.S. Contractors to Leave Iraqi F-16 Base

Report: Militia Threats Forced U.S. Contractors to Leave Iraqi F-16 Base

May 4, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Iranian-backed militias have focused attacks on key bases in Iraq, prompting U.S. contractors to leave the Iraqi Air Force’s major F-16 base as the country’s Fighting Falcons are working to increase their capacity to train and conduct airstrikes, according to a new report.

The militias continued to conduct harassment-style attacks on the U.S. Embassy, diplomatic facilities, and installations such as Balad Air Base, according to the Defense Department’s Lead Inspector General for Operation Resolute Support in a quarterly report released May 4. Balad does not host U.S. service members, but it does host contractors from Lockheed Martin who are critical to supporting Iraqi F-16 operations.

These contractors were forced to leave the base in March “due to security threats,” the IG report states. The situation comes after a tumultuous 2020, during which contractors at times could not directly support Iraqi F-16s at the base because of a “combination of regional threats and the impact of COVID-19,” the IG’s previous quarterly report states.

Though the contractors began to return in March, “the tactics employed by the militias this quarter suggest that they may be planning more attacks,” according to the report. This played out May 3, when rockets fell on Balad again but did not cause any damage.

“We’re concerned about any use of violence by any group in Iraq. … The purpose for the U.S. in Iraq, at the invitation of the government, is to continue to prosecute the war against ISIS, the operations against ISIS,” Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said in a briefing the same day, without linking his comments to that specific attack. “That’s what we’re there for: We’re there to help Iraqi Security Forces as they also prosecute operations against ISIS. So any violent attack on them, or us, is of concern, and it does show that … it’s still a dangerous mission.”

In addition to the contractors, U.S. Air Force air advisers regularly visit Balad to support the Iraqi Air Force’s 9th Fighter Squadron, which flies the aircraft. However, without a dedicated advising presence and secure communications at the base, the Iraqi F-16s have not been able to join the coalition air tasking order, the report states.

Over the first quarter of 2021, Iraqi F-16s flew 299 total sorties, 295 of which were training. This was a slight increase over the 271 total sorties during the previous quarter, the report states. The strike sorties used primarily GBU-12 guided bombs and Mk 82 unguided bombs.

Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve said its focus is on improving the Iraqi Air Force’s ability to plan and task and to possibly allow the aircraft to join the air tasking order, the report states.

C-17s Fly Equipment Out of Afghanistan as Withdrawal Continues

C-17s Fly Equipment Out of Afghanistan as Withdrawal Continues

May 4, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The retrograde from Afghanistan is underway, with U.S. Air Force C-17s carrying equipment and other materiel out of the country.

U.S. Central Command in a May 4 statement said about 60 C-17 loads have moved out of the country since President Joe Biden on April 14 announced the end of the war in Afghanistan. Additionally, more than 1,300 pieces of equipment have been turned over to the Defense Logistics Agency to be destroyed.

CENTCOM estimates it has completed between 2 and 6 percent of the entire retrograde process, with updates expected weekly.

U.S. forces in Afghanistan also have turned over one facility, New Antonik, to the Afghan National Army.

As the withdrawal continues, the Taliban is increasing attacks on both Afghan forces and locations with U.S. forces, including a May 1 rocket attack on Kandahar Airfield. U.S. aircraft destroyed a Taliban position in response.

Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby, in a May 3 briefing, said the U.S. has seen “small, harassing attacks” that did not have any “significant impact” on personnel or resources.

“We’ve seen nothing thus far that has affected the drawdown or had any significant impact on the mission at hand in Afghanistan,” Kirby said.

Space Force, Guard Closer on ‘Two-component’ Construct for the New Service

Space Force, Guard Closer on ‘Two-component’ Construct for the New Service

May 4, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Senior Department of the Air Force and National Guard officials will brief Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on plans for a combined Space Force Active and Reserve component and separate Space National Guard in the coming days.

National Guard Bureau Chief Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson told the House Appropriations defense subcommittee May 4 that the creation of a Space National Guard is among his most “pressing concerns” and he said he believes there is consensus among top leaders on the planned construct.

The proposed model will be a “two-component construct” with an Active/Reserve “combined component, then a Space National Guard,” Hokanson said.

Space Force leaders previewed the idea in February, as the Pentagon worked on a report on the possible Space Force structure. Lt. Gen. Nina M. Armagno, the staff director at Space Force headquarters, said at the time, “We’re really working on trying to figure out how to recruit the best and retain the best.”

The “dual componency,” combining the Active and Reserve forces, in theory could help create a better work-life balance in response to younger troops’ shifting career and family values.

Hokanson told lawmakers he believes leaders are “fairly close” on this proposal. He is meeting with acting Air Force Secretary John P. Roth and Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond on May 5 about the proposal. “Right now both the Secretary of the Air Force and the Chief of Space Operations are in agreement with us about a two-component construct,” Hokanson said. The May 5 meeting is “in preparation” for the meeting with Austin, Hokanson said.

The Congressional Budget Office last year studied two potential options for a Space National Guard. The first would transfer the existing 1,500 space personnel—of which about 1,100 are Airmen—into a new Space National Guard. This model, which the National Guard Bureau first pitched in February 2020, is estimated to cost an additional $100 million annually, plus a one-time $20 million cost for facilities construction, according to the CBO.

The second option studied by CBO would be a much larger Space National Guard, which could grow to about one-third the size of the overall Space Force, at 4,900 to 5,800 personnel. CBO estimates such a plan would cost up to an additional $490 million a year, plus a one-time construction and equipment cost of $400 million to $900 million.

Eight states—Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and Ohio—and Guam have National Guard space units. Some of those service members have jobs like flying the Milstar constellation from California, and others are part of expeditionary units who deploy to support combat operations overseas.

Raytheon Awarded $228 Million OCX 3F Contract

Raytheon Awarded $228 Million OCX 3F Contract

May 3, 2021 | By Amy Hudson

Raytheon Intelligence and Space on April 30 received a $228 million contract for the Global Positioning System Next-Generation Operational Control System Follow-On from Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center.

Known as OCX 3F, the program builds on ground control station improvements made in Blocks 1 and 2, now planned for delivery in 2022. This includes better cybersecurity, improved anti-jamming capability, and enhanced signal strength and accuracy, as well as the ability to connect to more satellites and shrink operations crew sizes.

“OCX is an adaptive architecture designed to evolve to combat emerging threats,” said Barbara Baker, SMC Production Corps Command and Control Systems Division’s senior materiel leader, in a press release.

The $5.6 billion OCX system will be used to command and control newer GPS III and IIIF satellites being built by Lockheed Martin. The program was first slated to enter operations in 2016, but it was delayed multiple times as costs nearly doubled. However, program officials now tout improvements made under the Defense Department’s oversight.

Work on OCX 3F will be performed at Raytheon Intelligence and Space’s facilities in Aurora, Colorado, with delivery expected in July 2025.

“The OCX 3F program office is looking forward to working with Raytheon on this new GPS ground control program. We are ready to take on any challenges and to work full bore to deliver the critical regional high-powered signals and GPS IIIF launch and control capabilities in support of joint warfighters,” said Lt. Col. Grant Spear, SMC OCX 3F materiel leader, in the release.

The fourth GPS III satellite launched for Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, in November 2020. Lockheed Martin is on contract to build 10 of the satellites. The company also received a $7.2 billion contract for up to 22 additional GPS IIIF Follow-on satellites with launch expected to start in 2026.  

C-5Ms, C-17 Continue to Airlift COVID-19 Aid to India

C-5Ms, C-17 Continue to Airlift COVID-19 Aid to India

May 3, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Air Force airlift of aid to India continued in recent days, with three C-5Ms and one C-17 delivering COVID-19 testing kits, protective masks, and oxygen to the country.

The third aircraft was set to arrive May 3, with another set to arrive the next day, Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said during a May 3 briefing.

“Once all four missions are complete, four aircraft will have delivered tons of very needed critical supplies,” he said.

U.S. Transportation Command said on Twitter that the deliveries included more than one million N95 masks, more than 440 oxygen cylinders, and more than 1 million rapid diagnostic test kits. The U.S. Agency for International Development in a May 1 statement said one of the flights also carried a Deployable Oxygen Concentration System, donated by the state of California.

Oxygen has been in dire need in India as the country faces a rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak. The country on May 1 reported more than 400,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the first time, as the U.S. government announced it was taking steps to restrict travel from India, CNN reported. The aid flights to India began April 28. The Pentagon, through the Defense Logistics Agency and TRANSCOM, will “continue to assess” the need for additional aid going forward, Kirby said.

Space Force, SPACECOM Working on New Communication Strategy to Fight Overclassification

Space Force, SPACECOM Working on New Communication Strategy to Fight Overclassification

May 3, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

U.S. Space Command and the Space Force are working on new ways to openly discuss capabilities in orbit while ensuring the military can still deter adversaries who are improving their own capabilities there.

Top leaders of the Space Force, SPACECOM, and elsewhere in the Pentagon have repeatedly said the overclassification of space systems is problematic, especially in the area of deterrence. Maj. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt, the commander of SPACECOM’s Combined Force Space Component Command and deputy commander of Space Operations Command in the U.S. Space Force, said May 3 that the organizations are determining a new strategy for what can be announced publicly.

“If I can’t talk about what I have to hold your capabilities at risk, then I really can’t deter,” Burt said during an AFA Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies Space Power Forum. “So, we’ve been working really hard on a conceal, reveal, obfuscate strategy. How are we going to talk about our capabilities? What are the things we’re willing to talk about? What are we not willing to talk about? And how will that then translate into our deterrence strategies and how we operate.”

Maj. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt, commander of U.S. Space Command’s Combined Force Space Component Command, and deputy commander of the Space Force’s Space Operations Command speaks with retired Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, dean of AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, during its virtual Space Power Forum series on May 3, 2021.

Historically, the way space systems are built has fed into this culture of overclassification, Burt said. For example, when a new aircraft comes online, the service buys a small number and takes them out to its test sites, “and we really wring them out. … [Then] we go back to the vendor and say, ‘Hey, this, this, and this doesn’t meet specs, and we need you to update them.’” The process will go through iterations until mass production starts. For space, however, that process is very different. A new constellation could include six aircraft. The first launches, enters orbit, and then gets tested, but it is still the first operational satellite for that constellation—it doesn’t return to the vendor to be updated, Burt said.

“Once you launch it, you own it. And you’re now working with those capabilities,” she said. “So sometimes I think we’ve overclassified because we believe that if I tell you about it, or you know too much about it, then you can defeat it quickly or you have a way to counter it.”

But with new space acquisition strategies and capabilities, such as common buses, digital payloads, and other ways to modernize both the satellite and the receiver, “we can actively respond as the enemy changes, to change the software on board to include crypto,” she said.

This means U.S. space-based capabilities will be more resilient and responsive, freeing up leaders to talk about it more “because … we have the ability to quickly upgrade the capabilities as the enemy gets a vote,” she said.