Space Force Finalizing Plans to Absorb Army, Navy Systems

April 21, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Space Force has finalized which units from the Army and Navy will join its ranks, and the new service’s No. 2 said details on the transfer are coming soon.

Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. David D. Thompson, speaking April 21 during the virtual C4ISRNET conference, said the timeline for these transfers is being worked out now, and “you’ll see later this year and continuing the next year—it will be a phased process by which that transition occurs.”

The Space Force now consists of organizations previously under Air Force Space Command, though the service has reached out for volunteers from other services to join. Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond said in February that his service wants about 30 members of the Army and Navy to join in 2021, with that number growing to several hundred next year.

This comes as Space Force leaders discuss what systems will shift to the new service with the Army and Navy. For example, the operations center and sustainment personnel with the Navy’s Mobile User Objective System satellites are already part of the plan to transfer in the coming years, Thompson said.

The Space Force and Army have agreed on what systems should transfer, but the planning is not completed and Thompson said “we’re going to communicate what’s happening together with the Army. They’ve been a good partner.”

The Space Force earlier this month announced the makeup of its Space Systems Command—one of three field commands that will oversee acquisition and launch services. The existing Space and Missile Systems Center will serve as its headquarters.

Thompson said the Space Force wants to work with Congress to adjust some of the legal framework for the service to bolster the SSC. Under existing legislation, the Space Rapid Capabilities Office and the Space Development Agency report to Raymond, and Thompson said as these organizations come together, the Space Force hopes to align them under the SSC.

Cooley 1st USAF General Referred for Court-Martial

April 21, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak

Maj. Gen. William T. Cooley, Jr., former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory, will be the first Air Force general officer to face court-martial, on a sexual assault charge, Air Force Materiel Command said.

Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., commander of AFMC, acting as the Court-Martial Convening Authority, referred Cooley to stand trial on one charge of sexual assault with three specifications, under Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The charge stems from an Aug. 12, 2018 off-duty incident in which Cooley “allegedly made unwanted sexual advances by kissing and touching a female victim,” who is not a military member or Department of Defense employee, AFMC said in a press release. The incident took place in Albuquerque, N.M.

Cooley, in a statement released through his attorney after his Article 32 hearing in February, maintained that the allegations against him are false, he has cooperated with the investigation, and he expects to be exonerated. AFMC noted that “just as in civilian criminal proceedings, Cooley is presumed innocent until proven otherwise by competent legal authority.”

Bunch relieved Cooley of command of AFRL on Jan. 15, 2020, following an investigation by USAF’s Office of Special Investigations. Pending further investigation, Bunch assigned Cooley as his special assistant, “with duties focused primarily on advancing the command’s Digital Campaign,” AFMC said.

After a comprehensive review of the evidence gathered by OSI and in an Article 32 preliminary hearing, “I’ve informed Maj. Gen. Cooley of my decision to move his case to general court-martial,” Bunch said in a statement released by AFMC. “I can assure you this was not a decision made lightly, but I believe it was the right decision.”

Bunch appointed Lt. Gen. Donald E. “Gene” Kirkland, commander of the Air Force Sustainment Center, to independently review all evidence in the case and recommend “an initial disposition decision.” In November, 2020, Kirkland preferred the one charge of sexual assault with three specifications.

The Article 32 hearing was convened on Feb. 8, 2021, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. AFMC likened the hearing to “a civilian grand jury,” during which a senior military judge was appointed to review the charges and testimony to determine if “probable cause existed that the accused committed a UCMJ offense,” the command said. This preliminary hearing officer “produced a written report with his disposition recommendation” to Bunch, AFMC said.

The Air Force will identify a senior military judge and “coordinate timing and venue for the court-martial proceeding.” The jurors will be fellow officers who must either be of higher rank than Cooley, or equal in grade but with earlier date of rank.

Prior to Cooley, the case coming closest to the court-martial of an Air Force general officer was that of former Gen. Arthur Lichte, whose last post was as commander of Air Mobility Command. In February 2017, Lichte was reduced from four stars to two in retirement, reducing his retirement pay. The previous December, then-Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James reprimanded the retired Lichte in a publicly released letter, in which she said he would have been court-martialed except that the five-year statute of limitations had passed. Lichte retired in 2010 but the investigation of the case did not begin until 2016. James found that Lichte coerced sex from a subordinate, and he was reduced to the grade at which he last performed satisfactorily. The sexual incidents took place when he was a lieutenant general and four-star general.

Second F-15EX Eagle II Delivered to Eglin

April 21, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The second F-15EX Eagle II arrived at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., on April 20, this one with a different tail flash than the first.

The new F-15, number 20-002, touched down with the “OT” tail flash used by the 53rd Wing at Eglin. This aircraft will be assigned to the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron.

“The 53d Wing is honored to welcome the second-ever F-15EX, and we are extremely proud that it displays the ‘OT’ tail flash,” 53rd Wing Commander Col. Ryan Messer said in a release.

“However, that ‘OT’ represents more than just unit pride; it showcases the importance of early integration of operational and developmental test to directly fulfill the National Defense Strategy, which proclaims that, ‘success no longer goes to the country that develops a new technology first, but rather to the one that better integrates it and adapts its way of fighting’; a statement we believe and live out in all of our missions.”

The first F-15EX was delivered to Eglin last month. That aircraft has an “ET” tail flash for the 96th Test Wing. These are the two F-15EXs set to be delivered this year for testing by both the 85th TES and the 40th Flight Test Squadron before production ramps up. The Air Force expects to buy up to 144 of the aircraft to replace its aging F-15C/D fleet.

Future F-15EXs will head to the F-15 schoolhouse at Kingsley Field, Ore., and then the first operational base at Portland International Airport, Ore., for the Air National Guard’s 142nd Fighter Wing.

During a ceremony at Eglin earlier this month, the Air Force officially announced the F-15EX is named the “Eagle II.”

Despite just receiving the first aircraft, the Air Force is already planning its first exercise. The F-15EX will debut at Northern Edge 2021, according to Eglin. This Pacific Air Forces-hosted exercise is scheduled for May 3-14 in Alaska, and will include participants from the Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps, according to PACAF.

Outstanding Airmen, Guardians, and Civilians of the Year: Meet Staff Sgt. Akia D. Carter

April 21, 2021 | By Amy Hudson

Staff Sergeant Akia D. Carter is one of the Space Force’s first-ever Outstanding Airmen, Guardians, and Civilians of the Year.

Carter is an Airman Leadership School instructor with the 30th Force Support Squadron, 30th Space Wing, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., where she is tasked with developing senior Airmen to be “effective frontline supervisors,” according to a Space Force video recognizing the winners.

While deployed to U.S. Central Command in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, she “expedited much-needed, and time-sensitive resources … allowing for 357 blood transfusions” to troops wounded in action.

“Her training and deployment of teams is unparalleled. She not only executes her duty at a heightened efficiency, but educates a better equipped military and civilian force with a new tailored curriculum,” according to the video.

Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond and Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger A. Towberman honored the first-ever class of OAYs in a video released on social media April 13. An in-person gathering was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Although we could not gather as we normally would have to formally recognize you for your achievements, we want to directly extend our gratitude,” said Raymond. “Thank you for pushing the limits of what’s possible, for changing the status quo, for challenging us to rethink our assumptions, for orienting our actions in a warfighting domain.”

Air Force Magazine will shine a spotlight on each of the 12 Outstanding Airmen, Guardians, and Civilians of the Year over the coming days.

Sustainment Becoming Most Profitable Part of F-35 for Lockheed Martin

April 20, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak

As F-35 managers and auditors prepare to testify on the stealth fighter’s sustainment costs, Lockheed Martin’s Chief Financial Officer said sustainment is soon to be the most profitable part of the program.

“Sustainment is going to be the fastest-growing part of the portfolio” as U.S. military services, foreign partners, and foreign military sales customers “stand up bases” and need steadily increasing numbers of F-35 spare parts, Lockheed CFO Kenneth R. Possenriede said on an April 20 first quarter results call with stock analysts and reporters. Sustainment will eclipse both F-35 production and development profitability, though he said that development of advanced versions of the fighter is proving a “pleasant surprise for us,” along with the need to retrofit earlier versions of the aircraft.

The House Armed Services Committee is holding an F-35 hearing on April 22, with testimony to be offered by Gregory M. Ulmer, Lockheed aeronautics vice president and former F-35 program manager; Pratt & Whitney President of Military Engines Matthew F. Bromberg; Diana Maurer of the Government Accountability Office; F-35 Joint Program Office Director Lt. Gen. Eric T. Fick, and Air Force F-35 Integration Office Director Brig. Gen. David W. Abba.

Despite increased profitability, Possenriede said the sustainment model for the F-35 is “inefficient,” and he touted the company’s offer of a performance-based logistics contract as the best way to get sustainment costs down.

The PBL pitch includes Lockheed and its vendors investing some of their own money in economic order quantities of parts and materials to reduce costs, and going to five-year contracts rather than annual ones.

“We believe there’s a better way to procure [sustainment], and that’s why we offered that performance-based logistics concept, and we’ll see where that goes,” Possenriede said. “If that morphs into something, and if industry is prepared, as we are, to take on the investment and take on the risk and sign up to a service-level agreement, and we perform, there should be some profit opportunities there.”

James D. Taiclet, Lockheed president and CEO, acknowledged that the F-35 is “an expensive machine, and it’s expensive to maintain, in large part because of the stealth technology that’s more advanced than anywhere else.” But, he said, “this airplane is the most capable fighter plane ever developed … It’s got a lot of leading edge technology, … just the propulsion system integrated with stealth technology is pretty ground-breaking.” As a “mobile computer node for the battlefield,” and with advanced sensors, processing power, and communication links, the F-35’s “much more than just a single-purpose fighter,” he said.

Production of the jet is “in good shape, … the company has already achieved the goal of $80 million [per] F-35A and we’re a million or two below that these days … We’re going to keep working on it.”

The fighter needs continuing modernization “because of the evolving threat, and the speed at which that’s happening,” Taiclet said. Lockheed is looking to employ “some of these commercial technology practices into our own modernization program,” to make it more efficient.

As for sustainment, he said a “joint strategy” is needed with the program office and the services; “those who will actually have to fix this aircraft and maintain it in the field.” They need to seek “the right level of funding for spare parts, etc., and really, clearly define responsibilities for the depot system, for frontline maintenance, and for the OEM and our supply chain.”

All this is, “I think, a very doable thing,” Taiclet said, “And we’re embarking on that, led by the Joint Program Office and the service Chiefs.” The program goal of getting operating costs down to $25,000 per flying hour in 2012 dollars—versus $35,000 now—“if we work with them, is achievable.”

Possenriede said the “Skunk Works” advanced development unit is the fastest-growing of Lockheed’s divisions, but most of its work is classified and he did not discuss it. Skunk Works is known to be working on several hypersonics projects and the Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance program.

Taiclet said Lockheed is developing its own architecture for getting its various platforms to talk to each other. The company will work with the government “to make sure that they’re comfortable using the standards we come up with, and some of the software-defined network protocols that we use,” he said. “Eventually we’re going to enable all of our major platform programs—in aerospace, land, and maritime domains—to seamlessly integrate into this architecture.”

He also said the government will have to change the “sequential design/test paradigm” it’s used to using.

The system now in place “is too perfectionist and too slow … We want to work with our customers to use a more rapid process,” Taiclet said. On hypersonics projects, he said, “We’re already using it. We look for 80/20 percent kind of splits on success in test points and metrics, and [then] we move on to the next test. We don’t strive for 99 percent to 100 because that would be too slow to get this done. So, there’s a sequential design/test paradigm change … that we have to work with our customers to achieve.”

It will provide “greater deterrence capability and operational capabilities” for customers and “our shareholders will benefit … because we’re going to be a stronger, more resilient growth machine,” he added.

Assessing the climate for Lockheed’s business, Taiclet said, “We’re all in the era of this resurgent great power competition, and regional disruptive powers … like Iran and North Korea. That’s a world that’s not going to get any more peaceful anytime soon, most likely.” A strong national defense “is a priority of the [Biden] administration … based on their own statements.” The administration’s stated priority for maintaining alliances and building new ones bodes well for “cooperation” and foreign military sales, he said, especially if there is “process alignment” between the White House, Pentagon, State Department, and Congress.

Taiclet characterized the administration as “a very experienced and capable foreign policy/national security cadre of leaders, lifetime professionals. Many of them … know exactly what they’re dealing with and how to make it work.”

Future Ops in Afghanistan Could Rely on New Bases in Nearby Nations

April 20, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

U.S. Central Command and American diplomats are working with nations surrounding Afghanistan on agreements to base troops and aircraft for counter terrorism inside the country following the military’s withdrawal.

CENTCOM boss Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., told the House Armed Services Committee on April 20 the command is going through “detailed planning” on what future operational plans and force laydowns could be after the withdrawal, which will be completed by Sept. 11.

Future counter terrorism operations will require ways to surveil targets in Afghanistan if needed, including with the use of overhead intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft operating from outside of the country. U.S. forces would then need to “finish” those targets through multiple options, including long-range fires and “targeted raids—although those are inherently dangerous, but you could still do it,” McKenzie said. “You could do it with manned aircraft. There are problems with all three of those options, but there’s also opportunities with all three of those options.”

Without a presence in the country, it will be “extremely difficult to do, but it is not impossible to do it,” McKenzie said.

The ability to base aircraft and counter terrorism forces in nearby nations would make this easier, and even though the command is engaged in a “significant effort” aimed at determining the best places for counter-terrorism forces, there’s no agreement with nearby nations yet, McKenzie said.

The U.S. military, earlier in the Afghan war, had agreements to operate out of large bases in locations such as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It is not yet clear which countries could be considered.

Within Afghanistan, McKenzie said there are ongoing discussions for a status of forces agreement and what the size of the U.S. embassy would be after the withdrawal. It would be “helpful” if the U.S. can maintain the embassy in Kabul, because the presence will assist in the ability to “see into Afghanistan,” he said.

In response to questions, McKenzie made it clear that the Sept. 11, 2021, deadline to withdraw from the country is more than just U.S. and coalition military members. It also includes private contractors, who make up the largest presence in the country. Contractors are key to missions such as supporting the Afghan Air Force, which Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said the U.S. military will continue to assist with after the withdrawal.

“Everyone will leave, all U.S. defense contractors will leave as part of the withdrawal,” McKenzie said at the close of the hearing.

U.S. Forces Operating ‘Without Complete Air Superiority’ Due to Small, Armed Drones

April 20, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The proliferation of small unmanned aerial systems, usually commercially available drones that can be outfitted to drop weapons, is the most “persistent and dangerous” threat to troops in the Middle East in decades.

“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,” U.S. Central Command boss USMC Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. told the House Armed Services Committee on April 20. “For the first time since the Korean War, we are operating without complete air superiority.”

The counter-UAS effort is a “top priority” for CENTCOM. There are existing air defense and missile defense systems that can track inbound threats, and the command is looking at several systems to counter UAS, but their small size makes that a difficult task.

The U.S. military needs to develop an “integrated system” that takes components of what’s already available—one that can provide an early warning of the launch of a UAS, an idea of where it is coming from and its altitude, and be able to engage it both kinetically and non-kinetically.

“There’s a lot of great work being done in the department, we are not there yet,” McKenzie said.

Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said he first encountered drone-delivered munitions during the battle of Mosul against the Islamic State group when he was commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. The effectiveness and proliferation of the system is an “area of great concern.”

While AFRICOM has not seen “significant employment of weaponized drones in Africa,” the command is working with the broader Defense Department to get ahead of it, he said.

US Could Put Bombers Back on Alert if it Moves Away from Triad, STRATCOM Boss Warns

April 20, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

As the new administration and Congress prepare to take a critical look at the nuclear triad and overall need for nuclear modernization, the head of U.S. Strategic Command warned lawmakers that a reduction in the overall force could mean a return to Cold War norms.

During testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Adm. Charles A. Richard said that while he welcomes a review of the nuclear posture, cutting the intercontinental ballistic missile force and shifting to a “dyad” approach would require the military to completely reshape operations.

“What is not often recognized is that we don’t have a triad day-to-day, right. The bombers are not available to us,” Richard said. “We chose to take them off alert as a type of peace dividend after the Cold War, so day-to-day all you have is basically a dyad. Basic design criteria in the triad is that you cannot allow a failure of any one leg of the triad to prevent you from being able to do everything the President has ordered you to do.

“If you don’t have intercontinental ballistic missiles, we can’t meet that criteria. You are completely dependent on the submarine leg, and I’ve already told the Secretary of Defense that under those conditions I would request to re-alert the bombers.”

Some on Capitol Hill have questioned the need for the Air Force’s Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent—the replacement of the aging Minuteman III ICBM and its infrastructure. During the hearing, several lawmakers asked Richard directly to defend the need for this modernization in advance of budget deliberations.

There is “no operational margin” left in the ICBM leg of the triad, Richard said, since all of it was depleted as the nation delayed modernization. The current ICBM force is “at risk of losing credibility” in the eyes of potential adversaries, and even at risk of “not working at all” against a pacing threat.

“We could reach a point where no amount of money” would mitigate that risk, Richard said.

“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.”

Richard offered the example of the current Minuteman III alert station. Across the Air Force’s alert sites, the service is down to two remaining switches that are required in the station. No companies are manufacturing the switch, and it isn’t feasible for a company to start making them, so maintainers have been “pulling rabbits out of hats” to work through these types of issues.

At the same time, China has been working to build its nuclear stockpile and modernize. “In the very near term, China will possess a capable triad,” he said.

“My best military advice is to offer caution, observe their actions, which speak louder than words, take steps to credibly deter armed conflict, and reject Chinese policies or actions that threaten the international rules-based order or undermine regional and global stability,” Richard wrote in prepared testimony. “We must remain postured to counter Chinese coercion and subversion, assure our regional allies and partners, and protect our national security interests as international law allows.”

F-15s, F-16s, C-130s Deploy for Exercise in Poland

April 19, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

USAF F-15s, F-16s, and C-130s are training in Poland in an agile combat employment exercise that comes as Russia executes a massive buildup on the border with neighboring Ukraine, though U.S. officials say the exercise was long-planned.

F-15Es from the 492nd Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, England; F-16s from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; and C-130s from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, arrived in Poland for the ACE event on April 19.

The F-15Es and F-16s will operate out of 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, Poland, and the 31st Tactical Air Base in Krzesiny, while the C-130s will operate out of Chievres Air Base in Belgium, according to a release. After the event, the F-15Es will remain to train with the Polish air force.

“Opportunities to train alongside our Polish allies are incredibly valuable and critically important. It allows us to hone our combat skills, build lasting relationships and learn to operate seamlessly as a combined force,” said Gen Jeffrey L. Harrigian, U.S. Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa commander, in the release. “The reoccurring aviation detachment rotations make both nations stronger by developing highly capable Airmen ready to deliver combat airpower, anytime and anywhere.

Within the last couple weeks, Russia has increased its forces along the border with Ukraine in occupied Crimea. Pentagon spokesman John F. Kirby said April 19 that this buildup is “certainly larger” than in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea, and he called for Russia to be more clear about their intentions. Moscow has said the build-up is for training, but it is “not completely clear” to the Pentagon that this is true, Kirby said.

The exercise in Poland is “fairly routine,” and “not a specific reaction to what’s going on” in Crimea, Kirby said. Russia has deployed more than 100,000 troops to annexed Crimea, in a move that shows “the risk of further escalation is evident,” said Josep Borrell, the European Union’s top diplomat, according to Reuters. U.S. European Command boss Gen. Tod. D. Wolters told lawmakers last week that he sees a “low-to-medium” risk that Russia will invade Ukraine.