Report: AMC Boss Expected to be Nominated to Lead TRANSCOM

Feb. 17, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost is expected to be nominated to lead U.S. Transportation Command, a pick originally expected last fall but The New York Times reported Feb. 17 it was delayed based on concerns about the White House’s reaction at the time.

Van Ovost, who has led Air Mobility Command since August, and U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson, head of U.S. Army North, were both set to lead combatant commands, but then-Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper told the Times the nominations were delayed because, “I didn’t want their promotions derailed because someone in the Trump White House saw that I recommended them or thought DOD was playing politics.” Richardson is expected to be nominated to lead U.S. Southern Command.

“They were the best qualified,” Esper told the Times. “We were doing the right thing.”

The New York Times reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley will send the nominations to the White House in the coming weeks.

Pentagon officials told the newspaper that DOD leadership held off on the nominations because former President Donald J. Trump had feuded with Esper and White House officials were not likely to support the nominations because they are women, even though the administration had picked women for prominent military roles, including as Air Force Secretary. Officials were concerned the nominations would be replaced by Trump White House officials before leaving office, according to the report.

A spokesperson for Van Ovost at Air Mobility Command declined to comment on the report.

Van Ovost took over AMC in August 2020, and with the retirement of her predecessor Gen. Maryanne Miller, she became the military’s only woman in a four-star leadership position. If picked for TRANSCOM and confirmed, she would join former Gen. Lori J. Robinson as the only USAF female generals to lead combatant commands. Robinson led U.S. Northern Command before retiring in 2018.

Van Ovost also would return TRANSCOM leadership to the Air Force. Current command boss U.S. Army Gen. Stephen R. Lyons is the only non-blue suiter to command TRANSCOM in a permanent role since the command’s inception in 1987.

Throughout her career, Van Ovost has been a test pilot flying more than 4,200 hours in more than 30 aircraft, including some of the earliest flights on the C-17. Her leadership roles include the Air Force’s director of staff, the vice director of the Joint Staff, and the Joint Staff’s deputy director for politico-military affairs.

“I was very focused on being a pilot, and being the best pilot I could be, and to make a difference in that way,” Van Ovost told Air Force Magazine in an interview when she took over command of AMC. “And here we are, standing at the precipice of what might be called a pinnacle of military leadership. But frankly, it’s not so much a pinnacle. For me, it’s a new beginning. It’s a new opportunity to ask key questions, to shape the force in a way to make sense, and provide clarity to the strategic environment that we live in.”

AFSOC Boss: Armed Overwatch Procurement Decision May Come as Early as 2022

Feb. 16, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Air Force Special Operations Command expects to conduct an armed overwatch flying demonstration “in the coming months” and U.S. Special Operations Command may make a procurement decision as early as 2022, AFSOC boss Lt. Gen. James C. “Jim” Slife said Feb. 16.

“I would like to be in procurement sometime in fiscal year ’22, and so I think we can do that at relatively low risk based on what we’ve seen from the vendors who have indicated that they intend to bring platforms to demonstrate for us in the coming months,” he said during a virtual “Aerospace Nation” event hosted by the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

Video: Mitchell Institute on YouTube

Although Congress used the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to block SOCOM from buying armed overwatch aircraft this fiscal year, Slife said it still gave the command enough research, development, test, and evaluation funding to hold “a flying demonstration of commercially available platforms that might meet our requirements and inform our final requirement document before we go to a procurement decision.”

“That money is fully sufficient to do the demonstration program that SOCOM asked to do, and we anticipate going back for further conversation with Congress about that before initiating acquisition on the backside of a demonstration program that should take place here in the coming months,” he said.

According to Slife, SOCOM is considering a few commercial contenders, though he didn’t name-check specific airframes under consideration.

“If it is non-developmental, and it meets the requirements that SOCOM has laid out to industry, then we’re interested in looking at it,” he said.

However, he said SOCOM needs to see how the demonstrations turn out before it can determine “what an acquisition program would look like”—namely, whether it’d consist of one platform or a combination of platforms, or if the command might lease aircraft instead of buying them outright.

“We need to get through this demo to see what industry can produce at low risk in a short order,” he said.

Slife acknowledged some legislators’ reservations about how SOCOM envisions the proposed platform operating.

“I think Congress is appropriately and prudently exercising their oversight role,” he said. “I would view this as a lower-risk enterprise than perhaps some charged with oversight do, but the fact that we see it differently doesn’t mean that they’re wrong.”

The “surveillance strike methodology” SOCOM crafted to counter violent extremist organizations in the mid-2000s, which Slife called “very, very resource intensive” and involved stacking various types of aircraft, doesn’t make sense for future fights against violent extremists, both from a fiscal and operational perspective.

Instead, he said the command must “collapse the stack … into a smaller number of platforms.” Armed overwatch would answer this call by giving AFSOC “reconfigurable ISR capability” and the ability to provide close-air support while possessing “a very light logistics footprint in small, disaggregated teams … in very austere regions.”

Whatever armed overwatch platform is chosen could also be used to counter violent extremist organizations in Africa.

“What I would envision is a light footprint, a multi-role capability that has the ability to provide the intelligence needed to remain aware of the threat, and to take action where necessary, and has a kinetic capability to take action when necessary, without drawing a lot of attention to our host nations that may be hosting those operations,” he said. “That is what the future looks like in my mind, and so, you know, the armed overwatch platform would be ideally suited for that type of an operational environment.”

Slife said AFSOC expects to transition out the U-28 Draco aircraft in phases “as the armed overwatch platform comes online,” adding that the new aircraft will cost less to operate, have more versatility than its predecessor, and give the command “greater capacity to operate in those small, disaggregated kind of teams.”

“I think Congress is being prudent about this, but ultimately, I believe that SOCOM will be able to demonstrate to the Congress that this is a viable program, and it”s required for the future operating environment, so I remain cautiously optimistic,” he said.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:14 a.m. Feb. 17 to correct the name of the U-28 Draco.

Nuclear Missile Program Passes Review, Moves Closer to Production

Feb. 16, 2021 | By Rachel S. Cohen

Northrop Grumman’s design for a new nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile is moving forward after the Air Force signed off on the latest development milestone in November, the company announced Feb. 16.

The Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent will replace the aging Minuteman III nuclear missiles starting in the late 2020s. Northrop is now the sole company under contract to create the new fleet under a $13.3 billion engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) agreement awarded in September.

“Achieving this milestone demonstrates our team’s commitment to deliver a safe, secure, and reliable system to the U.S. Air Force on schedule and on budget,” Steve Lunny, Northrop’s vice president for the GBSD program, said in a release. “Our team is applying a digital engineering approach that will produce a modern strategic deterrent capability for our nation and its allies.”

The EMD phase encompasses total system design, qualification, testing, and certification. It is the final major design effort before the military decides to begin production.

The company passed a benchmark known as the EMD baseline review, which looks at whether a program is on track to meet a basic set of technical user requirements, data, and configuration specifications. The review is the first step toward handing over responsibility for those criteria to the Air Force.

Up next is the integrated baseline review, which “sets the program’s performance measurement baseline,” according to Northrop. The company did not say when that next check-in is scheduled, but said the program is on track to meet it.

Northrop is slated to build about 660 of the missiles to replace 50-year-old ICBMs at Air Force bases across Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado. Bloomberg reported in October the decades-long effort could cost as much as $264 billion, including operating and supporting the weapons in their silos. That doesn’t include warhead development valued at nearly $15 billion.

The U.S. has 400 ICBMs ready to fire if needed at any given time. Some of the other missiles purchased will be unarmed versions used for testing.

GBSD should be ready for operations starting in 2029, though Northrop and the Air Force will continue swapping out missiles into the 2030s.

30 Years After Desert Storm: Feb. 17

Feb. 16, 2021

In commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, Air Force Magazine is posting daily recollections from the six-week war, which expelled Iraq from occupied Kuwait.

Heavy bombing of the Iraqi army in Kuwait has destroyed 1,300 of Iraq’s 4,280 tanks and 1,100 of its 3,110 artillery pieces, the Pentagon reports. Iraq’s Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz arrives in Moscow for talks with Soviet President Gorbachev.

Check out our complete chronology of the Gulf War, starting with Iraq’s July 1990 invasion of Kuwait and running through Iraq’s April 1991 acceptance of peace terms.

Lakenheath’s F-35s Get a Nickname: Valkyries

Feb. 16, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Air Force’s first overseas F-35A unit has a nickname: the Valkyries.

The 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, U.K., announced Feb. 16 that Valkyries is the winning nickname for the 495th Fighter Squadron, picked from about 700 different suggestions submitted by the public in the fall of 2020. The list was whittled down to five finalists, with Valkyries beating out Archangels, Sabres, Sentinels, and Swordsmen, according to a wing release.

In Norse mythology, a Valkyrie is a female figure that chooses who will live or die in battle, the wing said in a release, adding that there is Norse and Viking history in Lakenheath’s region. Additionally, the squadron’s motto “Mala Ipsa Nova” is Latin for “Bad News Itself,” the wing said.

“Valkyries epitomizes the force’s move toward more inclusivity and equally represents the fifth-generation stealth fighter’s air superiority,” incoming 495th FS Commander Lt. Col. Ian McLaughlin said in the release. “I am honored to be the first commander of the initial U.S. Air Force’s overseas-based F-35A unit. Like the Valkyries themselves, we’ll be vital to determining the fate of our adversaries in the battlespace.”

The wing in September announced it would activate the 495th FS for the F-35A mission. About 1,200 personnel are expected to arrive at the base as the jets come online, and the first F-35As will arrive late this year.

“The amount of support we received, and continue to receive, from the community both here and back home has been overwhelming and highly appreciated,” 48th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Jason Camilletti said in the release. “Basing F-35s at RAF Lakenheath will be a game changer as it will allow us to further advance interoperability with our European teammates, and is a visible demonstration that we—and all of NATO—will continue to own the skies.”

While Lakenheath’s 495th Fighter Squadron will be the Air Force’s first overseas based F-35s, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, is the first USAF base outside the continental U.S. to receive the jets.

Air Force Seeks New Ways to Nip Extremism in the Bud

Feb. 16, 2021 | By Rachel S. Cohen

As Airmen and Guardians pause their daily routines to consider the spread of white supremacy and other far-right ideologies in their ranks, their discussions will fuel department-wide changes to how the Air Force responds to extremism.

The Department of the Air Force last week outlined its plans to temporarily halt operations to discuss extremism as ordered by Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III. By Feb. 23, it will roll out materials to commanders to guide those conversations. The Air Force said it will run its own deep-dive into the extent of the issue as well.

“There are many offices involved with creating the content for … this stand-down day, to include the Department of the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s office, the Diversity and Inclusion office, the Profession of Arms Center of Excellence, and the Inspector General’s office,” Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Lindy Singleton told Air Force Magazine.

In particular, it’s an early chance for the newly formed Diversity and Inclusion Office to offer fresh perspective on a nuanced problem. That organization came to fruition as incidents of police brutality and protests over systemic racism last year spurred the Air Force to take a new look at its own culture and equity.

Those and related issues have become more urgent after current and former military members took part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, prompting the Defense Department to call for a stand-down to consider extremism across the force.

If claims of extremist behavior arise as a result of the stand-down discussions, Singleton said they will be investigated.

“Appropriate action will be taken if the claims are substantiated,” Singleton said, noting that commanders can call for an Airman or Guardian’s separation from the force or other discipline if they find someone who has “actively participated” in supremacist, extremist, or criminal organizations. That applies to civilian or uniformed employees.

“We will be soliciting feedback from these stand-down days that will be used to help guide leaders’ decisions regarding potential follow-on actions,” she added. “We are already exploring multiple options to help provide a more sustainable, proactive mechanism for our commanders to assess and shape culture and effectively respond to deviations.”

Individual cases of those repercussions occasionally emerge, such as that of Tech. Sgt. Cory Reeves, who last year was demoted from master sergeant and then booted from the Air Force because of his ties to a white nationalist group, reported Air Force Times.

But as units look to root out potential threats to the force or those who might use their military experience to support extremist causes, there’s still no easy way for the Department of the Air Force to track people suspected of having those ties.

“There is not a simple number to track because of the many ways commanders can address this type of behavior in their ranks, especially if it doesn’t rise to the level of criminal conduct,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said Feb. 16.

The Pentagon is considering how it might combine various metrics to get a better picture of extremism in the force, she added.

Troops are allowed to exercise their First Amendment rights to peaceful protest and freedom of speech, but are subject to discipline if they participate in demonstrations while on duty, in uniform, or in a foreign country “when their activities constitute a breach of law and order or when violence is likely to result,” Singleton said.

“There has been an increase in concerning behavior, which are consistent with societal increases,” she said. “Unfortunately, the issue of extremism in the military is not new. … It is unacceptable for service members who take an oath to support and defend the U.S. Constitution to be engaged in actions that are in direct conflict of this commitment.”

US Threatens Retaliation After Erbil Rocket Attack Kills 1, Injures 9

Feb. 16, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

U.S. officials are threatening a military response after a Feb. 15 rocket attack on a base housing Americans in Iraqi Kurdistan killed one person and injured nine others.

Late Feb. 15, about 14 107mm rockets were fired near Erbil, with three impacting the air base, according to Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. The rockets killed one non-American contractor and injured nine—eight civilian contractors and one U.S. service member. It’s not clear if any of the wounded civilians are American.

The base in the city of Erbil is one of the largest remaining U.S. outposts inside Iraq and a launching point for operations against the Islamic State group. In January 2020, Iranian ballistic missiles impacted the base, though the bulk of that attack targeted Al-Asad Air Base further south. Still, hundreds of personnel from both bases were later diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries from the attacks.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has launched an investigation into the most recent attack.

“We are outraged by today’s rocket attack in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter. “I have reached out to Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to discuss the incident and to pledge our support for all efforts to investigate and hold accountable those responsible.”

In a call with Iraqi Minister of Defense Jumaah Saadoon, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III condemned the attack, “and expressed condolences to the Iraqi people.”

“The Iraqi people deserve a secure and stable Iraq, and the United States remains committed to supporting our Iraqi partners in their efforts to defend Iraq’s sovereignty. Both leaders reaffirmed commitment to the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq.”

In a Feb. 16 briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also denounced the attack. “As always, the President of the United States and the administration reserves the right to respond in the time and the manner of our choosing, but we’ll wait for the attribution to be concluded first before we take any additional steps.”

A Shia militia group calling itself Awliyaa al-Dam, or Guardians of Blood, claimed responsibility, Al-Jazeera reported.

The incident mimics similar rocket attacks perpetrated by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq recently. This includes a March 2020 rocket attack on Camp Taji, which killed two Americans and one coalition service member and injured another 12. Shortly following the attack, U.S. forces launched retaliatory airstrikes on Kataib Hezbollah weapons storage facilities.

The same group in December 2019 launched a 107mm rocket attack on another U.S. location in Iraq, killing an American contractor. This incident was the catalyst for the U.S. drone strike the following month at Baghdad International Airport that killed Iranian Quds Force Leader Qassem Soleimani, which in turn prompted the Iranian ballistic missile strike that injured more than 100 American service members.

The Defense Department Office of Inspector General launched a review of U.S. Central Command’s ability to protect assets from missile and drone attacks following the January 2020 ballistic missile attack on Erbil and Al-Asad, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the IG to call off its analysis.

DODIG: Pandemic Made CENTCOM Base Security Investigation Impossible

Feb. 16, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The Defense Department Office of Inspector General is ending its analysis of U.S. Central Command’s ability to protect key assets in its area of operations from missiles and drones due to COVID-19-related travel rules, it announced in a partially redacted memo published Feb. 11.

“On March 12, 2020, the Secretary of Defense issued travel restrictions to OCONUS, affecting our anticipated evaluation scope and methodology,” wrote Andre M. Brown, acting assistant inspector general for evaluations programs, combatant commands, and overseas contingency operations, in the memo.

The DODIG suspended its evaluation on March 17, 2020, in hopes of picking it back up once the military resumed “normal operations,” Brown wrote However, the pandemic’s persistence impedes the DODIG’s “ability to perform the project efficiently due to security classification concerns.”

The DODIG announced the investigation last February, a little more than a month after Iran mounted a missile attack against Al-Asad and Erbil Air Bases in Iraq.

The Space Force—using the Space-Based Infared System—detected the Iranian missile launch relatively early and notified U.S. personnel accordingly, a feat that presumably prevented loss of life, though over 100 troops sustained traumatic brain injuries during the attack.

The DODIG’s base security deep dive is ending as the Air Force Office of Inspector General embarks on an investigation into security at USAF and USSF installations worldwide.

Department of the Air Force leaders ordered the review following a Feb. 4 breach at Joint Base Andrews, Md., in which a man made his way onto a C-40B aircraft, but did no harm to the plane or base personnel.

Air Force Warfare Center Leadership Moves Among Dozens Announced

Feb. 12, 2021 | By Rachel S. Cohen

More than three dozen Air Force officials are headed to new postings at the Pentagon and around the world, the Defense Department announced Feb. 12.

At the highest level, Maj. Gen. Charles S. Corcoran will leave his job as head of the Air Force Warfare Center in Nevada to serve as assistant deputy chief of staff for operations at USAF headquarters in the Pentagon. He’ll be replaced by Maj. Gen. Case A. Cunningham, Air Combat Command’s plans, programs, and requirements director and a former MQ-9 Reaper wing commander.

Brig. Gen. (select) Steven G. Behmer is moving into the job of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter integration director at the Pentagon. He now commands the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

Others are taking new jobs at assorted operational wings and major commands worldwide. Numbered Air Forces are seeing a shakeup as well: Maj. Gen. Michael G. Koscheski will become commander of 15th Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., which was created last year from a merger of the combat assets in 9th and 12th Air Forces. Koscheski is currently deputy commander of Air Forces Central Command.

DOD did not say where Maj. Gen. Chad P. Franks, the group’s current boss, is going.

Read the full list of 38 job changes here.