Trump Touts Accomplishments Before Last Flight on Air Force One

Jan. 20, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Former President Donald J. Trump on the morning of Jan. 20 took off on Air Force One from Joint Base Andrews, Md., for the last time, after brief remarks highlighting his administration’s accomplishments in adding military funding and creating the Space Force as the newest military service.

Hours before President Joe Biden swore in, Trump flew to Andrews on Marine One and boarded the USAF VC-25 with the callsign Air Force One—since Trump was still in office at the time—in front of a crowd of family, supporters, and staff.

“What we’ve done has been amazing by any standard,” Trump said. “We rebuilt the United States military, we created a new force called Space Force. That, in itself, would be a major achievement for a regular administration. We were not a regular administration.”

Trump’s four years in office saw a massive increase in Pentagon spending, growing from $618.7 billion in fiscal 2017 to $732 billion in fiscal 2021, though Congress had to override a veto to pass the authorization bill. Pentagon leaders said the increased spending has contributed to improved readiness.

Trump also oversaw an increase in combat operations in the early years in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, before ordering a withdrawal of forces to levels not seen since the early days of combat in the theaters. Then-Acting Defense Secretary Christopher C. Miller said the U.S. succeeded in its efforts to draw down forces, with just 5,000 troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Trump also touted changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs, saying his administration took care of our “beautiful vets. They were very badly treated before we came along.”

“Our vets are happy, our people are happy, our military is thrilled,” Trump said.

Austin Emphasizes Importance of Civilian Control as Defense Secretary

Jan. 19, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Lloyd Austin, President-elect Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Pentagon, spent his Senate confirmation hearing on Jan. 19 pressing his civilian bona fides to lawmakers, with some pledging opposition to the waiver Austin would need to become the nation’s first Black Defense Secretary.

Austin spent 40 years in the military before retiring in 2016 as a four-star general, which means he is still within the seven-year cooling off period required for former military officers to serve in the top Defense Department job, requiring a waiver from both the House and Senate for confirmation.

“If confirmed, I will carry out the mission of the Department of Defense, always with the goal to deter war and ensure our nation’s security,” Austin told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “And I would not be here asking for your support if I felt that I was unable or unwilling to question people with whom I once served, in operations I once led, or [if I was] too afraid to speak my mind to you or the President. I was a general and a Soldier, and I’m proud of that. But today I appear before you as a citizen, the son of a postal worker and a homemaker from Thomasville, Ga., and I’m proud of that too.”

In early 2017, the committee approved a waiver for retired Gen. James N. Mattis to lead the Pentagon, but some of the lawmakers who supported say they do not support granting a second waiver for Austin.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said his vote to support a waiver for Mattis was a mistake, and he would not do so for Austin because approving two in four years sets a precedent that the exception will become the rule. Additionally, it would create the idea that getting four stars isn’t a capstone for a military officer, but “if they play their cards right, they too can become a Secretary.”

Opposition is bipartisan, with Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) also saying they are against the waiver. All three senators are military veterans.

The bulk of the lawmakers in the hearing, however, expressed support for Austin’s nomination. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) introduced “Mr. Austin” at the hearing, saying he “represents the best of America, [and is] a man of integrity, humility, and character with a wealth of relevant experience.” Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also praised Austin, saying “there is no doubt in my mind that he will uphold the principle of civilian control.”

Austin said, if confirmed, he will appoint other senior leaders who “have the right experiences and are not afraid to provide input.” He pointed to the nomination of Kathleen H. Hicks to be the first female deputy secretary of defense and Colin Kahl to be the under secretary of defense for policy. He also pledged to avoid the recent trend of having multiple senior leaders serving in acting roles.

“I think it’s imperative that the OSD staff maintain primacy in terms of crafting strategy and policy, and I think that we’ll need the right civilians in key positions to help us do that,” he said.

In a wide-ranging hearing, Austin faced several questions on Pentagon acquisition, nuclear policy, personnel issues, the problem of extremism in the ranks, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Austin said the Pentagon’s 2018 National Defense Strategy is largely “on track,” but if confirmed he would want to review the strategy and update it. He also said there would likely be a new Nuclear Posture Review, noting he is “personally” supportive of the nuclear triad and does not support removing one leg, as has been suggested by several lawmakers and experts. In extended questioning by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) on how he would change nuclear modernization, Austin avoided specifics, saying he looks forward to “getting under the hood” and going over specifics of nuclear modernization.

Several lawmakers pressed Austin on personnel issues, especially sexual assault. Austin would not commit to changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice related to the crimes, or moving sexual assault cases out of the military chain of command, but expressed anger about the lack of progress within the Defense Department to address the scourge of sexual assault, which he said is a leadership and a readiness issue. “I take the issue of sexual assault seriously and personally.”

“If confirmed, I will fight hard to stamp out sexual assault, and to rid our ranks of racists and extremists, and create a climate where everyone fit and willing has the opportunity to serve this country with dignity,” he said.

To that end, Austin also said he supports Biden’s plan to overturn the Trump administration’s ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.

When asked about the pandemic, Austin called it the greatest threat to the U.S., saying he will look at ways to scale and speed up DOD support. “It’s killed over 400,000 of our American citizens. That’s just an incredible loss of life.”

The more than three-hour hearing was light on specifics related to the Air Force. In response to questioning from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) related to delays in the KC-46 program and problems with the aircraft’s remote vision system, Austin said he would “stay on this issue.”

“I think it’s critical,” he said of the KC-46. “It’s a critical component of our overall force.”

In response to questions from Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) on prospective cuts to legacy programs, especially MQ-9 Reapers in U.S. Central Command, Austin said he wants to look at requirements and the global force posture to ensure that combatant commands, especially U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, have what they need. That said, there will be a lingering need for legacy ISR aircraft in the Middle East and “the Air Force has a strong voice in this, in what they can afford to keep on in light of the investments they are making in modernization.”

Austin, who served as a member of the board of directors for Raytheon Technologies, pledged to recuse himself from decisions related to that company for four years—four times the one year requirement. He also told Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that he has no plans to become a lobbyist after serving in the Pentagon.

A committee vote on the waiver for Austin has not been set. The House Armed Services Committee on Jan. 19 canceled its planned hearing on the topic, with leaders in the committee such as chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) urging approval. In the meantime, Under Secretary of Defense David Norquist will lead the Biden Pentagon in an acting role.

At Least 12 Guard Troops Banned from Inauguration After Vetting

Jan. 19, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Twelve National Guard personnel who deployed to the nation’s capital to support the presidential inauguration have been sent home after they were vetted by the Army and Federal Bureau of Investigation, though only two were pulled over concerns about extremism, defense officials confirmed in a Jan. 19 Pentagon press briefing. The number of Guardsmen removed from inauguration duty may grow as their deep-dive continues.

“We’re, out of an abundance of caution, taking action and immediately removing them from the line of duty at the Capitol and the events taking place, and then we will address them—whether it’s through law enforcement, if necessary, or through their own chain of command,” outgoing Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Jonathan Rath Hoffman said in his final Pentagon briefing.

Of the two troops sidelined due to potential extremist activity or ties, one was flagged by their command, and the other raised alarms during the FBI vetting process, Hoffman explained.

“All I would say with those two individuals is inappropriate comments or texts that were put out there.” National Guard Bureau Chief Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson said during the same briefing. Neither Hokanson nor Hoffman would provide further details about the nature of those communications.

Earlier in the day, the Associated Press reported that neither service member’s communications contained threats against President-elect Joe Biden.

The other 10 troops were disqualified from supporting the inauguration for reasons unrelated to the inauguration or extremist or militia concerns, Hoffman said.

However, U.S. officials reportedly contradicted this assertion in conversations with the AP.

“Two U.S. officials told The AP that all 12 were found to have ties with right-wing militia groups or posted extremist views online,” the outlet wrote, noting that all of the potentially implicated troops were members of the Army National Guard. “The officials, a senior intelligence official and an Army official briefed on the matter, did not say which fringe groups the Guard members belonged to or what unit they served in.”

Hoffman wouldn’t detail the vetting process, but said it involves “a lot of looking back at anything that could potentially flag in a criminal history check, anything that could come up in a civilian database that’s being scrubbed by our partners.”

“These are vetting efforts that identify any questionable behavior in the past or any potential link to questionable behavior—not just related to extremism,” he clarified.

Hoffman also stressed that the things that might flag a service member for removal from inauguration duty—which he said would be standard deal-breakers for anyone looking to attend the event—might not be indicative of illegal activity. However, he explained, the tight timeline leading up to Inauguration Day meant that the military and FBI weren’t taking any chances, and were preemptively sending these service members home.

The vetting is still underway, Hoffman said, but the Pentagon is confident the 25,000-plus Guard troops currently on the ground in D.C. can be screened in time for the Jan. 20 ceremony.

“This is obviously an unusual situation in which it is all hands on deck and we’re leaving no stone unturned, but we are confident that there will be no opportunity to identify any potential threat left un[turned],” Hoffman said. “And so we’re going to do all we can. We’re gonna partner with the Secret Service, and the FBI, and others to ensure that we’re all doing everything we can. We’re all rowing in the same direction, and that is to ensure that the President-elect and vice president-elect have a safe and secure inauguration tomorrow at 12 noon.”

Air National Guard personnel account for almost 2,150 of the Guard troops currently working in the nation’s capital, with “nearly 23,200” Army National Guard troops comprising the remaining end-strength, NGB spokesperson USAF Maj. Matt Murphy told Air Force Magazine on Jan. 19.

“After the inauguration, we’ll look at the conditions, and the environment, and the mission set that we’re asked to perform,” Hokanson said of the current Guard presence in D.C. “And if that is below the number of personnel that we have, then we’ll start identifying those folks to get ’em home as quickly as possible.”

The FBI regularly investigates reports of troops across the DOD services as well as the Coast Guard who might “be making questionable comments or inappropriate associations,” Murphy said in a call following the press briefing.

“The FBI notifies the branch of service, the branch of service notifies the chain of command, [and] the chain of command investigates the allegations,” he explained of the process, which he said applies across the services. “If they’re substantiated, then the member is entitled to due process.”

When questioned about whether he felt the vetting process’ findings might warrant a future re-screening of the entire Guard force for potential insider threats, Hokanson said he believes current policies and processes should suffice.

“We’ll continue to do those and also, really looking [sic] across the chain of command and their coordination with their Soldiers and Airmen at every level, but I don’t see any current change of policies,” he said. “If there are, obviously, we’ll enforce them. But I think the policies are already there in place, and we’ll continue to utilize those to identify any concerns that we might have.”

How the Air Force Is Protecting the 59th Inauguration

Jan. 19, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Air Force’s role in Joe Biden’s inauguration will look much different from past inaugurations, with a historic national airlift bringing in thousands of Guardsmen to protect the Capitol and surrounding areas and a ceremonial component that is much smaller than previous events because of the security situation in Washington, D.C., and the ongoing pandemic.

In the run-up to the 59th inauguration, the Air Force activated the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing as the USAF service component of the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region—the military effort that contributes to the overall inauguration security effort led by the U.S. Secret Service. On Jan. 20, about 400 USAF personnel will support inaugural events, including flying VIPs, Honor Guards and bands, and communications and other support. This is down from the 1,000 who participated in front of and behind the scenes in 2017.

For the ceremony, the USAF Total Force support includes:

316th Wing—Rotary airlift and base operating support
89th Airlift Wing—Special Air Mission airlift support for VIPs, including outgoing President Donald J. Trump
11th Wing—U.S. Air Force Band and U.S. Air Force Honor Guard providing ceremonial and musical support
844th Communications Group—Providing enhanced communications and support in the National Capital Region.

At Joint Base Andrews, Md., F-16s from the District of Columbia National Guard’s 113th Wing “Capitol Guardians” will be ready for air sovereignty protection missions, along with KC-135s from the 459th Air Refueling Wing for tanking support.

North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement that its support to the U.S. Secret Service-led National Special Security Event will be protecting D.C.’s airspace, though the inauguration will not be that different from regular operations.

“NORAD’s support will fall within its regular enforcement of the Special Flight Rules Area, which is in place over the nation’s capital 24/7/365,” the command said in a statement. “The NCR is a land-based buffer zone surrounding Washington, D.C. The airspace associated with the NCR (and identified as the Special Flight Rules Area) facilitates the identification of aircraft approaching the nation’s capital. Established by the FAA, its airspace of defined dimensions within the ready identification, location, and control of airborne vehicles are required.”

Unlike previous inaugurations, there is no ceremonial flyover scheduled for the ceremony, according to the Air Force and the JTF-NCR. For the 2017 event, an F-15E, F-16, F-22, and F-35 flew over the Capitol during the ceremony.

The airspace over Washington, D.C., has been busy in the run-up to the inauguration as thousands of National Guard personnel have streamed in for enhanced protection of the event following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, as part of a mission called “Operation Capitol Response.”

The Air National Guard has conducted a historic airlift, which as of midday Jan. 19 included 155 sorties, carrying 6,838 total passengers and 607 short tons of cargo with Guard units from 31 states flowing in. C-17s, C-130s, KC-135s, and other Guard and Active duty aircraft have constantly streamed into Joint Base Andrews, Md., bringing in personnel from as far as Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico to contribute to the security mission.

National Garden of American Heroes to Honor Aviation, Aerospace Pioneers

Jan. 19, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

In the midst of nationwide protests and the tearing down of Confederate statues last year, President Donald J. Trump promised to build a “National Garden of American Heroes.” On Jan. 18, he revised his July executive order and listed out the luminaries he hopes to honor, among them aviation and aerospace pioneers including Benjamin O. Davis Jr., James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, and William “Billy” Mitchell—to name just a few.

The memorial garden is unfunded and would require the support of Congress, which has the power to quash the idea. The original vision named few aviation or space heroes, except for the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart, and schoolteacher-turned-astronaut Christa McAuliffe, who died in the Challenger disaster.

The revised list includes:

Davis, who commanded the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and went on to become the Air Force’s first-ever Black general officer

Video: U.S. Military Academy on YouTube

Doolittle, an Army Air Forces lieutenant colonel who led the April 18, 1942 raid on Tokyo, which pioneered the concept of global strike and the idea that no target on Earth is safe from U.S. air power. Doolittle also is the namesake of the Air Force Association’s Doolittle Leadership Center headquarters building.

Video: AFA on YouTube

Col. Francis “Gabby” Gabreski, whose 28 mid-air victories during World War II made him the highest-scoring ace in Europe during the conflict, as Walter J. Boyne recounted for Air Force Magazine in 2005.

This edition of the “Air Force Report” features a story on Lt. Gen. Terry Gabreski’s visit to Osan Air Base, South Korea, to remember her father-in-law, Col. Francis Gabreski. Video: USAF

Mitchell, a World War I air commander and early advocate of strategic bombing, as well as the namesake of AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies think tank.

Brig. Gen. William “Billy” Mitchell, assistant chief of the Air Service, U.S. Army, inspects Third Army aircraft at Weissenthurm, Germany, on Feb. 14, 1925. Photo: Army

In addition to these giants, Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon; Glenn, the first U.S. citizen to orbit the planet; Sally Ride, the first U.S. woman to go to space; and World War II veteran and U.S. Navy test pilot-turned-astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American to go to space—are now slated to join McAuliffe in the select fraternity of space greats honored within the park.

If the garden is built, it’s unclear where it might be located. That, too, would require approval from others. In his original July 3, 2020, executive order, Trump noted “the National Garden should be located on a site of natural beauty that enables visitors to enjoy nature, walk among the statues, and be inspired to learn about great figures of America’s history.”

30 Years After Desert Storm: Jan. 20

Jan. 19, 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.

Jan. 20:

The Defense Department announces the first Purple Heart of the Gulf War will be awarded to Navy Corpsman Clarence Conner, who was hit by shrapnel on Jan. 17 while on Marine patrol near the Kuwaiti border.

U.S. Navy Corpsman Clarence Conner received the first Purple Heart medal awarded to a service member serving in Operation Desert Storm while recovering at a Navy fleet hospital in eastern Saudi Arabia. **Photo: National Museum of Health and Medicine on Facebook**

USAF fighter-bombers attack Iraqi nuclear facilities, air defense complexes, and Scud missile launchers.
Iraqi television broadcasts pictures of Airmen—three U.S., two British, one Italian, and one Kuwaiti—who were captured after their airplanes were hit by Iraqi ground fire.

Find 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, here.

Feds Screen National Guardsmen for Insider Threats to Inauguration

Jan. 18, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The FBI and the Army are screening all National Guard troops supporting the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration for signs of an insider threat to the proceedings, according to the National Guard Bureau.

“If there’s any indication that any of our Soldiers or Airmen are expressing things that are extremist views, it’s either handed over to law enforcement or dealt with the chain of command immediately,” NGB Chief Army Gen. Daniel R. Hokanson said in a Jan. 18 release.

Federal and city officials are preparing for potential violence that could disrupt President-elect Joe Biden’s swearing-in ceremony, following the Jan. 6 riot that killed five as lawmakers moved to certify the 2020 presidential election results.

The District of Columbia National Guard is training visiting troops to report anything inappropriate that “they see or hear … to their chain of command,” an Army spokesperson said in the release. All Soldiers already go through an annual Threat Awareness and Reporting Program as well.

“There is no place for extremism in the military and we will investigate each report individually and take appropriate action,” the spokesperson said in the release. “Any type of activity that involves violence, civil disobedience, or a breach of peace may be punishable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or under state or federal law.”

Background checks for Guardsmen is part of a broader push in the Defense Department to curb white supremacy and other ideological extremism within the U.S. military. A senior defense official said during a Jan. 14 press briefing that the number of investigations into current and former service members with possible ties to extremist groups has grown, but did not say how many are underway.

Ahead of Inauguration Day, judge advocates from the D.C. National Guard and paralegals are ensuring Guardsmen are properly briefed on their mission and the guidelines for deploying in the nation’s capital.

According to Maj. Don Cravins Jr., a command judge advocate with the D.C. Guard, those briefings cover “rules of conduct, the use of force and de-escalation techniques,” D.C. law, and DOD regulations.

“We also go through real-life training scenarios and explain the rights and protections allotted to them as Soldiers and Airmen under Title 32 of the United States Code,” Cravins said in the release.

More than 21,500 Guard troops had arrived in D.C. as of the morning of Jan. 18, NGB wrote. At least 25,000 personnel are approved to offer “security, communication, and logistical” support to city and federal authorities until Jan. 20, though their services may be needed longer.

Between Jan. 12-15, 125 Air National Guard aircraft flew more than 130 sorties into Washington, hauling more than 7,000 troops and 2.3 million pounds of cargo from around the nation.

National Guardsmen—many of whom will be armed—plan to support federal and local law enforcement by protecting lawmakers and congressional staffers; securing Capitol grounds and property, as well as providing security elsewhere in the Washington area as needed; directing traffic; managing crowds; coordinating parking; and offering medical and logistical backup.

“Some Guardsmen who are supporting Operation Capitol Response will be sworn in as special police by civilian law enforcement agencies such as the U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Park Police, and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department,” the bureau said.

Footage published by the Nebraska National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters shows troops from the state being sworn in while standing in the middle of a D.C. street.

Video: Staff Sgt. Herschel Talley/Joint Force Headquarters-Nebraska National Guard

The move to deputize Guard troops, first reported by Reuters on Jan. 14, is not unprecedented. Personnel from at least one Army National Guard unit were sworn in as members of the Metropolitan Police Department ahead of President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration in 2017.

Brian W. Everstine contributed to this story.

Second B-21 Under Construction as Bomber Moves Toward First Flight

Jan. 15, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak

Production of the second B-21 stealth bomber is underway at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Palmdale, Calif., while the first Raider is expected to roll out in early 2022 and fly in the middle of that year, according to Randall Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.

The Air Force predicted it could fly the secretive B-21 for the first time in December 2021. But in an exclusive interview with Air Force Magazine, Walden said that forecast was always a best-case scenario, and first flight in mid-2022 is now a “good bet.”

The first Raider hasn’t yet reached final assembly, he said, but is “really starting to look like a bomber.” The second plane, now moving down the production line, will allow the Air Force to vet the airframe, Walden said.

“The second one is really more about structures, and the overall structural capability,” he explained. “We’ll go in and bend it, we’ll test it to its limits, make sure that the design and the manufacturing and the production line make sense.”

Lt. Gen. James C. Dawkins, Jr., deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, said Jan. 14 that the B-21 will be available for service around 2026 or 2027.

The bomber leg of the nuclear triad is comprised of “B-52s and B-2s, and in another six or seven years, the B-21,” Dawkins said during a Heritage Foundation event on the nuclear-tipped Long-Range Standoff Weapon.

According to the Congressional Budget Office in 2018, the Air Force estimated the cost of developing and buying the first 100 aircraft at $80 billion in 2016 dollars.

Lessons learned from producing the first airplane are being applied to the second, Walden said. That’s due to workers figuring out “how to build the airplane,” which is more than just “how the drawing tells you to put it together.” Walden said, “Space is being created” on the line for more airplanes as the first two take shape.

“It’s looking pretty good,” he added. “We’re very pleased with the … very high percentages of efficiency” in building the second aircraft, “as compared to No. 1.”

First flight will only happen after elaborate coordination with Northrop Grumman, major suppliers, and the test community to ensure “that we are ready to go,” Walden said.

“Just like any aircraft program, there’s going to be surprises” during engine runs and other prep work that could affect first flight, he said. “We will correct those as it makes sense.”

Walden said the program is working with B-21 vendors to mitigate the effects of the pandemic on the bomber’s schedule.

“The pandemic has slowed us in certain areas, but I think we have compensated,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve got significant delays to … first flight.”

“Suppliers across the country are actively delivering parts to Palmdale and we’re doing what we can to help in that regard,” Walden said. The program is closely working with the supply base to ensure slower parts deliveries don’t delay the airplanes at the same rate.

“It seems to be working quite well,” he added.

Walden also said the program is reducing risk by using a business-class jet as an avionics testbed. Avionics and subsystems are being debugged in the surrogate aircraft before being loaded into the actual bomber. Walden said it was analogous to Lockheed Martin’s Cooperative Avionics Testbed aircraft—nicknamed CATbird.

“We’re getting a lot of good feedback” from this effort, Walden said. The business jet is flying “real B-21 software.”

The hardware and software will be “put through its paces, both on the ground and in the air,” and these risk reduction efforts give the team “a lot of confidence” the jet will work. as designed once it’s powered up for first flight, Walden said.

“In the last few months, we did another successful end-to-end demonstration to further mature that hardware and software, and it’s working quite well,” Walden said. “We’re working not only in the flight test activities, but also working with the government test infrastructure to make sure that what we’re doing, from a system integration point of view, makes sense.”

“We’re preparing ourselves not just for first flight, but ultimately, the subsystem testing that will be required during those flight test phases,” he added.

As ranking member on the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) is one lawmaker tasked with oversight of the multibillion-dollar program that is among the Pentagon’s top acquisition priorities. In 2018, Wittman said the B-21 was experiencing thrust issues related to the bomber’s inlet and serpentine ducting.

Those issues have been fixed, Walden said.

“Overall, what Congressman Wittman did bring up was an example of one of those ‘surprises,’” Walden said. “We made that work.”

He declined to discuss the technical details of the problem, but said the fix “required some … basic changes to the design, of which we have a good understanding today through ground testing and engine testing.”

“It looks like we have solved it and we are moving forward with that final design,” Walden said.

Raytheon Technologies’s acquisition of engine maker Pratt & Whitney hasn’t caused hiccups for the B-21, and the change has been transparent, he noted.

Walden also reported that the beddown program is going well, saying a recent industry day at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., to discuss military construction and other support projects was a success.

The Air Force plans to spend about $300 million on military construction projects for the B-21 in fiscal 2022, Walden said, and $1 billion over five years. The service requested $2.8 billion for the plane’s research and development in fiscal 2021 alone.

Pentagon Shifts Israel to CENTCOM Responsibility

Jan. 15, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The Pentagon has changed the combatant command responsible for operations involving Israel, from U.S. European Command to U.S. Central Command, following White House-brokered accords between the country and multiple Persian Gulf states.

The update to the Unified Command Plan came as the Trump administration finished its final week in office. President Donald J. Trump’s White House has touted the Abraham Accords—normalizing relations between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates—as a major shift toward improved relations in the Middle East.

“The easing of tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors subsequent to the Abraham Accords has provided a strategic opportunity for the United States to align key partners against shared threats in the Middle East,” the Pentagon said. “Israel is a leading strategic partner for the United States, and this will open up additional opportunities for cooperation with our U.S. Central Command partners while maintaining strong cooperation between Israel and our European allies.”

The Pentagon did not say how the move will affect operations and planning, noting it is part of a biennial review of its command plan based on assessments of “all boundaries and relationships against the operational environment.”

The U.S. Air Force and Israeli Air Force regularly train together, including in the October 2020 exercise Enduring Lightning III—the third time the two nations have trained together with F-35s.

Changing the piece of the military that collaborates with Israel won praise from some defense watchers.

“I think moving Israel to CENTCOM makes sense from a U.S. policy perspective in that many Israeli issues are tied to the other countries in CENTCOM’s [area of responsibility],” retired Army Maj. Gen. Mike Jones, who served as CENTCOM chief of staff in 2011, told Military Times. It’s similar to DOD’s decision to add India to the combatant command overseeing Pacific operations, for example, he said.

In a statement, the Jewish Institute for the National Security of America said moving Israel to CENTCOM sends a “strong deterrent message of unity and continued U.S. commitment to regional leadership.”

“More concretely, it could smooth the way for the Pentagon to utilize Israel for more regional operations, most directly by updating the prepositioned U.S. stockpile there,” JINSA said.