Security Forces Training Incident Prompts Investigation at Little Rock AFB

Feb. 22, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., launched an investigation after a 19th Security Forces Squadron Airman discharged their weapon into a classroom wall during a Feb. 14 “dry-fire training,” wing spokesperson 1st Lt. Jessica M. Cicchetto wrote in a Feb. 19 email to Air Force Magazine.

These trainings let defenders practice employing their weapons and marksmanship basics, she explained.

“During this training event, a live round was discharged and traveled into a wall,” she wrote. “There were no injuries or fatalities reported.”

The investigation aims to figure out what caused the discharge and how to stop this kind of incident from happening again, Cicchetto said.

The popular, but unofficial, Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page first shared a report of a “negligent discharge” at the base on Feb. 14.

The incident comes amid an Air Force Inspector General review of security at all Air Force and Space Force installations around the globe, which Acting Air Force Secretary John P. Roth and USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. ordered following a Feb. 4 breach at Joint Base Andrews, Md.

30 Years After Desert Storm: Feb. 23

Feb. 22, 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.

Feb. 23:

B-52s pound Iraqi positions.
Iraqis set 100 more Kuwaiti oil wells on fire.
The total number of coalition attack sorties flown during the air war reaches 94,000.
U.S. Central Command boss Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. determines the attrition of Iraqi combat effectiveness is sufficient for a successful ground offensive with few casualties.

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.

Decision to Base US Space Command Headquarters in Alabama Under Review

Feb. 21, 2021 | By Amanda Miller

The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General will review the Department of the Air Force’s decision to base U.S. Space Command headquarters at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., according to a Feb. 19 memo.

The choice of the Army’s Redstone Arsenal—green-lighted provided it passes an environmental review—has already raised objections.

Business groups and elected officeholders from Colorado released statements in January and February criticizing the selection, questioning why the process was stopped and then restarted, and claiming they had inside information that former President Donald J. Trump had personally intervened, slighting their state.

The review will gauge how well the Air Force “complied with DOD and Air Force policies during the location selection process; used objective and relevant scoring factors to rank the six candidate locations; and calculated costs and other scoring factors accurately and consistently,” Assistant Inspector General Randolph R. Stone wrote in the memo addressed to Acting Secretary John P. Roth.

The military’s 11th combatant command, which was created in 2019, is provisionally based at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., until a permanent headquarters is named. Peterson was home to Air Force Space Command until that command formed part of the Space Force during the organizational reshuffling to create the new service. Once it’s fully stood up, U.S. Space Command could amount to about 1,500 jobs, though it’s unclear how many of those jobs will be new hires or have been formerly part of the Air Force command.

Local officials and outside experts have characterized the new command as moving from its long-established home. And, Colorado’s odds seemed pretty good at first.

Four of the six finalists announced in the first list, released under Secretary Heather Wilson in May 2019, were in Colorado. Redstone Arsenal and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., were the other two locations. Wilson left office the same month.

About a year later, Air Force Secretary Barbara M. Barrett announced the Air Force was re-opening the process. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper said at the time that he wanted to wait until after the November election to announce a selection so the choice wouldn’t be perceived as political.

Twenty-four states turned in nominations, and by November, the Air Force announced a new list of six finalists. Bases in Florida, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Texas replaced three in Colorado and the one in California. Peterson was the lone Colorado base that persisted.

Barrett announced Redstone Arsenal as the preferred location in January. Since then, the selection has evolved into a political tug-of-war, with both sides taking aim at the Air Force’s methodology.

U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Florida) shed light on the reboot of the selection process in a December 2020 interview with Central Florida’s Spectrum News.

“‘Are you kidding me? Florida is out of the running for a space command?’” Waltz recalled thinking when the first list was released. “Myself, the governor, our senators [and] a lot of our local officials started asking a lot of tough questions about how this decision was made, what’s the process,” said Waltz, an Army veteran. He called the later reversal “huge huge.”

In response to the latest news of the OIG review, U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado) called the second selection process “fundamentally flawed” with “defective methodology” that focused on “bean-counting,” according to Feb. 19 statement. He previously criticized the process after having a chance to review “scores,” saying he perceived “significant irregularities in how the metrics were graded.”

Lisa Landes, a spokesperson for the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, said at the time Redstone Arsenal was named that “sources at the White House and the Air Force have confirmed” that the Air Force’s site selection team recommended Peterson but “President Trump ignored their recommendation and selected Redstone Arsenal.”

The Department of the Air Force plans to make its final decision on the headquarters in spring 2023.

30 Years After Desert Storm: Feb. 22

Feb. 20, 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.

After a brief letup caused by bad weather, heavy air attacks resume in and around Basra—a supply gateway to Kuwait—and against Republican Guard positions along the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border.

An E-8A Joint STARS, orbiting over Saudi Arabia, detects a large convoy moving toward Kuwait, and vectors an AC-130 gunship and two A-10s to attack. They destroy 58 of 71 vehicles in the convoy.

Scud hits Tel Aviv, destroying 20 buildings, killing three and injuring 96.

DOD reports US has lost nine aircraft, Britain two, and Italy and Kuwait one each. Coalition forces have shot down 17 Iraqi aircraft.

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.

USAF Instructor, Japanese Student Pilot Killed in T-38 Crash

Feb. 20, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

A USAF instructor pilot and Japan Air Self-Defense Force student pilot were killed when their T-38C crashed Feb. 19 at Dannelly Field near Montgomery, Ala.

The aircrew and aircraft are assigned to the 50th Flying Training Squadron at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. Col. Seth Graham, commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing, said during a press conference the pilots were on the first leg of a two-leg, overnight training mission when the crash occurred.

The names of the aircrew have not been released. The USAF pilot was 25 years old, and the Japanese pilot was 24 years old, Graham said.

Following the crash, the 14th FTW stopped flying operations. The wing does not typically fly locally during the weekend, but flight operations off station, such as the multiple-leg missions, have been halted, Graham said.

“Please keep the families of these Airmen in your thoughts and prayers,” Graham said in a statement. “Losing teammates is unbelievably painful, but we will get through this together.”

It is the first T-38 training jet crash since the Nov. 21, 2019 crash at Vance Air Force Base, Okla. In that incident, two T-38s collided during a formation landing, killing two pilots on one of the jets. The Air Force halted formation landings following that incident as well.

Steady F-35 Price Reductions Likely at an End

Feb. 19, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak

The next three lots of F-35 production—now being negotiated—likely won’t see much, if any, lowering of unit prices, Lockheed Martin aeronautics vice president Gregory M. Ulmer said Feb. 19.

A reduction in units being procured and an increase in capability of the aircraft will make it tough to keep the price from rising, he said.

“If you look at the next three lots, there’s going to be quite a bit of pressure, I would say, keeping the cost neutral,” Ulmer told journalists on a telecon press conference ahead of AFA’s virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium Feb. 24-26.

There’s “a significant quantity reduction in the next three years … on the order of 100 aircraft,” he said, so there will be fewer aircraft across which to spread overhead costs.

In the Lot 12, 13, and 14 deal, announced in October 2019, there were 478 aircraft, and Lockheed’s unit price for the F-35A model fell below $80 million apiece for the first time. The Lot 12-14 contract reduced F-35 unit prices nearly 13 percent over the previous lots, and marked the sixth successive year of unit price reductions.

“We also know we’re going to put Tech Refresh 3 [upgraded software, improved core processor, new cockpit display] and new capabilities on the aircraft” in Lots 15-17, Ulmer said. Given all that, “We’re working to keep a cost-neutral position” for the next production lots.

The Joint Program Office reported in January that its contracting strategy for Lots 15-17 will be to negotiate a “base year” contract for Lot 15, with two single-year options in Lots 16 and 17.

The F-35 still has not been declared ready for full-rate production; that status has been repeatedly delayed while the Pentagon integrates the aircraft with the Joint Simulation Environment, a Pentagon wargaming system that assesses the right numbers of various platforms for various combat scenarios.

Declaring the F-35 ready for full-rate production will make it possible for a multi-year contract of five to seven years, Ulmer said, noting that partners are already taking advantage of block buy quantities to reduce risk. That arrangement would enable contractors and subs to make better deals for materials and labor, which could hold prices down, he said.

Asked if declaration of full-rate production readiness would enhance the image of the F-35 worldwide, Ulmer said, “From my view, it’s already …happened,” citing the success of the F-35 in real-world combat operations in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, and the fact that the program has ramped up production steadily and “met all our commitments.” He noted, though, that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the ramp rate, and previously acknowledged that Lockheed fell 20 airplanes short of its planned deliveries in 2020.

Turkey’s removal from the F-35 program won’t affect foreign sales prospects. The U.S. Air Force will buy the aircraft built in production line positions previously held by Turkey, said Ulmer.

The Turkish slots “are spoken for,” Ulmer said. “At the time we stepped away from Turkey, there were eight aircraft” completed for that country. “Those have all been … delivered to the U.S Air Force.” There were also three lots of eight aircraft for Turkey “in flow,” and “all those will be [delivered] to the U.S. Air Force as well. There is no plan to allocate those to a different customer,” Ulmer reported.

There are numerous potential F-35 customers in the Middle East and Far East, Ulmer said, declining to be specific.

Ulmer said Lockheed is awaiting a request for proposals in the spring from the F-35 Joint Program Office on a Performance-Based Logistics plan the company pitched to the Pentagon two years ago. The plan would see Lockheed invest more than a billion dollars up-front in sustainment enhancements, and the government would pay the company back out of its operating savings. Lockheed said at the outset the PBL plan is the only way to achieve a cost per flying hour of $25,000 by 2025, and Ulmer said that goal is “still doable.”

He also said Lockheed has a backlog of 128 F-16s to be produced at its new Greenville, S.C., F-16 production facility for five customer countries, and there is a potential to sell as many as 300 more, although some of the customers will be “repeat” buyers. That figure doesn’t include India, which may build an advanced F-16, called the F-21, under license. New customers include Bulgaria and Slovakia, Ulmer said.

Asked to comment on Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown’s announcement of a new tactical aircraft study, Ulmer said he agrees with Brown’s “approach, relative to the operational analysis and the study aspect” but believes it should take a holistic view of air combat.

“I tend to think it’s a system of systems, and not so much a platform-centric solution set,” he said. As to Brown’s suggestion that the Air Force may need a generation 4-plus or 5-minus platform to succeed the F-16, Ulmer said “if you fast-forward to the next decade, I think the ‘low end’ fight in the future is very much a ‘high-end’ fight. If you look at the proliferation of [Russian air defense] S-300 or S-400 [systems] … it’s going to be even more so in the future.”

Indonesia Could Be First Non-USAF Customer for F-15EX

Feb. 19, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak

Indonesia plans to buy the Boeing F-15EX, expecting to take delivery by 2022, according to press reports from Jakarta. If Indonesia follows through, it would be the first sale of the new F-15 configuration beyond the U.S. Air Force, which has not yet accepted its first fighter.

The Anadolu news service quoted Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Fajar Prasetyo, speaking at an Indonesian air force leadership meeting, as saying his country will buy 36 new French Rafale fighters and eight F-15EX fighters, along with upgrades for the country’s other combat aircraft. Plans also call for purchase of C-130 transports and a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat air vehicle.

However, “The implementation is very dependent on various factors and conditions that keep changing dynamically,” Prasetyo said, adding that the various parts of government and the defense ministry are working to address affordability issues.

The purchases are meant to address operational requirements, obsolescing equipment, the need for commonality with other air forces, and technology transfer, Prasetyo said.

Indonesia fields a fleet of about 72 combat aircraft, including 33 F-16s— a mix of A/B and C/D models—five Su-27, 11 Su-30 and 23 Hawk 200s. All the aircraft date back to the 1990s or earlier, but 10 of the oldest F-16s have been updated.

A Boeing spokeswoman could not confirm the planned purchase, but said “we remain confident in the F-15EX’s suitability for Indonesia, given its unmatched range, payload, and performance.” She did confirm, however, that all future sales of new F-15s will carry the designator F-15EX. Over the past 30 years, export F-15s have borne a designator specific to the export nation; e.g., F-15SA for Saudi Arabia, F-15QA for Qatar, F-15I for Israel, etc. From now on, though, the designation will be “F-15EX across the board,” the spokeswoman said.

The U.S. Air Force will take delivery of its first F-15EX fighter within “the next couple of weeks,” the Boeing spokeswoman said, and the second one “by the end of March.” A rollout/delivery ceremony is slated to take place at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in early April. Operational testing of the first two aircraft at Eglin is to begin in the spring, and the two initial test jets will be joined by six more in the next few years.

The Air Force plans to buy about 144 F-15EX through the late 2020s, to replace F-15C/D aircraft that are rapidly aging out of the inventory. The new aircraft feature fly-by-wire flight controls, an additional two weapon stations, and the EPAWSS electronic warfare system. However, the EPAWSS is not being made available for export.

Austin Highlights China Threat in First Briefing

Feb. 19, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

As a Pentagon task force begins reviewing the department’s approach toward China, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III used his first media briefing to reiterate that Beijing is the top “pacing threat” for the military and the U.S. needs to ensure its deterrence can remain credible.

“From the Department of Defense standpoint, … my No. 1 concern and my No. 1 job is to defend this country and protect our interests,” Austin said. “And so, we in this department are going to do everything possible to ensure we have the right operational concepts, the right plans in place, and that we have resourced the plans with the right capabilities to present a credible deterrence not only to China, [but to] any other adversary who would want to take us on.”

President Joe Biden, in his first visit to the Pentagon on Feb. 10, announced the formation of the Department of Defense China Task Force, which will define new priorities and “decision points so that we can chart a strong path forward on China-related matters.”

The task force will include up to 15 civilian and uniformed members, who will review modernization requirements, basing and access in the Indo-Pacific, intelligence, and alliances related to China policy. The review will be released in about four months.

Austin said there might still be ways for China and the U.S. to work together, as long as it’s in America’s best interests.

“And so there no doubt are some areas where we see common interests and there may be an opportunity to engage, but it will be from a standpoint of promoting our best interests,” Austin said.

The Pentagon in its 2018 National Defense Strategy said China is exerting its influence in the region through military outreach.

Austin said he discussed Chinese threats during the NATO defense ministerial meetings Feb. 17-18, saying allies can help the U.S. “better think through operating concepts and investment strategies when it comes to meeting that challenge.”

Top Aces Brings 1st Israeli F-16s Back to the US

Feb. 19, 2021 | By Amy Hudson

Top Aces Corp., the first company to operate the F-16 commercially, imported its first four of 29 jets from Israel late last month, President Russ Quinn told Air Force Magazine.

The jets were broken down and flown via cargo jet to the company’s F-16 Center of Excellence in Mesa, Ariz. After nearly six years of locking down the deal and working with the State Department, Quinn said Top Aces has received approval to bring all 29 aircraft to the U.S. It plans to bring the fighters back in batches of 12, depending on market conditions, with two jets coming in every other month. The goal is to be on contract and flying for the U.S. Air Force or U.S. Navy in 2021.

“The professionals at Top Aces are looking incredibly forward to serve. We’ve got a group of ops and maintainers and support folks that have been waiting and really moving to get to the point where we can serve the Air Force with these assets,” Quinn said. “We see that as our highest priority currently, and we’re just really looking forward to bringing the next level of capability, both equipment-wise and people or professionalism, to the Air Force commercial adversary air business.”

Top Aces is one of seven companies awarded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts in October 2019, allowing them to bid on specific task orders under a broader adversary air contract worth up to $6.4 billion. The contract could eventually include some 40,000 hours of adversary air at 12 fighter bases, plus 10,000 hours of close air support training at nine bases.

Air Combat Command in July 2020 awarded three companies contracts worth up to $433.6 million to fly more than 5,400 annual sorties at five training bases. Though Top Aces is allowed to bid on contracts, it’s yet to be awarded any, because ACC was waiting until it had brought its jets back to the U.S., Quinn said. Now that it has them, the company has its eye on the follow-on adversary air contract for Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., which he expects to drop in the third quarter of this year. Draken International currently is under contract at Nellis, supporting the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.

Top Aces will upgrade its early block F-16s with an active electronically scanned array radar, helmet-mounted cueing system, tactical datalink, and high off boresight capability. Its open mission system, which can be integrated into any platform, has already been integrated and flight tested in its A-4 Skyhawks. That is what “really makes [the F-16s] capable, in terms of simulating a variety of threats,” said Quinn.

“We’re very excited about that level of risk reduction,” Quinn said. “It makes a big difference for us in terms of making the F-16 embodiment and integration a lot easier and a lot quicker.”

Although the company has done some work on the jets in Israel, Quinn said that was mostly bringing them back to flight status. All the advanced work will be completed in the United States.

The Air Force recently re-established the 65th Aggressor Squadron with F-35s at Nellis and has talked about bringing more aggressor work back in house. But the companies vying for the contract air award are banking there is still plenty of work to go around.

“It was very important to bring the F-35s in, but honestly even with the numbers they’re talking about, there’s still a tremendous void in the numbers that are required. We still see there’s plenty of opportunity for commercial operators that are appropriately priced and equipped. We think we’re that,” he said. “So now, I feel pretty good about the future.”