Super Bowl Bomber Flyover Previews Future Tactics

Feb. 10, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak

The formation flyover of the Super Bowl by the Air Force’s three bomber types on Feb. 7 is a signal of things to come, said Air Force Global Strike Command.

A B-1B and B-52 flew interoperability sorties at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., several days before the big game, swapping aircrew and developing handoff techniques for employing standoff weapons. The two bombers flew one joint sortie, and several others as single-ships, in which a B-52 pilot flew aboard a B-1B and vice versa, while weapon systems officers also switched platforms, to get a feel for how the other type of aircraft is employed, AFGSC said in a press release.

The B-52 crewmembers were able to see the B-1’s radar and connectivity in action; a preview for them, as new radars and datalinks are coming to the B-52 in the next few years.

The 337th and 49th Test and Evaluation Squadrons, which conduct tests on the B-1 and B-52, respectively, flew the missions in the “Lancer” practice area west of Dallas, Texas.

One focus of the Feb. 3-6 flights was to develop handoff techniques for the stealthy AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, an AFGSC spokeswoman said.

The flights were “the first in a series of B-1 and B-52 interoperability sorties, as the bomber operational test community explores tactics development for a more agile bomber strike force that leverages the strengths of the different platforms,” AFGSC said.

The exercise explored and verified “integrated tactics” to give combatant commanders “the option and flexibility to employ the B-1 and B-52 as an integrated and synergistic long-range weapon force package.”

The interoperability push is on a “crawl, walk, run” continuum, the AFGSC spokeswoman said, “and we’re very much at the ‘crawl’ stage now.” However, more such experiments are expected to be conducted in the next three months to hone the techniques and procedures explored in this series of flights, she said.

The B-1 bests the B-52 in speed, signature, and payload, but the B-52 can carry a more diverse array of weapons.

“A goal of these tests was to fly in formation to do practice standoff weapon sorties so we can start building how we fly together, pass targets if we get new ones, and how we ultimately work together,” said Maj. Joseph Wilkinson, a B-1 Weapon System Officer and instructor with the 337th TES.

AFGSC commander Gen. Timothy M. Ray expects to sharply increase the number of B-1s and B-52s employed in testing, so the command can more rapidly integrate new weapons, such as the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, and explore new tactics for the bomber fleet. While the test community normally has two each of the bombers, Ray has said as many as eight aircraft of each type will be dedicated to testing new weapons, as well as upgrades to the B-52’s engines, radar, connectivity, and other systems.

The 49th and 337th TE Squadrons are Air Combat Command units, but are part of the 53rd Test Management Group, which oversees testing of all bomber and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms.

Biden Outlines Views on Using Military Power in 1st Pentagon Visit as President

Feb. 10, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The U.S. military under President Joe Biden will use force as a “tool of last resort” as he aims to bring a responsible end to ongoing wars, though he told Defense Department employees during his first Pentagon visit that he will never hesitate to use force if needed.

“Our country is safer and stronger when we lead not just with the example of our power, but with the power of our example,” Biden said during the visit on Feb. 10, alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III.

During a brief speech from the stage in the Pentagon briefing room, Biden told service members and DOD civilians the military’s “central mission is to deter aggression from our enemies and, if required, fight and win wars to keep Americans safe.”

Biden said the U.S. needs to “rethink and reprioritize our security to meet the challenges of this century, not the last.” This means embracing emerging technology and enhancing cyber capabilities to ensure the U.S. will lead the “new era of competition from deep space to outer space,” he said, calling out China in particular as a growing threat.

He did not bring up any budget priorities for the department, though the Pentagon is bracing for possible cuts, nor did he touch on other major strategy goals. He did not take questions.

Biden repeatedly highlighted the service of his late son Beau, who was a captain in the Delaware National Guard who deployed to Iraq and served under Austin when he led U.S. Forces-Iraq. “I understand the full weight of what it means” to use military force, he said.

“For those of you who raise your hands and sign up to wear the uniform of the United States, we owe you an incredible debt,” Biden said, adding he and his administration will “never disrespect you, never politicize the work that you do. This is personal for me. The Biden family is a military family.”

Following the speech, which comes during Black History Month, Biden and Harris visited the Pentagon’s African Americans in Service Corridor with Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley. While 40 percent of the military’s Active duty force is composed of people of color, the higher ranks of the force do not reflect that diversity—it is “long past time that is reflected at every level of this department,” Biden said. Austin is the first Black Defense Secretary, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr is the first Black uniformed leader of any U.S. military service.

Biden said his administration is committed to ensuring “every single person is treated with dignity and respect.” One of his first acts as President was to overturn the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, and it’s why Austin’s first memo as Secretary was focused on the issue of sexual assault, he noted.

“Every single person, no matter their gender, identity, sexual orientation, race, or religious background, deserves to feel safe in the ranks and to have their contributions valued,” he said. “It’s on all of us to stand up, to speak out when you see someone being abused.

“This is an organization that has defeated American enemies on land, sea, and air and [has] been defined by the way we treat others, so I know that this is not beyond us, not if each of us makes this a priority as well.”

Biden Announces DOD Task Force on China Policy

Feb. 10, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

President Joe Biden on Feb. 10 announced a new Defense Department review of the military’s overall strategy toward China.

Over the next “few months,” the Department of Defense China Task Force will work to define new priorities and “decision points so that we can chart a strong path forward on China-related matters,” Biden told DOD personnel in a speech from the Pentagon briefing room.

The Task Force will be led by Ely Ratner, the special assistant to Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, and will include up to 15 civilian and uniformed members from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the military services, combatant commands, and intelligence, according to a DOD fact sheet. The review is expected to focus on key topics such as modernization requirements, basing and access in the Indo-Pacific, intelligence, and alliances, among others.

The results of that review are expected to be released in no more than four months, according to the Pentagon.

Developing a new strategy toward China needs to be a “whole of government effort,” including bipartisan support in Congress, along with alliances and partnerships, Biden said.

“That’s how we’ll meet the China challenge and ensure the American people meet the competition of the future,” Biden said.

Biden was briefed on the task force upon arriving at the Pentagon on Feb. 10 for the first time as President. Austin, in his confirmation hearing Jan. 19, highlighted China’s modernization and growth in the region, saying he will work to make sure China never meets its goal of creating a military stronger than that of the U.S.

China has long been considered a “pacing threat” to the U.S. military, with the 2018 National Defense Strategy highlighting Beijing as a strategic competitor that exerts its influences over neighboring nations and highlighting its militarization of the South China Sea. Austin has said the Pentagon, under his leadership, will update this strategy.

Multiple USAF Installations Tweak Security Protocols After Andrews Breach

Feb. 10, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

At least three domestic Air Force bases have changed the way they handle base visitors since the Feb. 4 breach at Joint Base Andrews, Md., in which an adult male made his way onto a C-40B aircraft assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing and sparked a global base security review of all Air and Space Force installations. However, Andrews was the only base to identify the incident as the impetus behind its posture shift.

While Andrews suspended its Trusted Traveler Program almost immediately after the breach, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, also have since altered the way they handle base visitors.

JBLE on Feb. 8 suspended its Trusted Traveler Program until further notice, implemented 100-percent identification checks, and said visitors lacking Defense Department IDs will be sent to the base’s Visitor Control Center.

“Members can still sponsor individuals onto the installation, but will need to do so via obtaining a visitor[’s] pass at the Visitor Control Center at Langley’s LaSalle Gate or Eustis’ Main Gate,” the base wrote in a Facebook post.

Base Trusted Traveler Programs permit drivers with valid Defense Department Common Access Cards to vouch for people in their vehicles to enter installations without requiring those passengers to be pre-cleared by their Visitor Control Centers. However, these passengers must still present valid state IDs to base defenders.

A 633rd Air Base Wing spokesperson told Air Force Magazine on Feb. 10 that, as a matter of policy, it doesn’t discuss the rationale behind changes in the installation’s security posture—including the current Trusted Traveler Program suspension—due to operational security concerns.

“Each installation commander has the authority to maintain or suspend his/her Trusted Traveler Program,” Air Force spokesperson Lt. Col. Malinda Singleton told Air Force Magazine in a Feb. 10 email. “Some commanders have decided to suspend their programs while others may choose to/not to suspend their programs as they review their installation security programs and procedures.”

JBSA, on the other hand, is now requiring all base visitors to present their CACs for scanning and photo verification at its gates, prohibiting the scanning of CACs through vehicle windows, and reserving the right to require physical CAC inspections.

Defenders also may order visitors to lower their masks to help verify their identities, the base explained in a Feb. 8 Facebook announcement.

“These actions may cause delays or require personnel to adjust their routine, but they are necessary to protect the installation, mission, and personnel,” the base wrote.

These changes came as a result of “recent security incidents at military installations around the world,” the post stated.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Feb. 10 at 6:51 p.m. EST to include information from JBSA.

Lackland Defenders Return from 6-Month Deployment to Kuwait

Feb. 10, 2021 | By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Thirty-five Reservists from the 433rd Security Forces Squadron returned home to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, on Jan. 31 following a six-month deployment to Kuwait in support of Operations Inherent Resolve, Freedom’s Sentinel, and Spartan Shield, the squadron told Air Force Magazine on Feb. 9.

During the deployment, the Lackland defenders “provided air base defense and base security” at Kuwait International Airport, squadron leadership wrote in a response to questions from the magazine.

“Their defense posturing and mission awareness protected over 3,000 coalition personnel and 3,500 combat sorties,” the leaders wrote. “During their six-plus month deployment, they searched over 4,500 vehicles, completed 1,100 random antiterrorism measures, and secured over $105 billion dollars worth of AFCENT resources.”

The Airmen also reinforced “perimeter security” at the airport, preventing the Islamic State group from breaching Cargo City, they added.

“The 433rd Security Forces Squadron has a proud history of stepping up and deploying when the nation calls,” said Squadron Commander Maj. Matthew Darisse in a Feb. 4 release. “And despite the challenges presented with the global pandemic they did the same thing over the last six months. I’m certainly proud of their efforts.”

The 433th SFS is charged with safeguarding “deployed weapons systems against sabotage” and to supplement military bases’ existing security forces, according to the squadron’s fact sheet.

The unit—which belongs to the 433rd Airlift Wing—also helps protect personnel at deployed spots such as main operating bases, limited bases, and bare bases, and operates “in a joint service environment to include host nation forces at all levels of conflict to include military operations other than war,” the fact sheet states.

Acting Air Force Secretary John P. Roth and USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. recently ordered the Air Force Inspector General to undertake a review of base security at every Department of the Air Force installation across the globe following a Feb. 4 breach at Joint Base Andrews, Md.

Northrop CEO Warden Predicts More Consolidation, More New Entrants

Feb. 9, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak

Northrop Grumman CEO Kathy Warden sees even more consolidation among top-tier defense contractors in the next 20 years, but the reduction in traditional firms will likely be offset by a surge in new entrants, particularly in the cyber and space domains, she said on Feb. 9.

Speaking during a Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual event, Warden says she sees more industry teaming and government-industry partnerships to “evolve technologies more rapidly” over the next 10 to 20 years.

“As a result, I believe the industry will look different in terms of its composition,” said Warden, who also serves as the chair of the Aerospace Industries Association. “… It’s hard to say there will be fewer players, but the ones that exist today will likely continue to consolidate, as we have seen in recent years, and we’ve seen in other cycles over the decades. But you also have new entrants, particularly in areas like cyber and space that are more rapidly growing and creating the room for new players.”

Video: Center for Strategic & International Studies on YouTube

Warden said she agrees with the consensus view that defense spending under the Biden administration will likely flatten from “increases in the mid-single-digit range,” and there will be “a shift more to research and development and staying at the forefront of technology.” Priority areas are likely to be artificial intelligence, machine learning, and microelectronics, she said, along with advanced networking.

The stand-up of the Space Force under the Trump administration, which created both a space command and control function as well as a “space cadre,” was an important step, Warden said.

“Regardless of whether the Biden administration moves forward with the Trump plan and structure, it is important that the nation have this focus on space as a domain and builds the talent that’s necessary to lead, operate, and acquire systems for space,” she said.

The recent SolarWinds hack demonstrates that the cyber threat “has evolved to more and more sophisticated points of access,” Warden observed. It underscored that the old concept of building cyber perimeter defenses in the hopes of totally preventing penetration doesn’t work, and the U.S. has to shift to a new strategy.

“Over time, what all large entities have learned is that, even with the most sophisticated cyber defense forces and monitoring in place, new vulnerabilities are created, at such a rapid rate, that you can’t plan on keeping the adversary out of your network,” she said .

“So you have to protect the internal environment, … protecting the things that are most critical to the organization—data, people, assets—and …building higher walls, better defenses around those.”

Cyber technologies from industry will probably be borrowed intact, and the only ones unique to defense will be those “specifically applied to problems that are unique to surveillance [and] command and control; the issues of defense that aren’t translatable into a commercial context,” she said.

The COVID-19 pandemic was, “Certainly a wake-up call, not only for our company resiliency but our supply chain resiliency,” Warden noted. The industry is “working together” to ensure that the supply chain is resilient and can “adapt quickly” if another similar situation arises.

She said the Biden administration also will be looking at the defense industrial base and supply chain resiliency, and “defining some of the mitigation steps that we have to take together. And this really needs to be a government and industry partnership to shore up the broader ecosystem of the defense industrial base,” she said.

“We will see activity on this in the next few months,” she predicted. The AIA is making recommendations “that we can take forward to the administration, but [that] also work across the industrial base …” She said she’s proud of the steps the industry has already taken on its own in this regard.

“The larger corporations who had the financial means to keep operating,” and take appropriate safety measures, “very proactively reached out to smaller and midsize companies to help give them the information they needed to change their protocols to continue to operate. And in addition, we flowed funds to them,” so they had the “cash on hand to continue to operate in a pandemic.”

“I hope this is something industry can bottle and hold onto as we move forward, post-pandemic,” she added.

Boeing Delivers 44th KC-46, Completing Beddown of the New Tankers at Pease

Feb. 9, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

The 157th Air Refueling Wing on Feb. 5 filled up its KC-46 hangars, receiving its 12th and final Pegasus as Boeing delivered the 44th tanker to the Air Force.

A crew from the wing at Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., flew the tanker home from Boeing Field in Seattle. The base received its first KC-46 in August 2019, after divesting its last KC-135 in March the same year.

“Here at Pease, we have a history of performance and excellence, as well as community support, and that is why we were chosen to receive the Air Force’s newest platform,” said Col. John Pogorek, commander of the 157th ARW, according to a base release.

Also on Feb. 5, the 916th Air Refueling Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., received its fifth KC-46.

In late January, McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., marked the first time an all-female aircrew flew the KC-46. Fourteen women flew the new tanker to the United States Air Force Academy as part of an initiative to increase the number of women and minorities who join rated career fields, McConnell said in a release.

“The fact is that the Air Force pilot population is male-dominated, and we wanted to send the message that this fact did not mean that women aren’t capable or have more of a difficult time being a good pilot,” said Maj. Kaitlin Schafer, 344th Air Refueling Squadron chief of scheduling, in the release.

Of the 10,964 pilots in the U.S. Air Force today, only 708—just 6.5 percent—are women and the majority them fly mobility aircraft, according to statistics provided to Air Force Magazine.

The Air Force plans to buy 179 of the tankers as it works through developmental problems in the long-delayed program. Air Mobility Command boss Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost said Feb. 1 that the service has resolved two major Category 1 deficiencies related to the aircraft’s auxiliary power unit—one of which was fixed and another downgraded to a less serious Category 2.

The jet still has four Category 1 deficiencies, defined by problems that could impact the safety of flight. Three of those are related to its problematic Remote Vision System, and one is related to a stiffness problem in the refueling boom. USAF and Boeing last year agreed to a fix to the RVS, expected to be delivered by 2023.

The Air Force and Boeing have made progress on remaining Category 2 problems, but many remain. The service said Feb. 9 there are 608 Category 2 deficiency reports pending on the aircraft, down from 732 in June 2020.

“CAT II deficiencies are conditions that could negatively impact operations, but have acceptable workarounds,” USAF spokesman Capt. Josh Benedetti said in a statement. “They can be characterized as test and evaluation, product quality, and/or [be] specific to an aircraft’s acceptance process. All CAT II deficiencies are in varying stages of disposition. The Air Force and Boeing remain committed to resolving deficiencies with the KC-46.”

On Feb. 9, Boeing also announced that the first KC-46 designed for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force took flight at its Everett, Wash., facility. Japan is the first international customer for the tanker, and is scheduled to receive the first jet later this year.

“This is an exciting milestone for the JASDF and Boeing,” said Jamie Burgess, KC-46 program manager, in a company release. “Japan is getting closer to receiving the most advanced air refueling tanker in the world.”

The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $279 million foreign military sales contract for the tanker in December 2017. Japan is on contract for four of the aircraft.

Reardon Performing the Duties of Air Force Under Secretary

Feb. 9, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Anthony P. Reardon is performing the duties of the under secretary of the Air Force under Acting Secretary John P. Roth, pending permanent nominations to the positions, the department announced Feb. 9.

Roth officially designated Reardon as the first assistant to the under secretary of the Air Force to allow him to perform the duties in the role in accordance with both the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the Department of Defense Directive 3020.04, the Department said in a release. He began serving in the temporary role on Feb. 2.

“The office of the under secretary of the Air Force is responsible for the affairs of the Department of the Air Force, to include organizing, training, equipping and providing for the welfare of approximately 697,000 Active duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian Airmen and Guardians and their families worldwide,” the Air Force said in the release.

Reardon has served as the administrative assistant to the assistant secretary of the Air Force since April 2019. He served in the Active-duty Air Force from 1982-2003, including as a weapon system officer on the RF-4C Phantom and as a staff officer. As a department civilian, he also served as the assistant deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, assistant deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, and other positions.

Roth became acting Air Force Secretary under the Biden administration, following the retirement of former Air Force Secretary Barbara M. Barrett last month. The Biden administration and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III have not announced a nominee to be the next Air Force Secretary.

Hicks Takes Over as Pentagon’s No. 2 Official

Feb. 9, 2021 | By Brian W. Everstine

Kathleen H. Hicks on Feb. 9 reported to work as the highest-ranking woman in Pentagon history, starting as the deputy secretary of defense the day after being confirmed by the Senate.

Hicks immediately met with Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, received updates on DOD activities related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and accomplished other administrative duties, according to a Pentagon statement.

Hicks, who most recently served as senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, also was an adviser to President Joe Biden’s transition team prior to the inauguration. She has extensive DOD experience, serving as the deputy under secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and forces, and the principal deputy under secretary of defense for policy. She first started at the Pentagon as an intern in 1993, according to a DOD release.

During her confirmation hearing on Feb. 2, Hicks highlighted competition with China as a major issue, saying the U.S. military must modernize its equipment and workforce for deterrence. She also pledged to help Austin end extremism, racism, and “other inhibitors to readiness” within DOD.

Hicks told lawmakers she would oversee nuclear modernization decisions, because Austin has pledged to recuse himself from decisions related to Raytheon Technologies, which includes the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent and the Long-Range Standoff Weapon.

She was confirmed by voice vote the evening of Feb. 8, and is replacing former Deputy Defense Secretary David L. Norquist.

The Senate on Feb. 8 also confirmed Denis McDonough to become the Secretary of Veterans Affairs by a vote of 87-7. McDonough was sworn in to the position by Vice President Kamala Harris during a Feb. 9 ceremony.

See the complete list of new DOD officials sworn in since the inauguration.