USAF F-16 Fighters Fly with Bahrain in Training Exercise

USAF F-16 Fighters Fly with Bahrain in Training Exercise

Jan. 9, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

U.S. Air Force F-16 fighters are in the midst of a weeklong training exercise with the Royal Bahraini Air Force, Air Forces Central announced.

The exercise, named Ballast Cannon, started Jan. 6 and will last until Jan. 12. In addition to the F-16s, KC-135 tankers are participating. Airmen are incorporating Agile Combat Employment (ACE) objectives into the exercise, as well as practicing aerial refueling, coalition command and control, and tactical integration between the USAF and the RBAF.

“By constantly integrating with our partners at the tactical edge, while still testing our expeditionary capabilities, we are building readiness and developing operational approaches that complicate the adversary’s problem as well as maintains our strategic advantage.” Brig. Gen. Quaid Quadri, 378th Air Expeditionary Wing Commander, said in a statement.

Images released by AFCENT show the F-16s participating in the aircraft to be from the New Jersey Air National Guard—the 119th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived in the Middle East in late October to bolster the Air Force’s fighter footprint in the region amid increased attacks by militia groups aligned with Iran and concerns about possible region-wide escalation of the Israel-Hamas war.

An Air Forces Central release emphasized that this latest exercise is a “routine” event, with new editions of Ballast Cannon occurring roughly every three months. Previous iterations have not been publicized, but the USAF and RBAF have worked together before, participating in regional coalition operations, contributing to missions over Yemen and Iraq against Islamic State group fighters. In 2022, the two organizations also conducted a subject matter expert exchange focused on the C-130J aircraft.

“Through decades of collaboration and cooperation with our wonderful partners in the region, we have developed key relationships, bolstering our ability to integrate and employ airpower across the coalition,” Quadri said.

Agile Combat Employment is the Air Force’s operational concept whereby teams of Airmen and aircraft disperse from large central bases to various remote or austere locations, where they can operate with fewer resources and move quickly as needed.

Bahrain has operated F-16s of its own since the early 1990s. In 2018, the Gulf nation ordered 16 of Lockheed Martin’s newest Block 70 F-16s in a $1.1 billion contract. After completing flight tests at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the initial batch of these jets are set to be delivered to the RBAF this year.

Pentagon Reviewing Failure to Disclose Austin’s Hospitalization, But Details Scarce

Pentagon Reviewing Failure to Disclose Austin’s Hospitalization, But Details Scarce

Jan. 8, 2024 | By Chris Gordon

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is not planning to resign over the failure to disclose his hospitalization to President Joe Biden and senior members of the administration for days, officials said Jan. 8.

“The Secretary has no plans to resign,” Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder told reporters. “He continues to stay focused on conducting his duties as the Secretary and executing our mission.”

President Biden continues to have confidence in the Austin, White House officials added. 

Biden “respects the fact that Secretary Austin took ownership for the lack of transparency,” adding that the president has no plans to ask for Austin’s resignation, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said.

But Austin’s aides are struggling to explain why no one at the Pentagon informed the White House or U.S. military leaders that Austin, the president’s top civilian military advisor and a top Cabinet official in the presidential line of succession, went to the hospital, where he remains, on Jan. 1.

“A very small number of folks knew about it,” Ryder said.

At least four top aides knew about Austin’s status soon after the hospitalization. But the White House was not informed until Jan. 4—the day the U.S. conducted a rare targeted killing of a militia leader in an airstrike in Baghdad.

“The Secretary of Defense’s chief of staff had been out sick with the flu, which caused a delay in these notifications,” Ryder said. “We can all agree, in terms of the notification processes here, we need a new normal.”

Top Pentagon officials, such as service secretaries and chiefs, including Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff David W. Allvin, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, were not officially notified until Jan. 5, only hours before a public statement was released, according to the Pentagon. Congress was notified shortly before that statement.

“I remain concerned that vital chain of command and notification procedures were not followed while the Secretary was under medical care,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a Jan. 8 statement. “This lack of disclosure must never happen again.”

Austin has taken ultimate responsibility for the failure to notify the administration, Congress, and the public in a timely way. But how that failure occurred is still murky.

Austin’s top civilian aides, including Kelly Magsamen, his chief of staff, and Chris Meagher, the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, knew of Austin’s hospitalization on Jan. 2, as did Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and some of Austin’s top uniformed aides, including his senior military assistant Army Lt. Gen. Ronald P. Clark and Ryder.

“We’ll do what’s akin to a hot wash and try to see if processes and procedures need to be changed at all or modified so that we can learn from this,” added Kirby, the former Pentagon spokesman.

Austin was in severe pain on Jan. 1 and had to be transported by ambulance to the intensive care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center—meaning he was unlikely in any condition to draft a public statement or make phone calls. On Jan. 2, some of Austin’s duties were transferred to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks due to Austin’s medical condition, though Hicks did not know Austin was hospitalized for another two days. Austin originally had an “elective” medical procedure on Dec. 22, during which he temporarily transferred responsibility to Hicks, Ryder said.

Austin resumed his duties Jan. 5, and on Jan. 8, he spoke to Hicks and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and received an “operational update” from U.S. Central Command boss Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurrila, the Pentagon said.

“While we wish Sec. Austin a speedy recovery, we are concerned with how the disclosure of the Secretary’s condition was handled,” Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.), chairman and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a joint statement issued Jan. 7. “Transparency is vitally important.”

Austin’s office is conducting a review of the incident. On Jan. 8, Magsamen ordered an inquiry to account for what happened and improve the process in the future.

Within 30 days, the review will establish the timeline of events concerning Austin’s hospitalization and evaluate the process for determining whether the secretary of defense is unable to perform their duties. The review will also include recommendations on how to improve the procedures to notify the president and senior defense officials.

Effectively immediately, the DOD is changing procedures for transferring authority from the secretary of defense to include the reason for the transfer in internal government communications. Notifications of the transfer will be distributed to top Pentagon officials, U.S. military commanders across the world, and the White House Situation Room.

“We absolutely want the trust of the American public,” Ryder concluded. “We want the trust of the media. We want the trust of Congress. We will continue to learn from this experience. We’ll continue to work hard to do better next time.“

SDA Selects a New Contractor to Build 18 More Transport Layer Satellites

SDA Selects a New Contractor to Build 18 More Transport Layer Satellites

Jan. 8, 2024 | By David Roza

The Space Development Agency (SDA) awarded a contract worth approximately $515 million to California-based Rocket Lab for 18 satellites that will help form the Tranche 2 Transport Layer (T2TL) of its massive low-Earth orbit constellation.

Last August, SDA awarded two contracts worth a total of about $1.5 billion to build 72 T2TL-Beta variant satellites that are planned to launch in September 2026. Rocket Lab’s 18 satellites are due to launch no later than July 2027.

The Rocket Lab batch brings the total size of T2TL-Beta to 90 satellites, but Tranche 2 overall will eventually consist of more than 200 total satellites from three different segments. The “Beta,” “Alpha,” and “Gamma” segments will provide different kinds of tactical satellite communication.

They will all be part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, a constellation that will anchor the Pentagon’s broader plan for joint all-domain command and control (JADC2) by providing the satellite communications and connectivity needed to move data around the globe from sensors to shooters. 

“The constellation will provide global communication access and deliver persistent global encrypted connectivity to support missions like beyond line of sight targeting and missile warning and missile tracking of advance missile threats,” SDA wrote in a Jan. 8 release.

SDA director Derek M. Tournear celebrated the new contract as a milestone in his agency’s efforts to expand the number of companies contributing space vehicles.

“Their selection as a new prime and bus provider demonstrates SDA’s dedication to our mission, which includes development of a growing, innovative marketplace necessary to sustain SDA’s proliferated architecture on two-year spirals,” he said in the release.

As the Tranche 2 contracts are handed out, Tranche 1 is scheduled to launch this fall, while the 23-satellite Tranche 0 is already in orbit. Tranche 0 was meant to demonstrate the feasibility of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Tranche 1 provides regional coverage for tactical data links, advanced missile detection, and beyond line of sight targeting. Tranche 2 expands Tranche 1 globally, while Tranches 3 and 4 are meant to enhance their predecessors.

SDA and Tournear are pushing for large numbers of smaller spacecraft in low-Earth orbit to create resilience by discouraging adversaries from trying to shoot down or otherwise disable any one satellite. 

Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture

TRANCHELAYER# OF SATELLITESCONTRACTORS
0Transport20York Space Systems, Lockheed Martin
Tracking8SpaceX, L3Harris
1Transport126York Space Systems, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
Tracking35L3Harris, Northrop Gumman, Raytheon
Demonstration and Experimentation System12York Space Systems
2Transport (Beta)90Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Rocket Lab
Transport (Alpha)100York Space Systems, Northrop Grumman
Transport20 (approx.)TBA
Tracking52 (approx.)TBA
Demonstration and Experimentation System20 (approx.)TBA

 

Red Skies: Space Force Launches New Orbital Warfare Exercise

Red Skies: Space Force Launches New Orbital Warfare Exercise

Jan. 8, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

The Space Force held its first-ever “Red Skies” exercise last month—48 years after the first-ever Air Force “Red Flag”—simulating orbital combat and putting Guardians to the test.

Red Skies ran Dec. 11-15, challenging Guardians with simulated space threats in an exercise that was two years in the making, according to Space Training and Readiness Command leaders. Some 45 Guardians from Deltas 2, 3, 7, 9, and 11 participated, said lead planner Capt. DeShawna Moore.

Lt. Col. Scott Nakatani, commander of the 392nd Combat Training Squadron, which led the exercise, told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the Space Force is no different than any other service trying to compete in its area of responsibility. “How do these systems respond? And what are the limits of their performance?” he said, explaining that the next step is more difficult: “Trying to survive when someone’s trying to destroy you.”

The exercise builds on the concepts proven over half a century at Air Force Red Flag exercises, where fighter pilots are challenged to survive under extreme pressure. “So just like a fighter pilot on the range out at Nellis flying at Red Flag, now here we are working on building up those same skill sets—the survivability skill sets, pursuing the mission through contested and dangerous environments, against observed and validated adversary tactics.”  

Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman frequently calls for Guardians to get more opportunities to work on operational concepts and tactics, techniques, and procedures. Two years, ago, then-STARCOM commander Brig. Gen. Shawn N. Bratton said in January 2022 that he aimed to expand on the Space Force’s flagship “Space Flag” exercise, which “tried to be everything to everybody,” he said at the time. 

USSF hosted “Black Skies” exercises focused on electronic warfare before holding “Red Skies,” and plans call for another exercise, “Blue Skies,” to focus on cyber warfare. 

Brig. Gen. Todd Moore, STARCOM’s deputy commander, said the plans add to Guardians’ experience. “We have been increasing the number of exercises and trying to increase the number of venues where we’re able to give the Guardians access to scenarios to really train against an aggressor force.”

While details on the scenarios and threats Guardians faced in Red Skies remain classified, Nakatani said the exercise sought to develop tactics and procedures to protect U.S. satellites while taking into the account the cost of burning satellites’ limited fuel supplies. 

“Just like an air crew is trying to communicate to this controller back on the ground, how did the space crew flying the satellite deal with their command and control and obey so they can use their fuel budget judiciously and still achieve their objectives?” he said. 

The results were encouraging, Capt. Moore reported.

“I would say my favorite portion of the scenario in general was seeing the integration between the different [teams] and how we tackle those types of challenges innovatively in order to have mission success,” Capt. Moore said. 

This exercise was a simulation, but officials said they hope future Red Skies will incorporate live on-orbit assets. 

“I’d love to see some real maneuvers performed, perhaps with a test asset, perhaps with a residual capability,” Nakatani said. “When I think about what’s real, and what’s exercise, there’s always a nuanced piece too. Going through your entire communications structure, I do think there are [things] on real systems that just can’t be replicated in terms of readiness.” 

Plans call for the next Red Skies in fiscal 2025, Nakatani said, after which Brig. Gen. Moore said he hopes to increase the exercise’s frequency and complexity. 

“I genuinely believe we need to be able to replicate Red Skies no less than quarterly,” Moore said. “ The [other] place I’d take it is increased complexity. And when I need by increased complexity is making it a truly multi-domain in timing and tactics and command and control. Really having that increase in the complexity of what we’re doing across domains, I think is really important.” 

PHOTOS: 8 U-2 Planes Featured in Rare Elephant Walk at Beale

PHOTOS: 8 U-2 Planes Featured in Rare Elephant Walk at Beale

Jan. 8, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

The famed U-2 Dragon Lady took center stage during a recent “elephant walk” at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. As the spy plane approaches retirement in the next few years, eight airframes lined the runway Jan. 4—around 30 percent of the entire fleet.

Alongside the eight U-2s were nine T-38 Talons and two KC-135R Stratotankers on the backdrop of Beale’s 15/33 runway, which spans over 12,000 feet. It was one of the largest displays of U-2s in recent history.

The U-2, playfully dubbed “Dragon Lady” in reference to a 1920s U.S. comic strip character, first flew in the 1950s, conducting reconnaissance missions when the U.S. faced a Soviet information blackout amid Cold War tensions. The single-seat, single-engine aircraft can soar over 70,000 feet, capturing vital intelligence with cameras before the days of satellites.

U.S. Air Force U-2 Dragon Lady’s and chase cars from the 99th Reconnaissance Squadron, T-38 Talon’s from the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron, and KC-135R Stratotanker’s from the 940th Air Refueling Wing conduct an elephant walk on Beale Air Force Base, California, Jan. 4, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Juliana Londono

Manufactured by Lockheed Martin, the Air Force and CIA jointly oversaw the aircraft’s development, testing, and missions from the beginning.

The modern version of the plane entered service for the Air Force in the 1980s, and the service is set to retire the Dragon Lady fleet in fiscal 2026, citing an average age approaching 40 years and challenges in sourcing key components. But until then, the branch aims to maintain the iconic high-altitude surveillance planes and test technology for future aircraft.

The aircraft’s avionics system hardware is being updated to extend its planned service life, with the incorporation of new cabling, software, and displays. The Air Force has not yet discussed a replacement for the very high altitude ISR platform, but officials have suggested the mission will transfer to space-based assets.

Beale—near Sacramento, Calif.—is home to all 27 U-2s that are rotated to operational detachments worldwide, including South Korea, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Last year, the U-2 garnered national attention capturing high-resolution images of a Chinese spy balloon that was transiting the continental U.S.

Intel Wing Starts New Course to Train Chinese Speakers Faster

Intel Wing Starts New Course to Train Chinese Speakers Faster

Jan. 8, 2024 | By David Roza

The U.S. military needs more Chinese language speakers as it prepares for a possible conflict in the Pacific. As part of that push, the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing (ISRW) is teaching eight of its Arabic- and Pashto-speaking Airmen how to speak Chinese.

“[I]t’s extremely beneficial to take someone that has that experience and can transition from one language to another, as opposed to taking someone that’s brand new and fresh,” Master Sgt. John-Marvin Mercer, command language program manager for the 70th ISRW, said in a Jan. 5 press release.

Training Airmen in a new language is not new, but usually that training happens at the Defense Learning Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, Calif.; or at Defense Language Institute-East in Arlington, Va. However, there are only so many spots at those schools, and in the meantime there is an “urgent demand” for Chinese-speaking cryptologic language analysts, Mercer told Air & Space Forces Magazine. 

CLAs like the eight students from the 70th ISRW translate and analyze foreign language communications and signals for intelligence purposes. CLAs work on the ground or aboard aircraft such as the RC-135 family of ISR jets or the EC-130H, a turboprop electronic warfare plane. The 70th ISRW has geographically separated units at 28 locations around the world, and it often works with the National Security Agency.

“Our cryptologic warriors are critical in providing Joint Force commanders with knowledge to help make advantageous decisions on the battlefield,” wing commander Col. Celina Noyes said in the release.

Senior Airman Mary Beth McDade, 338th Combat Training Squadron, sits at a computer simulating her in-flight duties aboard a RC-135V/W Rivet Joint at Lincoln Airport, Neb., May 11, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jessica Montano)

As missions change, the demand for some languages grows while the demand for others shrinks. Five of the eight Airmen taking part in the 70th ISRW’s retraining program speak various dialects of Modern Standard Arabic, while the other three have backgrounds in Pashto, but there is no longer as great a demand for CLAs with those language skills.

“A lot of them are doing administrative jobs, or serving as program managers,” Mercer said. “So, if we can re-language them, it gives them that opportunity to serve in that capacity. We have more than enough Russian and Chinese missions to go around.”

Instead of shipping them to California or Virginia, the Ft. Meade, Md.-based 70th ISRW worked with the Berlitz Odenton Language Center located in nearby Odenton, Md., to stand up a 63-week Chinese-Mandarin course. The wing received $331,000 from the Air Combat Command intelligence directorate to fund the program, which should save the Air Force about $1.5 million due in part to the reduced permanent change of station (PCS) costs.

The new program has quality of life benefits too, since it allows Airmen based at Fort Meade to stay in the area to take care of family, said Staff Sgt. Lauren Rickard, a 29th Intelligence Squadron multi-disciplined language analyst and a current student.

“This program shows that there are other more cost-efficient locations where [the Air Force] can send its members to learn a new language, increasing the workforce’s flexibility,” she said in the release. “This could also benefit other linguists at other bases so that the Air Force does not need to pay to have Airmen PCS.”

Mercer pointed out that the 543rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group previously conducted an in-person Russian course through a contractor in San Antonio, Texas, and the 70th ISRW had a Russian course at Ft. Meade in 2023, but this may be the first local, in-person Chinese language course in the Air Force.

The eight Airmen started the course on Aug. 28. For a total of 63 weeks (about 14 months) the full-time students will hit the books to become proficient in what Mercer described as one of the most difficult languages for English speakers to learn.

“Learning a language in general is very difficult,” he said. “I don’t envy what they must go through.”

Once the initial eight students graduate, they may be reassigned to one of the 70th ISRW’s 28 geographically separated units. Mercer said his program is working on setting up another Chinese re-language course, though it depends on how many volunteers pass Headquarters Air Force’s vetting process. The more, the better from a security perspective, Rickard said.

“Without sufficient Chinese linguists, adversaries could easily exploit that intelligence gap, and we could be caught unaware and lose assets because we were unaware of an impending attack,” she said.

How the Space Force’s New Units Are Key to Its Counterspace Capabilities

How the Space Force’s New Units Are Key to Its Counterspace Capabilities

Jan. 5, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

Space Force leaders have become increasingly vocal about the need for responsible counterspace capabilities: weapons and operations that can hold enemies’ space assets at risk to deter conflict.

And it’s not just words—within the past year, the service has activated several units key to the counterspace mission, Space Force operations chief Lt. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt said during a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event Jan. 5.

“By no means do we want to see war extend into space, but if it does, we have to be prepared to fight and win, but do that in a way that doesn’t disadvantage all the other players that operate day-to-day in the domain,” said Burt, who serves as deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber, and nuclear.

Responsible counterspace campaigning is one of three core tenets of CSO Gen. B. Chance Saltzman’s “Competitive Endurance” theory, which he first laid out in March 2023.

A few months after that in August, the Space Force established its first ever targeting unit, the 75th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Squadron. Shortly after, the 76th ISR Squadron was activated to spearhead space ISR by consolidating and fusing intelligence data from various sources. These two units play pivotal roles in addressing counterspace missions.

“The 75th ISRS is a new squadron within Delta 7, which is our intelligence Delta, that primarily is working target folders and targeting for the all-domain architectures with primarily the focus on space target,” said Burt.  

space force
U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Travis Anderson, 75th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron commander, gives a speech during the 75th ISRS activation ceremony Aug. 11, 2023, at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado. (U.S. Space Force photo by Airman 1st Class Cody Friend)

Targeting for the Space Force goes beyond attacking satellites—it includes ground stations, receivers, electromagnetic connections, and fiber cables. And Burt said the information maintained by the 75th ISR Squadron is crucial for providing decision-makers with options, including kinetic and non-kinetic attacks.

“When we start talking about in any given combatant command, a war that could extend into space or in their combatant command, how would they pull targets? They pull them from the standard targeting database,” Burt said. “These would be space targets that are maintained and kept current by the 75th and would provide them the information they need.”

The unit brings the Space Force in line with other services and combatant commands in how it provides information, through standardized “target folders.”

The 76th ISR Squadron, on the other hand, is an all-source intelligence unit that gathers and fuses intelligence related to space threats. This includes threats from various sources such as signals intelligence (SIGINT), human intelligence, and other imminent dangers in the space domain.

“As we learn more about these threats in the target folders of the 75th (Squadron) is creating, this is really to pull all that information together in the 76th, such that it can then be used by other intelligence entities, or just to better educate us on the way it works.” Burt said.

In addition to these units, Space Delta 15, more widely known as the National Space Defense Center, was activated in March 2023. As the C2 (Command and Control) element, Delta 15 serves as a joint center to analyze and understand activities in space, distinguishing between what is hostile, suspect, and what’s happening in the domain, according to Burt. It works closely with the 76th to utilize the intelligence gathered from space domain awareness sensors.

The emphasis is on conducting such operations in a responsible manner, adhering to international norms, and avoiding actions that could impact other space operators. The goal is to be prepared for potential conflicts in space while minimizing any adverse consequences such as “trashing the orbit,” as Burt put it.

“If you look at the airspace over Ukraine, you can see a very large hole where because fighting is going on, they’ve cleared the airspace and no aircraft are flying into that area,” said Burt, explaining that it is not the same case for the space domain. “Everyone is in the weapons engagement zones, depending on how those things play out.”

Defining Resilient and Effective Space Order of Battle and Architectures Jason Brown, Professional Services Manager, Google Public Sector Joel Nelson, Senior Director, Strategy and Business Development, Space Systems, L3Harris Kay Sears, Vice President and General Manager, Space, Intelligence & Weapon Systems for Boeing Defense, Space & Security Moderator: Lt. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Operations, Cyber, and Nuclear Photo by Aaron Chen/Air & Space Forces Magazine
Why Congress Told USAF to Spell Out its Force Design for 2050

Why Congress Told USAF to Spell Out its Force Design for 2050

Jan. 5, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

Congress directed the Air Force and Space Force in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act to define their future force. The call to action aims to force the services to fully articulate their long-term vision and needs—perhaps justifying increased funding.  

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a retired Air Force brigadier general and ISR pilot, introduced that 2050 force design study legislation to make the Pentagon commit to a flightpath from today’s USAF, which he fears is retiring too many aircraft too quickly, to tomorrow’s. 

“We want the Air Force to lay out, ‘OK, this is our plan, and this is what we need,’” Bacon told Air & Space Forces Magazine. “And then we should stand back and say, is this adequate? Do we need to provide the Air Force more top line money for acquisition?”  

The force design study, due by Aug. 31, will give Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin, and Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman a chance to offer more concrete visions for the future Air Force and Space Force.  

The Air Force has for years retired more aircraft than it has procured—Bacon pegged the ratio at around 2.5-to-1. Retired service leaders and observers have frequently noted that the fleet is growing smaller, older, and less ready over time, just as the Pentagon pivots to great power competition with the likes of China and Russia.  

“It bothers me,” said Bacon, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and its Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee. “While we’re trying to gear up for China, you’ve still got Russia, you’ve got to deter in the Middle East, having a 1-to-2.5 ratio means our force is continuing to get smaller.”  

Service officials say divestments are necessary to free up funding for modernization, and that the aircraft being retired would not survive in a near-peer fight anyway.  

But while Bacon said he is comfortable retiring older, less advanced aircraft like the A-10, he believes USAF must be “the preeminent fighting force in the decades to come, especially with China.” Therefore, it needs to grow, not shrink.  

“We’re going to have the B-21, we’re going to have other long-range strike capabilities,” Bacon said. “We’re going to have a lot of the stealth capabilities. You got the nuclear deterrence end of it, we have two-thirds of the triad and because of that, we’ve got to have the strength.”  

In the competition for resources, however, the Air Force continues to lag behind the Army and Navy in terms of its direct share of Pentagon resources. Bacon sees the study as crucial to help articulate the need for spending increases. 

“I want to be able to force the Air Force to say, ‘This is we want to look like,’” Bacon said. “I also think we need to discuss, is the top line sufficient for the Air Force? I’m of the opinion it’s not.” 

Sen. Jack Reed, right, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, speaks with Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman, top right, before a hearing for the Department of the Air Force fiscal year 2024 budget request, Washington, D.C., May 2, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich

It’s a chance some former officers have told Air & Space Forces Magazine that Kendall welcomes, as it would allow him to explain the reasoning behind key decisions like retiring aircraft, re-optimizing the organizational structure, and adjusting personnel. 

Indeed, Bacon said he expects the 2050 study to dovetail with other strategic projects now underway, including Kendall’s push to “re-optimize” forces and the department to better align to modern-day requirements in competition with China. 

The force design plan should offer an overarching vision that lawmakers and service leaders can compare to the department’s budget and investment decisions, Bacon said. That will contrast with recent history, he said, where “every year, they have a little bit of a different plan, so we feel like it’s a little bit of a moving target.” 

“We want to get them on record: ‘This is what we want to have with a reasonable budget,’” Bacon added. 

B-1 Bomber Crashes at Ellsworth; Crew Ejects Safely

B-1 Bomber Crashes at Ellsworth; Crew Ejects Safely

Jan. 4, 2024 | By Chris Gordon

A B-1B bomber crashed as it was attempting to land at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., on Jan. 4.

All four crew members ejected safely from the aircraft and survived, Ellsworth Air Force Base said in a statement.

The incident occurred during poor weather in below-freezing temperatures with dense fog limiting visibility, according to local weather reports. Radio traffic from local first responders said there was an “active fire” after an “explosion.”

“An Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base crashed at approximately 5:50 p.m. today while attempting to land on the installation,” the base’s 28th Bomb Wing said in a Jan. 4 statement. “At the time of the accident, it was on a training mission.”

The airbase is closed to flight operations, according to a Notice to Airmen/Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) advisory issued soon after the incident. The NOTAM was extended on Jan. 5.

One Airman is currently being treated at a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries, the 28th Bomb Wing said in a Jan. 5 statement. The other three crew members were treated on base for minor injuries. A typical B-1 crew consists of two pilots and two weapons systems officers, all with ejection seats.

A spokesperson for the wing told Air & Space Forces Magazine they could not provide further details of the incident.

Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Ellsworth Air Force Base is near Rapid City. It is one of only two B-1 bases. The 28th Bomb Wing operates over 20 B-1s, according to the base. The Air Force has 45 B-1s in its inventory.

The aircraft was initially designed to operate as a supersonic, nuclear-capable bomber with variable-sweep wings. But the fleet has been used hard over the last two decades in the Middle East after being converted to a purely conventional bomber. The aircraft is known to have a poor mission-capable rate.

Ellsworth is slated to receive the first operational B-21 Raider stealth bombers, which are scheduled to fully replace the B-1.

“The Air Force will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the accident,” the 28th Bomb Wing said.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Jan. 5 with additional details.