With First Flight Achieved, Northrop Grumman Gets B-21 Production Contract  

With First Flight Achieved, Northrop Grumman Gets B-21 Production Contract  

Jan. 22, 2024 | By John A. Tirpak

Northrop Grumman has been awarded the low-rate initial production contract for the B-21 bomber, close on the heels of the airplane making its first flights, according to William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.

“This past fall, based on the results of ground and flight tests and the team’s mature plans for manufacturing, I gave the go-ahead to begin producing B-21s at a low rate,” LaPlante said in a statement to Air & Space Forces Magazine.

“Production of the B-21 ‘Raider’ stealth bomber is moving forward,” he said. “One of the key attributes of this program has been designing for production from the start—and at scale—to provide a credible deterrent to adversaries. If you don’t produce and field to warfighters at scale, the capability doesn’t really matter,” LaPlante said.

The Pentagon did not supply the contract amount, the number of aircraft it covers, or the exact date it was awarded, but LaPlante’s statement indicates it was before the end of 2023.

Asked for comment, Northrop confirmed LaPlante’s action, saying “Our team received the contract award after B-21 entered flight testing within the program baseline schedule.” The test aircraft has shown the B-21’s “readiness for production, achieving all flight performance and data requirements.”

The company described the B-21 as “the world’s first six-generation aircraft,” which delivers “a new era of capability and flexibility through advanced integration of data, sensors and weapons, and is rapidly upgradable to outpace evolving threats.”  

One of the key milestones necessary for Northrop to receive the contract was first flight, which was achieved Nov. 10.

Northrop will hold its 2023 fourth quarter earnings call on Jan. 25; the value of the contract may be discussed in that venue.

A spokesperson for LaPlante noted that the B-21 will replace the B-1B and B-2A to provide strategic deterrence and is “expected to enter service in the mid-2020s, with a production goal of a minimum of 100 aircraft.” The program is being managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office rather than the usual path under the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, which “puts the bomber on a faster track than previous fielding of new aircraft,” the spokesperson said.   

The RCO’s strategy “includes building test aircraft as production-representative as possible,” he said. “Rather than a traditional flight prototype approach, B-21 test aircraft are built including mission systems using the same manufacturing processes and tooling for production aircraft. This approach in development laid the groundwork for production to start more quickly.”

In partnership with Northrop, “the Air Force also invested in a digital ecosystem for the B-21 throughout the aircraft’s lifecycle. The engineering and manufacturing data used on the production line will be delivered with the aircraft and combined with modern collaboration and maintenance tools to make the B-21 affordable to buy, fly, and sustain, at scale,” he said.

Until last week, the Air Force declined to say whether the contract had been awarded, or even if the bomber had flown a second time. However, the service acknowledged that the first B-21, nicknamed “Cerberus,” flew on Jan. 17, but withheld any other details.

“I can confirm” the B-21 flew on Jan. 17, a USAF spokesperson said. “For operational reasons, we are not providing further details related to the test program, to include the number of flights the aircraft has flown.”

The flight test campaign is being managed “by the Air Force Test Center and 412th Test Wing’s B-21 Combined Test Force” to provide “survivable, long-range, penetrating strike capabilities to deter aggression and strategic attacks against the United States, allies, and partners,” the USAF spokesperson added.  

Pentagon officials say the blackout on the B-21’s progress comes at the direction of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who specifically enjoined the Air Force and Global Strike Command from making a media event out of the B-21’s first flight. Some officials have said Austin is concerned about revealing details from which China could glean information about the airplane, while others have said he simply wants the program to keep a low profile, potentially because of its high cost.

Cerberus rolled out of Northrop’s hangars at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif. in December 2022, in a gala event before VIPs and media, but the viewing was tightly controlled to prevent photography of the airplane from any angle but directly ahead. Rolling it out in darkness also helped conceal some of the design details, more of which have only surfaced since the aircraft began outside engine runs and taxi tests starting last fall.  

Beyond acknowledging that the aircraft did in fact fly Nov. 10 to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the Air Force has declined to provide any information or photographs of that event. The historic flight marked the first time a new Air Force bomber has taken to the skies since the B-2 Spirit made its first hop, also from Palmdale to Edwards, in July 1989.

Views of the first flight confirmed the kite-like planform of the aircraft, the general arrangement of its bomb and engine bays, the shaping of its exhausts and the positioning of auxiliary air inlets, as well as the name “Cerberus” stenciled on gear doors.  

The only imagery available of the B-21’s first flight was taken by private photographers camped out at the end of the Plant 42 runway, where Northrop is assembling the B-21. They had been waiting there for some days, because service and company officials had said the airplane would fly by the end of last year.

The B-21 is likely carrying out the typical initial test activities of modern military aircraft: an exploration of basic flying and handling qualities, flutter, engine performance and verification of the extensive communications and telemetry needed to collect flight test data. These data are being carefully evaluated to ensure that predictions made by Northrop’s digital design and manufacturing systems match actual performance. The Air Force hopes to abbreviate B-21 testing—and some test cost—by skipping some envelope confirmation work if benchmark test points closely match predictions. That approach has been taken before—notably on the F-35, where it proved unsuccessful—but industry experts say modern digital methods are far more advanced, and provide extremely high fidelity predictions of aircraft performance.   

Before its first flight, Cerberus was fitted with an air data probe extending forward of the aircraft from the port side, as well as a trailing air data cable behind the aircraft, in direct line with the forward probe. Operationally, the B-21 won’t have any such protuberances, so as not to affect its radar cross section and other stealth qualities.

The Air Force has not said how long the B-21 will be in flight test or when it’s expected to achieve initial operational capability, other the ambiguous “mid-2020s.” However, the service has acknowledged that five more aircraft are in some stage of construction at Plant 42, and that at least five of the six B-21s will be dedicated to test activities. After developmental and operational testing is complete, those aircraft will have their test instrumentation removed and be modified into operational bombers.

The first B-21 operational base will be Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., where military construction on three dozen projects to prepare for the new bomber’s arrival has been underway for several years.

Given the Pentagon’s reticence about divulging B-21 information, it’s unlikely that the second example of the B-21 will be rolled out to any fanfare, and will only be revealed by photographers who happen to catch it preparing to fly from Palmdale.

US, UK Unleash New Wave of Strikes on Houthi Missile Sites

US, UK Unleash New Wave of Strikes on Houthi Missile Sites

Jan. 22, 2024 | By John A. Tirpak

The U.S. and U.K. launched a new wave of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Jan. 22, hitting radars, missile support systems, and underground weapon storage areas, the Pentagon said. The strikes were in response to Houthi attacks on American commercial ships in the Red Sea.

The two countries operated with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands and launched the strikes “to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners,” according to a Pentagon press release. Specifically, the strikes were a response to Houthi attacks on commercial ships using “anti-ship ballistic missile and unmanned aerial system attacks that struck two U.S.-owned merchant vessels.”

The strike was carried out with ship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter aircraft, but the Pentagon did not characterize the numbers of weapons used. The operation targeted eight sites which include “a Houthi underground storage site and locations associated with the Houthis’ missile and air surveillance capabilities,” the Pentagon said.

The U.K. ministry of defense said the strikes were calculated to minimize risk to civilians and launched at night for the same purpose.  

The U.S.-U.K. operation marks the latest in a series of strikes that began Jan. 12, when the two countries hit more than 60 Houthi targets at about 30 sites around Yemen.

The Houthis say they are striking at the ships to show solidarity with Hamas battling Israel in Gaza. They say the ships being struck are either headed to Israel with supplies or are operated by countries supporting Israel in the Gaza war, launched after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7. The Houthi anti-ship and ballistic missile systems seem to be supplied by Iran.

The U.S. has responded to these 30-plus attacks since November with strikes against the launch sites and Houthi missile and surveillance capabilities, the Pentagon said.  

The goal of the retaliations “remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea,” the Pentagon said. “But let us reiterate our warning to Houthi leadership: we will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways in the face of continued threats.”

The U.S. said the strikes in Yemen are being conducted as part of “a coalition of like-minded countries committed to upholding the rules-based order,” protecting freedom of navigation and international commerce.

The U.S. has hit targets in Yemen over the past week with F/A-18s launched from aircraft carriers. The Pentagon has said these strikes were largely aimed at missile launchers loaded and ready to fire.

Posted in Uncategorized
Two B-1 Bombers Deploy to Indo-Pacific, Train with Singapore and Japan

Two B-1 Bombers Deploy to Indo-Pacific, Train with Singapore and Japan

Jan. 22, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

Two B-1 bombers from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, have deployed to Singapore for joint exercises. The pair of Lancers arrived at Paya Lebar Air Base on the island nation on Jan. 18 and is scheduled to lead aerial refueling exercises with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)’s A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport.

“While we can’t go into details on potential dates for training requirements at this time due to operational security, we continue to fly bomber missions in the Indo-Pacific region and demonstrate the credibility of our forces to address diverse security environments.” a Pacific Air Force spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

In a release, PACAF highlighted the significance of integrating with the RSAF, citing “valuable professional exchanges and training opportunities with different aircraft and aircrews.”

While PACAF did not characterize the bombers’ deployment as a Bomber Task Force, the B-1s also engaged in separate training with four F-15 Eagles from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force over the Sea of Japan on Jan. 18.

U.S. Air Force B-1s fly alongside JASDF F-15s over the Sea of Japan on Jan. 18. Image from Japan Ministry of Defense

Photos posted on PACAF’s social media page showcased the supersonic bombers flying alongside Japanese fighters. The purpose of these exercises is “to enhance deterrence and response capabilities and tactical skills of U.S.-Japan alliance,” according to PACAF.

“We continue to fly bomber missions in the Indo-Pacific region and demonstrate the credibility of our forces to address diverse security environments,” the spokesperson added. “These training opportunities support national security objectives through the speed, flexibility, and readiness of our strategic bombers.”

In a parallel initiative, U.S. Air Force F-35 fighters conducted joint training with multiple JASDF aircraft on Jan. 17 and 19 over the waters off Japan’s southern island Okinawa region.

The two-day exercise saw 27 F-15s, an E-767, two E-2C Hawkeyes, and two KC-46A Pegasus tankers from Japan joined by approximately 10 American F-35s. The training took place to enhance the bilateral response capabilities and tactical skills, according to a release from the JASDF.

“We continue to fly bomber, cargo, tanker, and fighter missions in the Indo-Pacific to demonstrate the effectiveness of our forces to bring security to a diverse and uncertain security environment,” the PACAF spokesperson added.

Space Force Announces Polaris Awards for 2023’s Top-Performing Guardians 

Space Force Announces Polaris Awards for 2023’s Top-Performing Guardians 

Jan. 22, 2024 | By David Roza

The Space Force announced the recipients of the 2023 service-level Polaris Awards, which honors Guardians for excellence in performing their mission and living the values of the Guardian Spirit. 

There is an individual award for each of the four values: character, connection, commitment, and courage, and a team excellence category that represents all four values, the Space Force said in a Jan. 11 press release. All of the more than 13,800 military and civilian Guardians are eligible for the award program, which began in 2022.

“Guardian Values are our Polaris—our North Star—they guide us in all we do,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman said in the announcement of the first field command-level Polaris Awards recipients in November 2022. “Every Guardian’s commitment to our values directly influences our ability to execute our mission and maintain readiness.”

Then-Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman praised the Polaris Awards in his final keynote address at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference in September, comparing it to the Air Force’s annual 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year awards.

“Our annual awards, the Polaris Awards are given for living up to our core values, competing against the standard that is accessible to every Guardian,” Towberman said. “How close can you get to Guardian perfection and courage or character or connection or commitment?”

Character Award

Tech. Sgt. Isabel Childress, of the 1st Delta Operations Squadron, Detachment 1, at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, was the first Guardian to earn all three awards at the Military Training Instructor School: Distinguished Graduate, Excellence in Instruction, and the Commandant’s Award. She also made a website for the instructor schoolhouse, co-hosted a town hall for future MTI applicants, and “found creative methods to motivate and connect new Guardians and their families,” according to the Space Force.

Connection Award

Maj. Jessica Pratt, of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., exemplified “connection” by creating new connections between USAFA and the Space Force, the release explained. She integrated the space domain into cadet capstone exercises, included Guardians from across the Space Force in USAFA events, helped grow Azimuth, a summer training program for service academy and ROTC cadets interested in joining the Space Force, and mentored instructors training cadets in the space domain.

Brig. Gen. Doug Schiess, 45th Space Wing commander, puts the 45th Space Wing patch on 2nd Lt. Jonathan Novak, at the skid strip at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., May 15, 2020. U.S. Space Force photo by Senior Airman Dalton Williams)

Commitment Award

1st Lt. Jonathan Novak of the 3rd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Space Force Base, Colo., showed commitment by researching resilient space architectures, publishing his work in an international aerospace engineering journal, presenting to 60 educators in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, and leading the creation of the Space Force’s first space-centric acquisition training, the service wrote.

Courage Award

Capt. Samantha Pereira of the 3rd Space Operations Squadron, also at Schriever, exhibited courage when she empowered her team at the 3rd SOPS’ engineering flight to identify issues and challenges and develop a “get-well plan.” Her actions led to an “accountability and configuration control process” and helped the unit pass its first security inspection, the Space Force wrote. Pereira did so while “cultivating an environment of dignity and respect” and fostering innovation among team members.

Team Excellence Award

The 22nd Space Operations Squadron, Detachment 1, at Malmstrom Air Force Base is only Space Force unit in Montana and acted as “ambassadors” for the service for the joint force and the local community, the Space Force wrote. They highlighted the importance of STEM to children across the country, implemented a professional development program for unit members, and better integrated space and intelligence into the unit’s cyber mission.

Though only a few Guardians receive the Polaris Awards every year, the Space Force aims to work its core values into every Guardian’s experience.

“We also were able to weave our core values into our promotions, rewriting the board charge to focus on those core values to say, ‘Hey, whatever you are doing, you should be doing it through these four Cs.’” Towberman said in September. “‘So hey, promotion board, let’s value them through that. Let’s look at those things. Let’s get rid of the tests. Let’s be honest.’”

USAF MQ-9 Downed in Iraq, Likely by Iranian-Provided Missile

USAF MQ-9 Downed in Iraq, Likely by Iranian-Provided Missile

Jan. 20, 2024 | By Chris Gordon

An American MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed in northern Iraq on Jan. 18, as the U.S. continues to fend off attacks from Iran-backed militias, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

The U.S. Air Force MQ-9 was likely downed by an Iranian-provided surface-to-air missile fired by an Iranian-affiliated Iraqi group, U.S. officials said. The MQ-9 was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the anti-ISIS mission, a senior U.S. military official added.

The drone crashed near the Balad Air Base and was recovered by Iraqi Security Forces.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iraqi militias supported by Tehran, claimed that it shot down the MQ-9 over Diyala Province after it took off from Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait. 

The resistance group said that it downed the aircraft using a surface-to-air missile and displayed photos of aircraft debris. One image showed winglets that appeared similar to those on the roughly $30 million MQ-9, while another showed a possible external fuel tank.

An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway, U.S. officials said. It is unclear if the U.S. has regained possession of the MQ-9 yet. “There were no injuries reported,” a defense official said.

Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said Iranian-backed Iraqi militias in that area of Iraq have Iranian-made “358” surface-to-air missiles.

This is the second time that a MQ-9 has been lost in recent months. In November, a Reaper was shot down off the coast of Yemen by the Houthis. The U.S. has lost three MQ-9s over the past year. In addition to the drones lost over Iraq and near Yemen, an MQ-9 crashed into the Black Sea last March after a Russian fighter struck its propeller. Two more MQ-9s were damaged over Syria in July when Russian fighters burned them by releasing flares.

On Jan. 4, the U.S. conducted a rare drone strike in Baghdad that killed a leader of an Iranian-backed militia in an effort to deter further attacks on American forces in Iraq and Syria.

The militias, however, have continued their attacks against U.S. troops in Syria and Iraq. As of Jan. 18, the militias have carried out at least 140 attacks, according to the Pentagon. Of these, 57 took place in Iraq and 83 were in Syria.

Gueitlein: To Be Tactically Responsive, USSF Must Be Like ‘MacGyver’

Gueitlein: To Be Tactically Responsive, USSF Must Be Like ‘MacGyver’

Jan. 19, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

When the Space Force shattered its own records by blasting a satellite into orbit 27 hours after getting launch order, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman likened it to Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier. 

Now comes the hard part: Turning December’s “Victus Nox” mission into something routine, and maybe even slow. As the Space Force delves into “tactically responsive space,” or TacRS, new Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael A. Guetlein says timelines will get shorter still. 

“A tactically relevant timeline is a matter of weeks, days, even hours,” Guetlein said said Jan. 19 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “And if you look at the near-peer competitors that we’re looking at today, the fight could be over in a matter of months, if not weeks. So we no longer have the luxury of time to wait years, even 10 to 15 years, to deliver some of these capabilities.”

Guetlein said the problem is the entire force is still optimized around that plodding business model. So turning tactically responsive space into not just a one-off challenge, but a whole new modus operandi is the new challenge. USSF leadership is now “refocusing the force on the way we do acquisitions, the way we do operations, the way we do presentation of forces, to make sure that I can be tactically relevant to the joint fight.” 

He wants the Space Force to embrace a “MacGyver-type mindset,” Guetlein said, referring to the revered 1980s TV character known for his inventive use of the resources at hand. That means not just faster launches, but creative, aggressive, and creative ways of utilizing capabilities on orbit and identifying commercial solutions that can meet military requirments.  

“How do I take advantage of what I have, which is exploit what we have, or how can I buy what I can, to get as much capability on orbit as I possibly can to support our warfighters our national decision makers and our allies?” Guetlein asked. 

TacRS builds on Guetlein’s mantra at Space Systems Command, where he exhorted his largely civilian team of experts to “exploit what we have, buy what we can, and build what we have to.” 

Accelerating processes to be tactically relevant means breaking through the conventional red tape and bureaucracy in defense acquisition, which has proven especially difficult for space, where the high cost and high stakes of each launch drove ever more stringent requirements.  

Military space leaders have been trying to go faster for years. Back in 2005, the Army War College Quarterly published “Operationally Responsive Space: A New Defense Business Model,” co-authored by future CSO John W. Raymond, at the time an Air Force Colonel.

Now that concept is finally attainable, Guetlein said. The lower cost of launch, advances in technology, and the commercialization of space have all reduced risk and the growing threats of near-peer adversaries have increased urgency and, to some degree, risk tolerance. 

That doesn’t mean the Space Force wants to build and launch every satellite at breakneck pace. It’s not necessary all the time, but it is for certain missions and capabilities, Guetlein said. 

“If a near peer competitor makes a movement, we need to have it in our quiver to make a counter maneuver, whether that be go up and do a show of force, or go up and do space domain awareness or characterization of the environment, what’s going on, etc.,” Guetlein said. “If … we have a natural disaster, a tornado hits one of our states, and we need emergency SATCOM, we need the ability to put up satellite communications in a matter of hours to support our national decision authorities to get eyes on the ground.” 

In such a scenario, launch speed will be key, and Victus Nox demonstrated the processes and procedures the Space Force must address to get faster. 

space force diu tactically responsive space
Firefly’s Alpha rocket for the Space Force’s VICTUS NOX mission stands on the launchpad at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Photo courtesy of Firefly Aerospace

Both Guetlein and industry executives speaking on a panel discussion afterward were quick to note that Victus Nox could have launched in less than 27 hours were it not for having to wait for the Earth to rotate into position so the satellite could be place in its intended orbit. 

But in a future fight, tactical relevance could mean acting within minutes or jsut a few hours, not a day. And in such cases, the Space Force must be ready to exploit any and everything at is disposal. 

“We are doing that through partnerships—partnerships with industry, partnerships with international [allies],” said Guetlein. “We’re doing that through commercial exploitation. We are doing that through alternative sourcing, and then we’re also doing it through the tactically responsive space culture change across the entire force. So when I think about it from a MacGyver kind of perspective, which just means, how do I throw everything at it, plus the kitchen sink, to guarantee that capability? That’s how we’re going to get that down to minutes.” 

Air Force Launches New Web App for Decorations to Replace Glitchy Predecessor

Air Force Launches New Web App for Decorations to Replace Glitchy Predecessor

Jan. 19, 2024 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

On Jan. 18, the Air Force launched a new web app, ‘myDecs Reimagined,’ to serve as a one-stop portal to simplify decorations approval for Airmen and Guardians. The new software replaces the ‘myDecs’ platform bemoaned by service members for poor navigation and bugs, aiming for enhanced usability.

“Users requested flexible software that met operational needs and decorations filed immediately on approval authority signature,” Air Force spokesperson Laurel Falls told Air & Space Forces Magazine. The service is anticipating the upgraded version will “improve user experience with a streamline award approval process,” Falls added.

Key changes for users and approval authorities on myDecs Reimagined include:

  • Users can choose who to route to and track decorations on a dashboard.
  • Nominators specify the approval authority when drafting nominations.
  • Decorations are editable until signed, and users can add comments and routing notes.
  • Approved decorations go directly into the record without manual MPF reviews.
  • Only HR Technician roles in the CSS and MPF are now needed.

For certain updates, such as the ability for users to track their decorations on a single dashboard, the Air Force applied insights gained from revamping ‘myEval,’ the personnel evaluation web application. Like myDecs, myEval went through a revamp last year, after the service suspended the system in 2022 due to escalating technical issues and complaints.

The earlier verion of myDecs also left many users frustrated. On the unofficial Air Force subreddit, numerous posts can be found where users outline challenges in editing documents or navigating the webpage. One user highlighted struggles in saving edited format, stating, “Every time I go to preview, it seems like the changes didn’t take.” Others labeled the decoration submission experience “terrible,” stressing the need for bug fixes.

To address the problems, the Air Force initiated plans to redesign the software in summer 2023, collaborating with users and experts, according to Falls. Airmen and Guardians in operational units helped shaping the new system and drive policy changes.

Another change in the app is that quality review checks are not automated after previously being conducted by MPF (Military Personnel Flights) members manually, allowing personnel to focus on enhancing recognition programs.

“This new software coincides with a policy change to move the DAF away from reliance on the centralized Military Personnel Flights to file approved and signed decorations,” deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel, and services Lt. Gen. Caroline Miller said in a release. “Trust and responsibility is placed back with the approval authority and the record now updates automatically upon signature.”

Miller added that the service aims to “make the system more intuitive and create a smoother process for users.”

A memo issued in November stated any nominations not processed in the previous ‘myDecs’ system will be inaccessible before the new software’s launch. Users were directed to resubmit decorations not finalized in the previous system on the new ‘myDecs Reimagined’ page.

The new system will process these decorations to start:

  • Air and Space Meritorious Service Medal
  • Air and Space Commendation Medal
  • Air and Space Achievement Medal
  • Aerial Achievement Medal
  • Combat Readiness Medal
  • Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal.

The release indicated potential future additions of other decorations to expand the website’s capabilities.

Shipton Takes Command of Life Cycle Management Center

Shipton Takes Command of Life Cycle Management Center

Jan. 19, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

Lt. Gen. Donna D. Shipton officially took command of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center on Jan. 17, vowing to push forward on “continued investment and development to prepare for tomorrow’s conflicts.” 

Shipton is the fifth commander of AFLCMC and the first woman to lead the organization, which is responsible for overseeing Air Force weapons systems from inception to retirement—a massive portfolio with a budget of more than $300 billion. 

“I believe we can fulfill our Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Allvin’s charge that we ‘follow through,’” Shipton told AFLCMC members during a ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. “We can follow through on the hard work that you’ve already been doing to deliver war winning capabilities to the warfighter, while acknowledging the critical work that remains in front of us. It’s no exaggeration to state that without Air Force Life Cycle Management Center-delivered capabilities, the joint and coalition force could not feel the combat power required to win tomorrow’s conflicts.” 

The list of new capabilities AFLCMC is working on is extensive, Shipton noted, including the: 

  • Next Generation Air Dominance fighter 
  • Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion engine 
  • Collaborative Combat Aircraft drones 
  • Next Generation Aerial refueling System tanker 
  • B-21 bomber and its family of systems 
  • Hypersonic weapons 

Such systems are “top of mind” for Air Force leaders and the U.S.’s adversaries, Shipton said. 

“These weapons systems will bolster our continued strategic and tactical advantages, ensuring continued success to highly contested environments and to hold targets at risk around the globe,” Shipton said. “Any target anytime, anywhere. They’ll provide highly resilient communications and kill webs, unparalleled communications and combinations of range, access, and payload that will preserve robust strategic options for our nation’s leaders.” 

At the same time, the center will have to sustain and modernize legacy systems too, said Air Force Materiel Command boss Gen. Duke Z. Richardson. 

“You’re going to be charged with building our future warfighting systems, while at the same time keeping our current systems healthy,” Richardson told her. “ That’s a challenge. There’s always a tension there, in terms of how you go about doing them. And I’m going to ask you, Donna, to do that by keeping the warfighter and the taxpayer at the front of your mind, because that’s who we really answer to.” 

Noting the date of the ceremony marked exactly 33 years since the start of Operation Desert Storm, Shipton pointed to the success of that operation as an example of how new capabilities—precision-guided munitions, GPS, and the E-8C JSTARS—can blend with modernized legacy platforms. 

“This conflict demonstrated the decisive outcomes that our Air Force acquisition system can produce, but it also cemented the need for continued investment and development to prepare for tomorrow’s conflicts,” she said. 

That imperative is amplified by today’s great power competition, Richardson and Shipton both said. Neither specifically named China, but Shipton warned that in some key weapons and technologies, the U.S. now faces not a near-peer threat, but an equal peer. 

“If our work does not succeed, we may find serious strategic disadvantage very soon,” she said. 

Shipton comes to the job after a stint as military deputy to the Air Force’s senior acquisition executive, Andrew Hunter. She has also had stops in the National Reconnaissance Office, AFMC headquarters, the F-35 Joint Program Office, and the Space and Missile Systems Center. She previously served as the Program Executive Officer for the tanker directorate in AFLCMC and the senior materiel leader for the Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division. 

The change of command was a long time coming. Shipton was nominated to lead AFLCMC in May 2023, but like dozens of her peers, her confirmation was held up in the Senate for months. Her predecessor, Lt. Gen. Shaun Q. Morris, retired in November; Col. John Kurian had been the acting commander since then.

“It took a little bit longer for me to get here than we all would have liked,” Shipton said. “But thankfully, better late than never. I’m really glad to be here.”

New Report: Misplaced Flashlight Sucked into F-35 Engine Caused $4 Million in Damage

New Report: Misplaced Flashlight Sucked into F-35 Engine Caused $4 Million in Damage

Jan. 18, 2024 | By Greg Hadley

A handheld flashlight left inside an engine inlet of an F-35 fighter was sucked into the engine during a maintenance ground run at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., in March 2023, causing nearly $4 million worth of damage, according to a new accident investigation report.

The investigation, released Jan. 18, faulted the maintainer for failing to follow Air Force and joint directives as the leading cause of the mishap, which damaged the $14 million engine badly enough that it could not be repaired locally.

However, investigators also cited problems with the F-35’s Autonomic Logistics Information System as a substantially contributing factor. ALIS is intended to integrate operations, maintenance, prognostics, supply chain, customer support services, training and technical data, but the system has struggled with a lack of real-time connectivity, clumsy interfaces, and more.

As a result, the report stated, “the substantial number of checklists and difficulty in accessing the correct ones causes complacency when users reference the required maintenance procedures.” 

The mishap in question took place March 15, when a three-person maintenance team was completing a Time Compliance Technical Directive on the F-35 to “install a metering plug into an engine fuel line and conduct a leak check on the new metering plug while the engine was running,” according to the report. 

After the plug was installed, one maintainer conducted a tool inventory check, before another maintainer conducted a “Before Operations Servicing” inspection of the engine. To do so, the maintainer used a flashlight to inspect the engine inlet and left it on the lip of the intake. 

The maintainer who performed the engine inspection then conducted an engine run for five minutes to check for any fuel leaks. During that time, the cockpit showed no indication of foreign object damage to the engine, but as the engine shut down, the team reported hearing abnormal noises. The maintainer who conducted the engine run performed another inspection and identified the damage, while the maintainer who completed the first tool inventory check performed another and noted a missing flashlight. 

Ultimately, the engine sustained damage to its second stage rotor, third stage rotor, fifth stage rotor, sixth stage rotor, fuel nozzle, bypass duct, high pressure compressor (HPC), high pressure turbine (HPT), and fan inlet variable vane—valued at $3,933,106. 

Investigators found the maintainer who conducted the inspection before the engine run failed to follow Joint Technical Data warnings to remove all loose items before entering the aircraft inlet and to make sure that all engine inlets and exhausts are free of foreign and loose objects. The Airman also failed to follow Department of the Air Force instructions to “perform a visual inventory” of the tool kit after completing each task. 

Finally, the report also found that the local practice within the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit did not wholly follow DAF instructions, which require the individual who signed out the tool kit to conduct visual inventory checks. Instead, the unit’s practice was to have the individual performing the engine run conduct the inventory check. As a result, both Airmen involved in the mishap thought the flashlight was accounted for. 

The ALIS factor in the mishap marks yet another problem for the F-35’s troubled sustainment enterprise. The program has been plagued by high costs and technical problems, and lawmakers have expressed frustration with ALIS before. The Joint Program Office is in the process of switching over to a new “Operational Data Integrated Network,” but officials have described it as a gradual effort—it has been in the works for four years now.