Air Force Eyes Big Changes for Major Commands

Air Force Eyes Big Changes for Major Commands

Dec. 13, 2023 | By Greg Hadley and Chris Gordon

ORLANDO, Fla.—As the Department of the Air Force’s sweeping re-optimization review nears its January deadline, service leaders are contemplating fundamental changes to USAF’s nine major commands. 

“We’re going to transform the entire Department of the Air Force organizationally to prepare for great power competition within the next quarter,” Space Force Lt. Gen. Michael A. Guetlein said at the Space Force Association’s Spacepower Conference Dec. 13.

Guetlein, whose nomination to become Vice Chief of Space Operations is among several Air Force four-start appointments currently on hold, said in his keynote address that “the Air Force is going to get rid of the major commands structure.” But appearing again soon after, Guetlein suggested he had overstated the changes.

“I made it sound like decisions have been made,” he told reporters. “There have been no decisions made in this realm. [Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall] has not even been briefed on this yet. It’ll be several months until that happens, and when he’s ready, he’ll roll out those changes.”

The Air Force has tweaked its MAJCOM structure in the past, most recently with the elimination of the former Air Force Space Command after the Space Force was established. Before that, the establishment of Air Force Global Strike Command was the most recent change. But as recently as 2020 the service’s top leadership has considered concepts for radically overhauling the entire structure, according to former Air Force officers familiar with those plans.

Guetlein told Air & Space Forces Magazine in a brief interview that “there are no sacred cows” when it comes to changes that could result from the re-optimization review, which Kendall first announced in September at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference.

“We’re looking at the entire structure of the Department of the Air Force in [terms of] how do we better posture us for great power competition,” Guetlein said. “And the way we’ve always done business in the past is not the way we’re going to do business in the future.”

An Air Force spokesperson later added that the teams conducting the re-optimization review “continue to generate and carefully refine a list of notional solutions.” It’s unclear if Guetlein’s comments reflect one or more of those options.

Kendall has the department on a sprint, with the stated goal of completing the re-optimization review and initial implementation plans by January 2024. “The Air Force and Space Force are incredibly capable, but we need to reoptimize the department for greater power projection and for great power competition,” Kendall said in September.

The reason for the rush may be to get ahead of any changes that might need congressional approval in the next legislative cycle, or it could simply be something else. At 74, Kendall is widely anticipated to be committed to his role through the current administration, but may not extend past the next presidential inauguration.

Managing the Force

Optimizing the structure of the major commands ties directly to another initiative still in the work: implementing USAF’s new Force Generation Model. Known as AFFORGEN, it is designed to help the service better understand and communicate near- and long-term risks when responding to requests to deploy forces to the nation’s warfighting combatant commands. AFFORGEN establishes a four-phase, two-year cycle for deployable units. The four six-month phases take the units from “reset,” to train, maintain readiness, and deploy, before returning to reset.

In September, the Air Force introduced the concept of Air Task Forces to better identify the kinds of units that are needed to deploy because the service no longer deploys squadrons and wings as they once did. Lt. Gen. James C. “Jim” Slife, deputy chief of staff for operations and nominated to become the Air Force’s Vice Chief of Staff, said the disconnect between the way the service deploys forces and the way they are organized at home has grown over the past three decades.

“We organized our Air Force to be as flexible as possible, break it up into as many small little things as we can, and deploy,” he told Air & Space Forces Magazine in a recent interview. “We’re in a different strategic environment now.”

The Air Task Forces, which will begin reset cycles next year, provide units with which the service can experiment as leaders try to develop units that can train, deploy, and fight together, rather than assembling teams on the fly once they arrive at overseas locations.

“We’re looking at a set of attributes that include things like prizing mission over function,” Slife said. “It gives us a better ability to articulate capacity, risk, and readiness to the joint force.”

AFFORGEN and the Air Task Forces contribute to the larger re-optimization effort, and Slife said he does not anticipate a one-size-fits-all endeavor. AFFORGEN will not necessarily apply to units at regional commands, such as those in U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFA) or Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), in the same way as they might for units in Air Combat Command or Air Mobility Command.

“The Secretary uses the term reoptimize,” said Slife. “A portion of that may be organization. But that’s not the main point. The point is that every change in the strategic environment privileges different attributes, and we [must] adapt our Air Force to optimize for whatever the attributes are that are relevant, that are privileged, for that environment.”

Saltzman: ‘Probably No Coincidence’ X-37 and Chinese Space Plane Will Launch Near Each Other

Saltzman: ‘Probably No Coincidence’ X-37 and Chinese Space Plane Will Launch Near Each Other

Dec. 13, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

ORLANDO, Fla.—Multiple delays and scrubbed launches have kept the Space Force’s X-37B from returning to orbit this week.  

But after suggesting several years ago the secretive space plane may be on its way out, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman indicated its future is brighter than ever thanks to Pentagon’s competition with China.  

In fact, Saltzman told reporters at the Space Force Association’s Spacepower Conference it’s “probably no coincidence” that China’s own space plane may launch around the same time as the X-37B. 

First launched in 2010, X-37B has shattered records for its long missions in space. Its sixth and most recent flight started May 17, 2020 and ended 908 days later, on Nov. 12, 2022. Its payloads are often shrouded in secrecy, though officials have disclosed some and say the space plane is useful for testing new technologies and the effects of long-term space exposure. 

In early November, the Space Force announced X-37B would launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Dec. 7 at Kennedy Space Station, Fla. A few weeks later, the launch date was pushed to Dec. 10 due to launch delays and pad availability. 

On Dec. 10, SpaceX announced the launch would be delayed a day due to weather. On Dec. 11, the company scrubbed the launch due to “a ground side issue” and said it was targeting Dec. 12, then pushed that back another day before finally posting on social media that it was standing down once more, with no new launch date confirmed. 

Despite all this, Saltzman projected confidence in X-37B’s mission and confirmed previous Space Force releases that hinted the space plane would operate at a higher orbit than ever before—it has operated in low-Earth orbit in the past, some 110-500 miles above the ground, but Falcon Heavy can deliver payloads of 58,860 pounds—far more than the X-37B—to geosynchronous orbit, more than 22,000 miles up.  

“We are going to expand the envelope,” Saltzman said. “There are some good experiments and tests and that’s the primary goal of that, testing technologies. There are some experiments being run and we’ll pull data back. The beauty of it is that you can put something in the space environment and then bring it home and look at it. That’s the beauty of a space place concept.” 

In 2020, when Saltzman was still a lieutenant general, he hinted that X-37B might be nearing the end of its service life. The spacecraft, he said then, might exemplify “technology that has served its purpose and [maybe] it’s time to start looking at the next available capability.” 

Now, however, competition with China has heated up and another potential space plane that the Pentagon has expressed interest in—Sierra Space’s Dream Chaser—has been delayed multiple times. 

Against that backdrop, Saltzman was asked by reporters about his previous comments and whether X-37B’s upcoming flight would be its “last stand.”

“I was over talking to the program manager. I don’t think that’s the best way to characterize it,” Saltzman replied. 

While declining to offer specific details, Saltzman did say “this great power competition has really worked to our advantage on some areas, and if we have a capability, the idea of creating a gap in that capability is a concern with congressional members. At least that’s the way they’ve voiced it to me. Once we have a capability, they never want to back out of it.” 

With that in mind, Saltzman expressed confidence that the program would receive the necessary funding to keep it going. 

While X-37 may keep going for years to come, it will have to go head-to-head with China’s Shenlong space plane, which has completed two flights and may launch again soon, according to unconfirmed reports. Asked about the Chinese spacecraft’s launch, Saltzman tied it back to the competition between the two countries. 

“It’s no surprise that the Chinese are extremely interested in our space plane. We’re extremely interested in theirs,” he said. “Because it is a capability; the ability to put something in orbit, do some things, and bring it home and take a look at the results is powerful. And so these are two of the most watched objects on orbit while they’re on orbit. It’s probably no coincidence that they’re trying to match us in timing and sequence of this.” 

The Air Force’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle Mission 5 successfully landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility. The X-37B OTV is an experimental test program to demonstrate technologies for a reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform for the U.S. Air Force. USAF
6 Things to Know About New CMSAF David A. Flosi

6 Things to Know About New CMSAF David A. Flosi

Dec. 13, 2023 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

The Air Force is poised to get a new top enlisted Airman, as Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass prepares to pass the baton to Chief Master Sgt. David A. Flosi, selected as the next CMSAF this week. Here are seven key facts to know about the incoming CMSAF.

First CMSAF with Nuclear Background

Flosi will be the 20th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, but the first with a background in nuclear weapons. He started his Air Force career in 1996 as a nuclear weapons specialist at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.

Over time, he expanded his expertise, assuming leadership roles in conventional and nuclear munitions, missile operations, program management, and test and contingency operations. Still, his background may prove important as the Air Force embarks on an ambitious modernization of its nuclear enterprise and completes its Missile Community Cancer Study.

Diverse Experience

While Flosi started in nuclear weapons, his career and training reflect diverse experiences, including stints in munitions, maintenance, program management, and personnel rescue. He has served as the senior enlisted leader across multiple units, and his educational highlights include a M.S. degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT).

Flosi has had deployments to Saudi Arabia, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He’s supported operations in Operations Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, Inherent Resolve, and Freedom’s Sentinel.

His contributions have earned him accolades including the Legion of Merit with an oak leaf cluster and the Bronze Star, as well as unit awards like the Air Force Global Strike Command’s Maintenance Effectiveness Award.

Last Stop: AFMC

Flosi’s most recent job has been as Command Chief for Air Force Materiel Command since October 2021. In that role, he was responsible for representing the needs of some 89,000 Airmen. Taking over during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was in place when the command revisited its use of telework to emphasize in-office work.

Views on Personal Well-Being

In his latest role as AFMC command chief, Flosi prioritized building resiliency across the force, recognizing the need for Airmen’s readiness in the current warfighting environment. For that, he underscored preventative mental, financial, and physical care, linking personal well-being to operational readiness.

“If our Airmen are worrying about the bill collector, they’re not going to be mentally ready to deploy a multimillion dollar weapon system,” Flosi stated in 2021. “We need to rally our first line supervisors and continue to help take care of our Airmen and each other.”

His Love for Leadership

Like many, Flosi’s journey in the Air Force extended far beyond his initial plans. He was originally eyeing a few years in the service to fund college through the G.I. Bill and get a civilian job in finance, he noted in a 2021 release. But as a nuclear maintainer, he found himself stationed worldwide in various leadership roles, and the experience made him realize the economic challenges of civilian life and how critical it is to lead his fellow Airmen. He no longer saw the Air Force as a job but started to embrace it as a career.

“I guess life didn’t quite work out as planned,” Flosi said. “It has worked out far better than I could have imagined.”

Not a Fan of Social Media So Far

Flosi doesn’t have any active public social media accounts, a contrast from his predecessor—Bass frequently used Facebook to offer updates to the force and livestream discussions with senior department leaders. Former Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force Roger Towberman also frequently utilized Facebook and Reddit to connect with Guardians, hosting live discussions and addressing criticisms.

A study in 2020 showed more than 90 percent of the service members and military spouses were found to be active on at least one social media platform. As this trend is expected to continue growing, it remains to be seen whether Flosi will opt to utilize the platform in the future to engage with the community.

Space Force Working on Changes to How It Develops Enlisted, Civilian Guardians

Space Force Working on Changes to How It Develops Enlisted, Civilian Guardians

Dec. 13, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

ORLANDO, Fla.—The Space Force is contemplating major changes for how it develops its enlisted corps and large civilian contingent, top officials said Dec. 12 at the Space Force Association’s Spacepower Conference, after the service made several changes to how it develops officers.

“We did amazing work for our officer corps over the last few years,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jason Childers, senior enlisted advisor to the service’s Chief Human Capital Officer. “We’re starting to pivot a little bit towards the enlisted force.”

Specifically, leaders are looking at things like Professional Military Education as well as training and development opportunities.  

For the officer corps, that meant implementing a groundbreaking partnership with Johns Hopkins University in place of the traditional war college concept and direct commissions to higher ranks for individuals with advanced degrees or experience.

Now, the service is looking at the rest its ranks.

“We’ve got to take care of the enlisted force,” said Maj. Gen. Shawn N. Bratton, the former head of Space Training and Readiness Command and soon to be deputy chief of space operations for strategy, plans, programs, and requirements. “Where are we going with the development of the enlisted force as they progress to senior NCO? And what do we think about bachelor’s degrees within the enlisted force? And how strongly do we feel about that?” 

Both Bratton and Childers noted that the Space Force inherited many of its existing enlisted programs from the Air Force—but those structures don’t exactly fit the new service’s needs. 

“When I went to basic training, it was all 18-year-olds right out of high school,” Bratton said. “That is not the force that we’re bringing in the Space Force. The average age is 22, many are married, many have some college, some have bachelor’s degrees into basic training. So that requires not only a different basic training, but also just a different development model.” 

That in turn requires a fundamental re-examination of what is expected from the enlisted corps. 

“We’re working hard right now … on really making sure we understand our sort of foundational roles,” Bratton said. “What does an enlisted member do in the Space Force? What does an officer do? What does a civilian do? What are the expectations of the different ranks? And are we delivering training and education at the right time? I think you’ll start to see some of that as we get into next year.” 

Childers added that the service has temporarily stood down several school houses in the service to work on what he called a “bridging strategy” for future enlisted development. 

“We’re really looking at the entire continuum of learning and development for the enlisted force,” Childers said. “There’s certainly some opportunities for partnerships with academia and industry there, as we look at, what is going to be inherently professional military education? What is going to be experiential? What are the other technical-type trainings? Then, what gaps are there in the competency modeling framework that we’re also working on that could be potentially met from academia or industry, to include possible accreditation for our training courses?” 

The Space Force first outlined its move toward a “competency framework” for talent management in “The Guardian Ideal,” its human capital plan released in 2021, and further developed it in its 2022 doctrine publication on personnel. Expanding some of that competency training to outside partners would fit with the service’s mandate to be “lean, agile, and innovative” and exploit existing capabilities when possible. 

But it is not just the enlisted force that could see changes. The Space Force has thousands of civilian Guardians, with a higher ratio than other services, and Bratton said he doesn’t want that portion of the workforce to be neglected. 

What percentage of the civilian workforce wants to be developed—to come in as a college graduate and stay with the Space Force for an entire career, that may involve moving around? That is certainly not for everyone. But we think maybe it is for some people,” he said. “We’re sort of wrestling with that idea. Is the purpose of civilian employees there you identify the skills you need, and you go find someone with those skills and you hire them? Or should we swing that pendulum a little more into the development line on ‘hey, let’s give opportunities for development to our junior civilians to progress within the Space Force so we can keep that retention in the civilian force.’” 

To make such a move work, the Space Force has to recognize the unique place its civilians occupy, added Damon S. Feltman, a retired brigadier general and now a civilian leader with the Space Development Agency. 

“If we’re going to have a development program for our civilian Guardians, it has to help them understand that they’re actually kind of they have their feet in kind of two worlds,” Feltman said, referring to the different speed at which government and private industry can work. 

Such distinctions could be especially important as the Space Force preps for a major overhaul of its personnel management system. The changes, finalized in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act that is expected to pass Congress in the coming days, would create a single component with both full-time and part-time Guardians, allowing individuals to more easily transition between the two. 

Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman highlighted those changes during his own keynote address, showing off slides with three Guardians transitioning from military to civilian garb. 

“Once approved, we’re looking to fully implement this new program as soon as possible, making sure our guidance policies on personnel management are aligned with the act, and that affected personnel have the information they need to make informed decisions,” Saltzman said. 

Amid all these changes, Bratton emphasized that there is one “unquestionable thing”—the Space Force must grow beyond its current small size of about 16,000 personnel. 

“We’ll keep working towards that goal. But we’ve got to grow deliberately,” Bratton said. If we grew 5,000 billets in year, we wouldn’t be able to get all those folks through training. And so there’s got to be a deliberate plan for growth. And I think that is some of the work that the headquarters staff owes you guys, on how are we going to do that. 

“But there’s a lot going on right now. And I think you’ll start to see some of those changes coming in next year and the following year.” 

LaPlante: DOD ‘Not Walking Away’ From an F-35 Performance-Based Logistics Contract

LaPlante: DOD ‘Not Walking Away’ From an F-35 Performance-Based Logistics Contract

Dec. 12, 2023 | By John A. Tirpak

The Pentagon will try again to negotiate a Performance-Based Logistics contract to support F-35 sustainment, but a shortage of available subject matter experts and a lack of substantial benefits in the deal offered by Lockheed Martin caused the government to suspend the talks, DOD acquisition and sustainment chief William LaPlante told a House Armed Services Committee panel on Dec. 12.

In a hearing focused on the F-35 program, lawmakers also questioned LaPlante and other experts about the status of the Tech Refresh 3 update and an alternative engine for the fighter.

“We’ve not made the decision to walk away from a Performance Based Logistics [contract] overall, at the system level,” LaPlante told the Tactical Air and Land forces subcommittee. “We had to pause just because of the manpower.”

With a limited number of experts having to shift to other duties, there weren’t enough people available to have a comprehensive conversation, LaPlante said, and the talks were tabled. Interim deals continuing with the existing support arrangement will be struck for March and likely June, he said.

Lockheed’s proposal also did not offer “sufficient cost savings, if any, and no performance savings,” he said. “So we put pause on the PBL to focus on extending the current contracting.”

If an overall deal can’t be struck, LaPlante said it might make sense to break the PBL into certain subsystems.

Right now, though, work needs to be done to define the right metrics for measuring success with a PBL, LaPlante said. The government wants to use one called Gross Issue Effectiveness Rate requirements, which LaPlante explained is a “percentage of total demands filled at the base with onsite inventory, divided by total number of demands, and supply response time. We think those are good metrics.”

Making it work will require reliable data, however.

“But we haven’t given up on it,” LaPlante said of a PBL. “We just were not … going to wrap up the negotiation on this one in the time we needed. And I wouldn’t have been able to satisfy the requirement to have it certified for the price savings.”

Pressed to explain why the Joint Program Office doesn’t have enough people to conduct the PBL negotiations in a timely manner, JPO director Lt. Gen. Michael J. Schmidt said there is a limited group of individuals who know the F-35’s systems well enough to do the work.

“These are huge contracts with quotes from all the suppliers that come in,” and the team was overwhelmed, he said.

“I had to either show Dr. LaPlante that I had a closure plan that would get us there—like, right now—or pivot to extending our current contracts. Otherwise, we’d be at risk of sustaining our fleet,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt said there is a “full handshake” deal on the first support contract extension to March.

“We are quickly closing on the extension to June,” he added, saying he hoped it would be completed within the next few weeks. After that, Schmidt and LaPlante will have to settle on a “broader acquisition strategy … [which] in my opinion, must be incentive-based in order to drive the proper industry behaviors and commitments going forward,” Schmidt said.

Upgrades

Schmidt also said the Tech Refresh 3 processor upgrade now in testing is not being produced “at a rate where it needs to be. It is not meeting our contractual requirements.”

The problem lies with the supply of some key components, he said, with the component shortage affecting the Distributed Aperture System, or DAS.

TR-3 “needs to come up the curve very quickly in order to meet our production,” Schmidt said, and the shortage may also affect retrofits of older aircraft down the road.

If TR-3 was fully ready, “there were 52 airplanes that … would have been delivered by the end of by the end of December,” Schmidt reported. Instead, only 21 have been delivered. “The rest of the airplanes are being held,” he said.

“We will catch up quickly” if supplies of the short components reach adequate levels, he added.

LaPlante acknowledged the scope and cost escalation of the Block 4 modification, which depends on the TR-3, has increased from 66 improvements at a cost of $10.6 billion, completed by 2026; to 80 improvements at a cost of $16.5 billion, to be delivered by 2029. This was due to changes in requirements, he said—the program initially expected the improvements would come in a rolling manner.

Jon Ludwigson of the Government Accountability Office reminded lawmakers that the GAO has suggested breaking out the Block 4 upgrade as its own Major Defense Program, so that the cost of its elements can be scrutinized with greater clarity. As part of the overall F-35 program, he said Block 4 schedule or cost problems look smaller and are harder to tease out from other issues.

Engine Work

LaPlante and Schmidt both said that as much as they would like to pursue a new engine competition for the F-35, costs and applicability to all F-35 types compelled them to select an F135 engine upgrade instead. LaPlante noted that the Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) engines developed by Pratt & Whitney and GE Aerospace will only fit the F-35A used by the Air Force and possibly the F-35C used by the Navy, but not the F-35B, which uses a unique short takeoff/vertical landing mechanism.

Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (R-Fla.), however, said performance should have been a greater consideration than “just a business case” decision to do the more modest upgrade.    

“If I’m the fighter pilot, I want the engine that takes me faster and takes me longer,” he said. “This is a performance issue … for the life of our pilots and the capability of this airplane, especially in a theater which we may be finding ourselves in.” A future conflict “is going to need this enhanced capability,” he added.

LaPlante acknowledged the AETP program “did everything we asked it to” and provided upwards of 30 percent improvement in range and double-digit improvements in acceleration.

Former CENTCOM Commanders: US Should Consider Strikes Against Houthis

Former CENTCOM Commanders: US Should Consider Strikes Against Houthis

Dec. 12, 2023 | By Chris Gordon

Iranian-backed forces have once again stepped up their attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria and commercial vessels in the Red Sea in recent days, fueling concerns the Israel-Hamas war may lead to broader hostilities in the region.

As of Dec. 12, there have been at least 92 attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-aligned groups since Oct. 17, according to a U.S. defense official. Iranian-aligned Houthi forces also appear to be trying to draw the U.S. and its allies into a wider conflict by attacking vessels in the Red Sea.

Now, some former commanders of U.S. forces in the region are advocating for a more forceful response to deter further aggression and told Air & Space Forces Magazine that fears such action may escalate into a major U.S.-Iranian confrontation may be misplaced.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III will visit the region next week to ensure the “crisis doesn’t escalate into a broader regional conflict,” Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder told reporters Dec. 12. But Iran’s network of proxy groups—the so-called Axis of Resistance—appears determined to challenge those plans or at least act as a persistent thorn in the side of the U.S.

In particular, the Houthis have launched numerous cruise missile, ballistic missile, and drone attacks over the Red Sea in recent months; damaged ships; seized a vessel; and shot down an American MQ-9 drone. 

“The actions that we’ve seen from these Houthi forces are destabilizing,” Ryder said. “They’re dangerous and clearly a flagrant violation of international law. This is an international problem that requires an international solution.”

The U.S. is working to put together a multinational naval task force to protect shipping in that important commercial waterway. But some observers say the U.S. should consider more forceful courses of action too.

“It’s not clear to me that responding to the Houthis’ provocations in Yemen, as a matter of self-defense, is necessarily escalating and would lead to significant Iranian involvement,” retired Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., who commanded CENTCOM from 2019-2022, told Air & Space Forces Magazine. “It’s just not clear to me that there’s a linkage there.”

The Houthis’ targets initially appeared to be vessels with some connection to Israel. But they have since broadened to include numerous vessels, most recently on Dec. 11 when a land-based cruise missile struck the the Dutch-owned and India-crewed M/T Strinda. The commercial vessel was in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a critical chokepoint for shipping, when it was targeted.

“The Bab el-Mandeb is incredibly important,” retired Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel, who commanded CENTCOM from 2016-2019, told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

The Houthis have promised to continue their attacks in the area.

“I think we have to take them at their word, and we have to make sure that is fully incorporated into our calculations and decision-making,” Votel added.

The USS Mason was dispatched to render assistance to the Strinda, U.S. Central Command said. The USS Mason and the USS Carney, both guided missile destroyers, have also been active in the region, downing Houthi aerial targets and escorting and rendering aid to beleaguered ships.

In response to the attacks in Iraq and Syria, the U.S. has taken retaliatory action and used an AC-130 gunship and an armed drone to preempt some militia attacks. The U.S. and its partners are in Iraq and Syria to fight against Islamic State militants and have continued that mission. 

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, an aircraft carrier, was sent to the Middle East to deter Iran and other actors and its aircraft have been flying missions in support of the anti-ISIS campaign over Iraq and Syria, a senior U.S. defense official said. But the Houthis present a more vexing issue.

“We have no track record of anyone successfully deterring the Houthis, so we don’t know how they’ll react to force,” said Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “They want to be known as the biggest risk taker in the Axis of Resistance and the only one going toe-to-toe with the U.S.”

Unlike Iraq and Syria, the U.S. military has no forces in Yemen. Experts also differ over whether the Houthis are largely acting on their own with Iranian-supplied weapons or are being directed to attack by Tehran. 

Some former commanders said, however, that there are legitimate military targets controlled by the Houthis in Yemen and the U.S. does not need to wait for the group to launch still more attacks on commercial shipping before taking military action. 

“You could take action against coastal radars, coastal gun systems, missile systems, those kinds of sites,” said Votel. “There are very clear military targets.”

When Votel commanded CENTCOM, the U.S. struck radar sites in Yemen in 2016 in response to missile attacks, including toward the USS Mason, and the Pentagon cited the need to protect shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb as a reason for its actions.

Taking military action could have its challenges. Some of the systems may be mobile or could be resupplied. But Votel said it could also have a practical and symbolic impact.

“It can degrade their capability in the near term, and at the same time, send a very clear message,” he said.

USSF Creates New Component for SPACECOM

USSF Creates New Component for SPACECOM

Dec. 12, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

ORLANDO, Fla.—The name—U.S. Space Forces – Space—may seem a little redundant, but the newest Space Force component will have an outsized role in how the Space Force coordinates with U.S. Space Command.

Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman revealed the new command Dec. 12 at a conference in Orlando, Fla.

Space Forces – Space, or S4S, will be similar to the components the service has established to ensure space capabilities are understood and integrated into other combatant commands, including U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Central Command. Functionally, it takes on one of the roles that has been played by the much larger Space Operations Command (SpOC), which has been serving as both USSF’s “organize, train, and equip” mission and the Space component for U.S. Space Command—presenting the forces it utilizes in conducing operations in the domain. 

The new component “will allow SpOC to focus on readiness and other service responsibilities, while Space Forces – Space will focus on operations and the needs of SPACECOM,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman said in a keynote address at the Spacepower Conference. 

The odd-sounding name follows the convention established for other components like U.S. Space Forces Indo-Pacific, U.S. Space Forces Central, and U.S. Space Forces Europe and Africa. It was as those components were established that leadership decided on the need to separate out Space Operations Command’s responsibilities, said Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, the new commander of Space Forces – Space. 

Specifically, SpOC will now “focus on preparing Deltas to be force-presented, mostly to U.S. Space Forces – Space, but could be, especially from a terrestrial perspective … force presented to one of the other combatant or service components,” Schiess said. 

Schiess compared the switch to the Air Force’s major command structure. 

“Air Combat Command gets forces ready to be presented to [Pacific Air Forces] or [U.S. Air Forces in Europe] or [Air Forces Central],” Schiess noted. “SpOC is going to get the forces prepared to be able to force-present them to any of us.” 

Space Forces – Space is also meant to streamline and simplify the often-confusing web of organizations under SPACECOM. The Combined Force Space Component Command (CFSCC) and the Joint Task Force Space Defense (JTF-SD) are deactivating, and the Space Force Deltas that supported them—Delta 5 and Delta 15—will move into Space Forces – Space. 

A simpler structure will also help the other components, said Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Mastalir, commander of Space Forces Indo-Pacific. 

“It really is [about] being able to integrate at the operational level, and integrate component to component,” Mastalir said. “My S3 or S5 knows exactly who their counterpart is in Space Forces – Space, the organization supporting U.S. Space Command. … So this construct really is a force multiplier in terms of being able to integrate and synchronize with the other domains.” 

U.S. Space Forces – Space will be officially activated at a ceremony in January.

The new emblem of Space Forces – Space, the new USSF component for U.S. Space Command.
USAF Salvages a New Stealth Fighter from Two Wrecked Jets

USAF Salvages a New Stealth Fighter from Two Wrecked Jets

Dec. 12, 2023 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

The Air Force can’t get enough new F-35s fast enough, so it’s doing everything it can to preserve damaged jets and make them new again–even if it takes two to build just one.

In the first-ever effort to salvage F-35s from the junk heap, a team of highly skilled technicians is combining the remains of two damaged aircraft into what officials are calling “Franken-bird.”

The new jet will rise like a phoenix from the ashes of two earlier models:

The AF-27 airframe has been recycled as an Air Battle Damage and Repair trainer at Hill and AF-211, including its engine, have been preserved since the gear collapse, which severely damaged its nose. Dave Myers, lead engineer at the F-35 Joint Program Office Lightning Support Team, told Air & Space Forces Magazine that combining the best of both aircraft will result in a fully capable aircraft.

“There is no degradation,” Myers said. “The repair itself would not degrade any of its capability.”

A new F-35 Lightning II costs more than $80 million and its maker, Lockheed Martin, is producing jets as fast as it can. So when an aircraft is damaged, it can’t quickly be replaced. Salvaging all the parts and combining them into one good fighter should prove cost effective, provided USAF can demonstrate the resulting aircraft is sound.

To combine the two, Myers said, AF-27’s nose is being separated from its body and then reassembled onto AF-211, along with additional updates and technical adjustments resulting in a fully functional F-35. New parts, including a section of the aircraft’s outer skin, will also be incorporated to produce a fully viable jet.

“The fixed skin on the belly of the aircraft behind where the mate joint is was also damaged, and so that skin is being replaced,” Myers said. In addition, “parts in the nose that were destroyed during the mishap are being replaced.”

If successful, the rebuild will provide a framework for reclaiming partially damaged jets, both F-35s and potentially other aircraft, as well.

Led by the F-35 JPO, the team crafting the “Franken-bird” includes Airmen and civilians from the 388th Fighter Wing, the Ogden Air Logistics Complex, and contract technicians from Lockheed Martin, the Lightning II’s prime contractor, among others. “The core group repairing the aircraft is around 20,” Dan Santos, the Heavy Maintenance Manager at the F-35 JPO, told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Most are Lockheed Martin engineers, “and we are relying heavily on the unit for organizational level support.”

A new Mobil Maintenance System supports the donated nose section from a salvaged F-35 airframe used as an Aircraft Battle Damage Repair trainer at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in October 2023. U.S Air Force courtesy photo

The project has been a long time coming. Groundwork began nearly four years ago, in January 2020, when the JPO inquired about what Lockheed Martin learned while repairing damaged F-22s. The JPO already was claiming salvageable components from damaged F-35s, improving maintenance and operations, and finding ways to make use of parts, such as using the AF-27 as an ADBR trainer.

But the “Franken-bird” represents the boldest undertaking yet, said Scott Taylor, Lockheed Martin’s lead mechanical engineer in a release.

“All of the aircraft sections can be de-mated and re-mated theoretically, but it’s just never been done before,” Taylor said. Proving it can be done could be a game changer. USAF is using the project as a pathfinder, documenting every step to generate standardized procedures for future reclamation projects.

Santos said progress is good and that the team is about two months ahead of schedule so far. Barring delays, it appears they could be fully operational well before their March 2025 goal, Santos said.

“Not only will this project return a combat asset back to the warfighter, but it opens the door for repairing future mishap aircraft using tooling, equipment, techniques, and knowledge developed” for that purpose, Santos said.

A damaged nose section is removed from an F-35 airframe using a new Mobil Maintenance System at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in October 2023. U.S Air Force courtesy photo
Stealth Upgrade: Alabama Guard Wing Gets First F-35s

Stealth Upgrade: Alabama Guard Wing Gets First F-35s

Dec. 12, 2023 | By Greg Hadley

The Alabama Air National Guard’s 187th Fighter Wing received its first F-35 fighters last week, becoming the third Guard unit to get the fifth-generation aircraft and adding a new chapter in the wing’s storied legacy. 

Nicknamed the “Red Tails” in honor of World War II’s Tuskegee Airmen, the 187th welcomed three F-35s to Dannelly Field on Dec. 5—seven months after the wing retired the F-16s it had flown for 35 years.  

“It is an honor to be able to fly one of the first F-35s home,” said Lt. Col. Richard Peace, a pilot for the 187th Fighter Wing, in a release. “I have always looked up to the Tuskegee Airmen and can confidently say we will continue their legacy using the F-35s. Everyone at the wing has been hard at work preparing for this moment and it is finally here. I am excited to see everyone and to be back after months of pilot training preparing for this special day.” 

Dannelly Field was selected to get F-35s in 2017, and construction on new facilities began four years later. The wing formally began the conversion process in March, as pilots and maintainers were embedded in other F-35 units around the country to learn to fly and maintain their new aircraft.

Wing Vice Commander Col. Jay R. Spohn told Air & Space Forces Magazine in May that he expected about 15 pilots to be fully qualified on the F-35 by the first aircraft’s arrival. According to a wing release, some 33 maintainers and support Airmen are also ready to work with the new planes. 

“They are highly skilled, highly-trained maintainers that dedicated years of their lives and moved from Alabama to embed with F-35 Guard or active-duty units to learn best practices,” said Capt. Bryon Townsend, 187th Fighter Maintenance Group’s director of operations, describing his teammates in a statement. “We are grateful for the work they have put into their training and expect them to serve as the leaders that our maintenance members will look to for guidance, expertise, and empowerment.” 

Shortly after the new stealth fighters’ arrival, the 187th took to Facebook to post a photo of a can of red paint and a spray gun in front of one aircraft, a cheeky reference to the wing’s tradition of painting their aircraft’s tails red, as did the Tuskegee Airmen.  

But no one is actually going to paint the F-35 Lightning II tails. The aircraft’s stealthy skin is designed and crafted to minimize the jet’s radar signature, and the highly detailed work to maintain its skin is labor intensive.  

Last year, the Air Force debuted some F-35s with a “Splinter” camouflage pattern as part of a new Aggressor Squadron. While officials said then that the paint would not negate or interfere with the fighter’s low observability, subsequent jets from the same squadron have not featured that unique paint job.

Whatever color their actual tails, the Wing joins the Vermont ANG’s 158th Fighter Wing and Wisconsin ANG’s 115th Fighter Wing as the only Guard units flying the world’s most advanced stealth fighter. In time, the 187th will gain 20 F-35s and projects to reach full operational readiness by February 2026.