Pentagon: Austin Hospitalized by Infection After Prostate Cancer Surgery

Jan. 9, 2024 | By Chris Gordon

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III underwent a surgical procedure for prostate cancer and is expected to make full recovery, the Pentagon said Jan. 9.

The announcement ended days of mystery surrounding Austin’s medical status, which was kept under wraps from the White House, Congress, and the media, despite complications from treatment that landed the Pentagon chief in the hospital on Jan. 1, where he remains.

“On Dec. 22, 2023, after consultation with his medical team, he was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer,” Dr. John Maddox and Dr. Gregory Chesnut the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said in a Jan. 9 statement. The Dec. 22 hospital stay was not disclosed by the Pentagon until Jan. 5.

“His prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent,” the doctors added.

But Austin developed complications from the procedure, which led him to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance on Jan. 1 in severe pain, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder and medical officials. Austin landed in the intensive care unit the following day after he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and a buildup of fluid in his abdomen.

“His infection has cleared,” the doctors said in their statement. “He continues to make progress, and we anticipate a full recovery, although this can be a slow process.”

Congress has demanded answers as to why lawmakers and the public weren’t notified until Jan. 5 that Austin was in the hospital. The White House was notified only a day earlier, and President Joe Biden did not know Austin had cancer until Jan. 9.

“Nobody in the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning, and the President was informed immediately after,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Jan. 9.

“He was not informed until last Friday that Secretary Austin was in the hospital,” Kirby said of Biden’s knowledge of the situation. “He was not informed until this morning that the root cause of that hospitalization was prostate cancer.”

“It is not optimal for a situation like this to go as long as it did without the commander-in-chief knowing about it or the National Security Adviser or, frankly, other leaders at the Department of Defense,” Kirby added. “That’s not the way this is supposed to happen.”

Ryder said the matter was “deeply personal,” which is why Austin took so long to inform the public and the president, whom Austin spoke by phone with on Jan. 6.

“I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed,” Austin said in a statement that day. “I commit to doing better.”

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among American men, behind only skin cancer. Austin, 70, falls in a particularly high-risk group.

“Most prostate cancers are found in men over the age of 65,” according to the American Cancer Society. “Prostate cancer happens more often in Black men than in men of other races and ethnicities.”

The White House has expressed confidence in Austin despite the fact that President Biden was not promptly informed of a Cabinet member’s serious medical condition, which led Austin to delegate some authority to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks from Jan. 2-5, the day when the Pentagon first told Congress and the media that Austin had been hospitalized.

The failure by Austin and his top aides to notify others of his hospitalization has led the Pentagon to immediately change procedures to require more disclosure and clarity when the secretary of defense delegates authority. The department is also conducting a 30-day internal review of the matter.

Rep. Mike Rogers, the Alabama Republican who chairs the House Armed Services Committee said on Jan. 9 that he has begun an inquiry into the Pentagon’s delay in disclosing Austin’s hospitalization.

“Everything from on-going counterterrorism operations to nuclear command and control relies on a clear understanding of the Secretary’s decision-making capacity,” Rogers wrote in a letter to Austin. “The Department is a robust institution, and it is designed to function under attack by our enemies, but it is not designed for a Secretary who conceals being incapacitated.”

Austin has resumed his full duties, but Hicks will likely fill in for Austin at some in-person events, defense officials said. It is unclear when Austin will return to the Pentagon.

“We’ll continue to work hard to make sure that we’re being as transparent as possible moving forward and wish the Secretary a speedy recovery,” Ryder said.

Kadena Airmen Recognized As Best Field-Level Maintainers in Entire Military

Jan. 9, 2024 | By David Roza

The maintainers for the largest combat wing in the Air Force were recognized as the best field-level maintenance unit in the entire Department of Defense for 2023 late last month, when the the 18th Maintenance Group from Kadena Air Base, Japan, was awarded the annual Phoenix Award at the DOD Maintenance Symposium in San Diego, Calif.

“Phoenix Award winners are considered to be the best of the best and held in very high esteem as the top-performing field-level maintenance unit in the Department,” a press release explained.

The largest combat-coded maintenance group in the Air Force, the 18th has more than 2,400 Airmen and experienced a busy 2023, generating 7,601 sorties and 17,600 flight hours with the 18th Wing’s fleet of F-15C/D fighters, KC-135 refueling tankers, HH-60 helicopters, and E-3 airborne warning and control aircraft.

Thanks to their hard work, the 80 total aircraft assigned to Kadena could fly air interdiction, combat search and rescue, aerial refueling, aeromedical evacuation, and command and control battle management missions across the Indo-Pacific theater.

kadena maintain — Airman 1st Class Aris Leid, 18th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, hands a tool to Staff St. Gary Barber, 18th AMXS crew chief, while he prepares to remove a central gearbox from an F-15C Eagle at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Sept. 23, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Matthew B. Fredericks)

Located on the island of Okinawa, a mere 400 miles from China and 375 miles from Taiwan, Kadena could serve as a vital position and potential staging ground for U.S. operations in case of conflict with the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan.

As the base phases out its aging F-15s, a revolving door of fourth- and fifth-generation fighters have flown in to maintain a fighter presence there. In November, the wing hosted a 33-plane “elephant walk” where helicopters, tankers, Air Force and Navy fighters, an MQ-9 drone, and other aircraft taxied down the runway together.

Throughout 2023, the 18th Maintenance group “provided intermediate-level maintenance, engine maintenance, and test equipment calibration for the entire Indo-Pacific region as the engine centralized repair facility,” a DOD press release said. It also hosted the only active-duty Air Force base-level Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory, a facility “responsible for calibrating equipment used in virtually every phase of maintenance,” according to the Air Force website.

The release also noted that the 18th Maintenance Group “played a critical role” during Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) 2022 visit to Taiwan, the highest-ranking congressional delegation to the island in 25 years.

Back in September 2023, the Pentagon announced six field-level maintenance award winners, across large, medium, and small categories, including units from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. The 912th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., was one of the small category winners. The department defines field maintenance as what can be accomplished at the shop level (intermediate) and on-equipment (organizational).

From that group of six, only one can receive the annual Phoenix Award. The 2022 winner was the Navy’s first operational F-35C squadron. The phoenix is a mythological bird that is consumed by flames and then reborn from its own ashes.

“Periodically, so states the myth, the phoenix would again and again be reborn,” a DOD spokesperson wrote in 2021. “This unique ability of the legendary phoenix to rejuvenate and renew itself characterizes the role maintenance plays in sustaining DOD weapon systems and equipment.”

The Phoenix trophy is permanently displayed in the Pentagon, where for the next year it will bear the unit insignia for the 18th Maintenance Group. The group also received a traveling version to display until next year’s winner is announced.

Maintainers from the 18th Maintenance Group remove a tire from a KC-135 Stratotanker during an isochronal inspection at Kadena Air Base, Japan, May 22, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Naoto Anazawa)

There are hundreds of field-level maintenance units across the military, but alongside the Phoenix Award, the DOD also issues the Robert T. Mason Award for Depot Maintenance Excellence, and the Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper Award for Software Maintenance Excellence. The 76th Software Engineering Group based at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. picked up this year’s Hopper Award.

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.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Eliot Shapleigh, an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, prepares to board an F-16 during Exercise Ballast Cannon 24.3 at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 7, 2024. Ballast Cannon occurs nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force to support the U.S. Air Force’s rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives for F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, and operational support personnel. The exercise allowed Total Force Airmen to generate unique solutions in austere environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sarah Williams)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Eliot Shapleigh, an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, boards an F-16 during Exercise Ballast Cannon 24.3 at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 7, 2024. Ballast Cannon occurs nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force to support the U.S. Air Force’s rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives for F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, and operational support personnel. The long-standing relationships the U.S. Air Force has developed within the CENTCOM AOR enables regular and routine training, which advances the coalition’s ability to become a seamless operational force across every warfighting domain. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sarah Williams)

U.S. Air Force pilots conduct preflight checks in F-16 Fighting Falcons during Exercise Ballast Cannon 24.3 at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 7, 2024. Ballast Cannon occurs nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force to support the U.S. Air Force’s rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives for F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, and operational support personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sarah Williams)

U.S. Air Force Capt. Eliot Shapleigh, an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, conducts a preflight check during Exercise Ballast Cannon 24.3 at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 7, 2024. Ballast Cannon occurs nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force to support the U.S. Air Force’s rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives for F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, and operational support personnel. American Airman support dynamic operations while seamlessly integrating with coalition forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sarah Williams)

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Micheal Ortolani, an F-16 Fighting Falcon crew chief, and Tech. Sgt. Jonathan Bollock, a logistics readiness squadron Airman, perform preflight checks during Exercise Ballast Cannon 24.3 at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 7, 2024. Ballast Cannon occurs nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force to support the U.S. Air Force’s rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives for F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, and operational support personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sarah Williams)

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off during Exercise Ballast Cannon 24.3 at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 7, 2024. Ballast Cannon occurs nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force to support the U.S. Air Force’s rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives for F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, and operational support personnel. The exercise allowed Total Force Airmen to generate unique solutions in austere environments. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sarah Williams)

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon takes off during Exercise Ballast Cannon 24.3 at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 7, 2024. Ballast Cannon occurs nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force to support the U.S. Air Force’s rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives for F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, and operational support personnel. Agile Combat Employment shifts generation of airpower from large centralized bases, to networks of smaller, dispersed locations, or cluster bases to increase survivability and complicate adversary planning. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sarah Williams)

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon lands at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during Exercise Ballast Cannon 24.3, Jan. 7, 2024. Ballast Cannon occurs nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force to support the U.S. Air Force’s rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives for F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, and operational support personnel. Agile Combat Employment shifts generation of airpower from large centralized bases, to networks of smaller, dispersed locations, or cluster bases to increase survivability and complicate adversary planning. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sarah Williams)

A C-17 Globemaster III lands at an undisclosed location in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 5, 2024. The C-17 was a part of an exercise that occurs nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force to support the U.S. Air Force’s rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Sarah Williams)

U.S. Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Myron Somero, boom operator evaluator, communicates with Tech. Sgt. Steven Hannah during an aerial refueling for Ballast Cannon 24.3, Jan. 7, 2024. As a routine exercise occurring nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force, this iteration supports the U.S. Air ForceÕs rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives for F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, and operational support personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes)

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon prepares for an aerial refueling over an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during the quarterly Ballast Cannon, Jan. 7, 2024. As a routine exercise occurring nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force, this iteration supports the U.S. Air Force’s rapid expeditionary capabilities by integrating Agile Combat Employment objectives for F-16 Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, and operational support personnel. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes)

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Steven Hannah, a U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator, conducts preflight checks before takeoff during Exercise Ballast Cannon 24.3 at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 7, 2024. Ballast Cannon is a routine bilateral exercise occurring nearly quarterly with the Royal Bahraini Air Force, which focuses on strengthening the bonds between coalition forces and building a foundation for future engagements in support of the combined defense of the Arabian Peninsula. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes)

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

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

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

TRANCHE	LAYER	# OF SATELLITES	CONTRACTORS
0	Transport	20	York Space Systems, Lockheed Martin
	Tracking	8	SpaceX, L3Harris
1	Transport	126	York Space Systems, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
	Tracking	35	L3Harris, Northrop Gumman, Raytheon
	Demonstration and Experimentation System	12	York Space Systems
2	Transport (Beta)	90	Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Rocket Lab
	Transport (Alpha)	100	York Space Systems, Northrop Grumman
	Transport	20 (approx.)	TBA
	Tracking	52 (approx.)	TBA
	Demonstration and Experimentation System	20 (approx.)	TBA

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

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

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

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.

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.”