Air & Space Forces Magazine

It’s not clear what will characterize the next great revolution in military affairs, although uncrewed aircraft, artificial intelligence, and technologies like additive manufacturing could be key.

Experts: New Disruptive, Asymmetric Approaches Needed to Rebuild US Advantages The U.S. military needs to set its goals and build asymmetric, adaptive capabilities to go with them instead of trying to match adversaries.

This mission will focus on “space domain awareness technologies,” according to the Space Force. It will also help NASA investigate the effects of long-term radiation on plant seeds, “paving the way for future crewed space missions.”

X-37's Next—and 7th—Launch Could Be Its Last The Space Force’s secretive space plan, X-37B, is slated to launch back into orbit for its seventh mission on Dec. 10 from Florida.

An Air Force spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the individuals awaiting confirmation “will remain in their current position and their successors will do the same until the position they were nominated for becomes vacant.”

With Hold Lifted, What Happens Next for New Air Force, Space Force Generals? The Senate confirmed the nominations for 105 Air Force and Space Force generals Dec. 5, but 11 nominees are still waiting.

The Air Force said initial findings suggested there was a “material failure” with the Osprey, indicating pilot error was likely not the primary cause and there was an issue with the aircraft itself.

Air Force, Navy, Marines Order V-22 Osprey Standdowns after Deadly Crash AFSOC and the Navy and Marine Corps have ordered V-22 Osprey standdowns after a deadly crash off the coast of Japan killed 8 Airmen.

The agreement “will enable enhanced defense cooperation, such as legal status for U.S. military personnel, access to deployment areas, and pre-positioning of military materiel."

With NATO Membership Looming, Sweden and US Sign New Defense Cooperation Deal The U.S. and Sweden defense leaders signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement as Sweden preps for NATO membership.

The newly freed one-star, two-star, and three-star nominations include 111 Department of the Air Force nominations affecting 109 people: four in the Air National Guard, 26 in the Air Force Reserve, 70 in the Air Force, and nine in the Space Force.

Senate Confirms Hundreds of Generals, But 7 Top USAF, USSF Leaders Still Wait The Senate confirmed over 400 generals and admirals Dec. 5. after Sen. Tommy Tuberville lifted his monthslong hold on nominations.

The advantage of commercial refueling is that “it frees up our warfighter tanker fleet to be ready to respond for emerging contingency requirements.”

Commercial Tankers Refuel USAF F-15, F-16, and F-22 Fighters For First Time Ever Six F-16s joined a bilateral exercise with the U.S. and Singapore, conducting aerial refueling through commercial aircraft for the first time.

It is the Air Force’s deadliest-ever CV-22 accident. The only other deadly crash was a 2010 incident in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of three service members and one civilian.

USAF Identifies All 8 Airmen Killed in Osprey Crash Air Force Special Operations Command identified Dec. 5 all eight Airmen involved in the Japan Osprey crash that are now considered dead.

Previously, the command focused on operational Minuteman III bases and their personnel. The Air Force has been leading a sweeping Missile Community Cancer Study to address long-held concerns of heath hazards in and around America’s missile silos, which two older studies had discounted.

Air Force Missile Cancer Study Plans to Expand Testing to Vandenberg The Air Force Missile Community Cancer Study is expanding with a second round of testing and plans to sample Vandenberg Space Force Base.

These techniques help with the Air Force’s concept of Agile Combat Employment, where Airmen and aircraft disperse and operate from small airfields in the hope that the movement will complicate an enemy’s targeting process.

Why Air Force Tanker Crews Are Training To Pump Their Own Gas The Air Force 127th Air Refueling Group is teaching KC-135 Stratotanker aircrews how to perform specialized fueling operations.

Stovepiped approaches have also been dropped in favor of “looking at [requirements] across portfolios of capability."

Vice Chairman Says JROC Shifting to Top-Down, Portfolio Requirements Approach The vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs and head of the JROC, Adm. Christopher Grady, said he's pushing a portfolio approach to weapons buying.

The Air Force “looks to enhance our practices by systematically analyzing factors, identifying aggregated findings and lessons, and delivering generalizable and actionable recommendations to reduce su***de."

Air Force's Most Comprehensive Su***de Study Still Not Complete The Air Force is still working on a comprehensive su***de analysis originally due in the spring meant to help refine prevention efforts.

Instances of “lazing”—laser pointers being shined at aircraft pilots—have surged in recent years, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. In 2022 alone, there were 9,500 incidents nationwide.

To Counter Laser Weapons, Air Force Creates Better Eye Protection The Aircrew Laser Eye Protection Program is rolling out “Block 3” of Air Force protective eyewear to counter laser and ballistic threats.

The U.S. Air Force and its allies have gathered over 84,000 pounds of these supplies for ‘Operation Christmas Drop,’ scheduled to start Dec. 3 and continue through Dec. 13.

C-130s to Bring Holiday Cheer and 84,000 Pounds of Supplies to Pacific Islands Operation Christmas Drop, a humanitarian project led by the U.S. Air Force, starts Dec. 3 and will bring goods to western Pacific islands.

Search and rescue teams had been looking for the aircraft since it crashed Nov. 29. The remains of five crew members were found Dec. 4, Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement—a previous crew member’s remains were recovered Dec. 2.

Osprey Crash Wreckage, Remains of 5 Airmen Located U.S. and Japanese search teams located the wreckage of a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey crash and the remains of most of its crew members.

While the programs can’t be doubled-up, aviators may be able to move from one to the other, depending on their circumstances and the needs of the Air Force.

Air Force Announces Not One, But Two Bonus Programs to Retain Aviators in 2024 The Air Force is offering money and other incentives through two bonus programs targeting aviators whose service commitments are running low.

The Biden administration has repeatedly pressed Iraqi leaders to have their forces stop the militia attacks. But the Iraqi government’s seeming inability to do so has prompted the U.S. to take action, to the consternation of the authorities in Baghdad.

US Drone Thwarts Militia Attack on American Troops in Iraq The U.S. conducted a drone strike in Iraq on Dec. 3, as American troops continue to be targeted by Iranian-backed militants.

“It is the most complex thing we’ve done, I’ll say, since the 1960s."

New Schedule for Sentinel Coming Soon, Says ICBM Modernization Boss Brig. Gen. Colin J. Connor, head of Air Force Global Strike Command’s new ICBM Modernization Directorate, discussed Sentinel’s progress.

Despite fewer than 10 Airmen working there, the shop has made quite a dent, saving $1.2 million in Air Force Repair Enhancement Program funds in fiscal year 2023 alone.

Air Guardsmen Keep Aging F-15Cs Flying With Spare Parts Made In-House Oregon Air Guardsmen keep their F-15C Eagles running with spare parts made in a metals technology shop in Portland.

Boeing has so far written down more than $7 billion in losses on the program, which has suffered delays due to problems with the boom operator’s Remote Viewing System, boom stiffness, and supply chain and labor issues.

Latest KC-46 Lot Contract Award Leaves Only Three More to Go Boeing received a contract for 15 more KC-46 tankers in late November, leaving only three more lots until the last aircraft are on contract.

South Korea has long relied on the United States for surveillance imagery, particularly for detecting activities in North Korea.

S. Korea Spy Satellite to Lift Off at Vandenberg Days After N. Korea Launches One South Korea is set to launch its first homemade surveillance satellite on Dec. 2 after North Korea sent a spy satellite into orbit last week

“The U.S. military, alongside the Japan Coast Guard, Japanese Self-Defense Forces, local law enforcement, and Japanese civilian volunteers, is continuing search and rescue operations for the CV-22 crew."

7 Airmen Still Missing, 1 Dead After Japan Osprey Crash The Pentagon said Nov. 30 it is still searching for eight Airmen abroad a U.S. Air Force Osprey that crashed off the coast of southern Japan.

There is currently no training program in the Department of Defense for maintaining the MH-139A, so the 30-day visits to Picayune are a chance for Airmen to learn the tricks of the trade from wrench-turners who work on a very similar aircraft.

How the Air Force Is Getting a Head Start on Training MH-139 Helicopter Maintainers An Air Force reserve unit is training the first generation of maintainers who will keep the MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter fleet running.

The milestone marks a critical step in the Space Force’s plan to put more satellites across different orbits to detect and track high-speed missile threats.

USSF to Start Production on New Missile Warning Satellites for Medium-Earth Orbit Space Systems Command has completed the critical design review for six satellites to be positioned in MEO for missile warning and tracking.

AFSOC said the Osprey, assigned to the 353rd Special Operations Wing at Yokota Air Base, suffered a mishap during a “routine training mission” off the coast of Southern Japan. Eight Airmen were aboard.

CV-22 Osprey Crashes Off Southern Japan with 8 Airmen Aboard A U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey carrying eight Airmen crashed off the coast of Japan on Nov. 29, but the cause of the crash is still unclear.

The fact that the U.S. now faces two nuclear peers, coupled with “an unpredictable North Korea, make this a difficult challenge and increases the demands on the US strategic deterrent."

Airpower Experts: US Needs More than 100 B-21s to Meet Future High Demand The nation needs more than 100 B-21s if it is to avoid creating an over-subscribed system, panelists said.

“Understanding the importance of protecting civilian lives, innocent civilian lives, while at the same time going after the terrorist group Hamas that inflicted pain and suffering not only on the Israeli people, but on the Palestinian people—that will continue to be a priority for us."

PHOTOS: Air Force C-17 With Humanitarian Aid for Gaza Lands in Egypt A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III with humanitarian aid bound for Gaza landed in Egypt on Nov. 28, the U.S. government announced.

Nonstop supplies of environmentally sustainable power are an alluring option for the Air Force, which wants to make its power infrastructure more resilient and reduce its contributions to climate change.

Why the Air Force Wants a Geothermal Plant in Texas The Air Force wants a geothermal plant at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas as part of a larger effort to strengthen its energy systems.

Air Force leaders and Lockheed Martin, maker of the F-35, have urged pushing ahead with propulsion upgrades to the F-35 in order to keep it ahead of adversary aircraft now in development or entering service.

F-35 Program Will Give Pratt Sole-Source Engine Upgrade Work Pratt & Whitney, an RTX company, will upgrade the F135 engine as the sole source, the F-35 Joint Program Office announced.

The demonstrations are a crucial development for the Pentagon’s broader plans for Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), which will link sensors to military platforms worldwide.

SDA Demonstrates Link 16 from Space for First Time Ever The Space Development Agency demonstrated the first-ever Link 16 network broadcast from space to the ground using terrestrial radios.

This year’s pool of 2,249 senior master sergeants was the smallest since 2018—and more than 500 fewer than in 2020 and 2021. That shift translated to a higher selection rate.

Chief Master Sergeant Promotion Rate Ticks Up to Seven-Year High The Air Force is promoting 22.5 percent of those eligible to chief master sergeant in 2023—the highest rate for E-9s since 2016.

“If an individual comes out of the building, I can tag that individual, and then the drone will follow him. I don’t need to be on the ground chasing him."

Security Forces Airmen Train on ‘Game-Changer’ Drone That Could Compete for Replicator Security forces Airmen trained on a Skydio X2D quadcopter drone that could boost their base policing and protection missions.

“Instead of each contractor building their own solution, a common set of solutions can tackle very similar challenges across different MAJCOMs."

How an Enterprise Portfolio Approach Improves Cost Efficiencies, Interoperability Across MAJCOMs | Air & Space Forces Magazine HII Mission Technologies' enterprise portfolio can break down stovepipes between Air Force Major Command (MAJCOM) training architectures.

Lockheed is now building TR-3-configured F-35s at Fort Worth, and the first one flew the week of Nov. 13. The flight is part of the normal checkout process after one of the fighters comes out of the production plant.

F-35 Updates: TR-3 Ramps Up, Talks on Future Lots Continue, Logistics Contract Stalls The F-35 program has seen its first production fighter fly with the TR-3 upgrade are being built. Negotiations are underway for future lots.

The aerial exercise was part of a larger ”maritime and aerial cooperation activity” between U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

F-15 Eagles Train with the Philippines Over South China Sea U.S. F-15 Eagles and FA-50 fighters from the Philippines conducted an aerial exercise together over the South China Sea from Nov. 21-23.

The disclosure adds a new twist to an increasingly complex security situation in the Middle East despite a temporary truce in the Israel-Hamas war.

US, Allies’ Ships and Aircraft Thwart Pirates Despite Houthi Missile Attacks Missiles fired by Houthi militia toward an American destroyer began with an act of Somali piracy, the Pentagon said Nov. 27.

“Acting as the lighthouse of space, 18th SDS is responsible for monitoring and tracking all artificial objects in Earth’s orbit to ensure the safety of our satellites, astronauts, and space exploration endeavors.”

How These Guardians Avoid Collisions At 17,000 Miles Per Hour The Space Force’s 18th Space Defense Squadron tracks thousands of space objects and debris to avoid disastrous collisions.

𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗦: Kadena Flexes Airpower with Air Force and Navy Aircraft in Elephant Walk...
The U.S. Air Force and Navy both contributed aircraft to an impressive 33-plane “elephant walk” on the runway of Kadena Air Base in Japan on Nov. 21. The nearly three dozen aircraft included nine different types, showing off the range of capabilities at the base, which has a fleet of more than 100 planes either based or stationed there.

The first flight settled the question of whether early Air Force concept art of the B-21’s overall shape was realistic or meant to fool potential adversaries.

12 Things We Learned From the New B-21’s Taxi Tests and First Flight The first flight of the B-21, giving a nearly all-around view, revealed or confirmed many details about how the airplane works.

The FalconSAT-X, a project that began with the class of 2019, is the latest in a series of small satellites developed by USAFA cadets over the past two decades. at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The FalconSAT program continues to give future Air Force and Space Force officers firsthand experience in space operations.

‘Extraordinarily Special’ Satellite Built by Cadets Launches into Orbit U.S. Air Force Academy Cadets watched Nov. 11 as their FalconSAT-X satellite launched into orbit; now USAFA students will operate it.