The Air Force has taken point on an effort to gain insight into how DOD might close several “high priority capability gaps” in the nation’s homeland air and cruise missile defense of North America. According to a request for information, the services and combatant commands identified “nine overarching capability gaps” in a functional needs statement. One gap concerns a lack of “accurate information” supplied in a format compatible with NORAD’s common operating picture. Another identifies “inadequate surveillance coverage” and “weather limitations” coupled with airborne sensor endurance factors. NORAD also wants a better means to identify air vehicle “type, tail number, flight plan, nation of origin, etc.” and to be able to distinguish “with 100 percent reliability” between air and cruise missile vehicles. USAF is taking all ideas by Sept. 29.
A recent seven-day exercise sent Air Force F-22s—along with other USAF aircraft—to austere, challenging environments across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Agile Reaper, taking place for the second time after its inaugural edition last year, featured 800 Airmen and 29 aircraft across five different locations from April 10-16, training…