President-elect Joe Biden will nominate retired Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III to be his Defense Secretary, the transition team announced Dec. 8. Austin, who left the military in 2016 as the four-star head of U.S. Central Command, would be the first-ever Black man to hold the Pentagon’s top civilian job if confirmed by the Senate. The milestone comes shortly after Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. took over as the first Black Air Force Chief of Staff, amid a reckoning on racial inequality in the military and society at large. “With a distinguished record of military service spanning four decades, Secretary-designate Austin is a deeply experienced and highly decorated commander who has served with distinction in several of the Pentagon’s most crucial positions,” the transition team said in a release.

The other military services should defend USAF's air bases as the “tax” to enjoy the many benefits the Air Force provides them in terms of communications, mobility, and protection, Deputy Chief of Staff for operations Lt. Gen. Joseph T. Guastella Jr. said Dec. 8. The Air Force is more engaged than the other services because its roles are in play whether there are hostilities or not, and other branches should help enable the benefits they derive from USAF. Guastella also argued that while the other branches' push for long-range fires could be helpful, they may not be cost-effective in the long run.

Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager died Dec. 7, at age 97. Yeager was a World War II fighter ace and most widely remembered as the first man to fly through Mach 1—the speed of sound—in 1947. He tested numerous research aircraft in the 1940s through the 1960s, and is regarded as one of the most accomplished test pilots of all time.

Lawmakers weighed in on three of the Air Force’s top-priority technology development efforts in the final draft of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill, offering more money and more oversight as the programs mature. The Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology initiative, hypersonic weapons, and the Next-Generation Air Dominance program all got a closer look this year. The National Defense Authorization Act passed the House 335-78 on Dec. 8, and is expected to pass in the Senate as well. President Donald J. Trump must still approve the bill for it to become law, but has promised a veto over priorities that did not land in the final version.

Three companies will move on to flight experiments as part of the Air Force’s Skyborg drone program, the service said Dec. 7. Kratos earned $37.8 million, Boeing earned $25.7 million, and General Atomics earned $14.3 million to continue on in the program, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center said. Each contract will last two years. The announcement indicates Northrop Grumman did not make the cut after receiving a contract to become part of the vendor pool in July.

Disruption is generally thought of as the result of technological change. But the really disruptive changes happen when several new technologies converge. Welcome to the world of Space Force acquisition, where officials are trying to figure out how to change the game.

AFWERX’s contribution to the national Covid-19 pandemic response seems destined to enter the annals of heroic procurement tales. But, it almost didn’t happen.

On March 23, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a virtual Nuclear Deterrence Series event featuring Scowcroft Group Principal Frank Miller. At a time when nuclear modernization programs are accelerating around the world, proposals to recapitalize the U.S. nuclear arsenal are at the forefront of debates over defense spending. Miller will share his insights into the prospects for U.S. nuclear modernization programs and the value of nuclear deterrence in today's competitive security environment. The think tank will post event video on its website and YouTube page after the live event.