HTML Version <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"><head><title>SDA Demonstrates Link 16 from Space | CMSgt Promotions | F-35 Engine Upgrade Contracts</title><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"><meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=9; IE=8; IE=7; IE=EDGE" /><style type="text/css">body { margin: 0 !important; } #overall-container table { max-width: 680px !important; } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px) { body { width:100% !important; min-width:100% !important; } table, td { max-width: 100% !important; } table#email-container { width: 100% !important; } img { max-width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; } .bodytext, h2.article-title { margin: 0.8em !important; } .article-hr { margin: 1.0em 0.5em !important; } .footer-small p, .footer-small a { font-size: 0.4em !important; } .wp-post-image { margin: 0.3em 0 !important; } .editors-note { padding: 0.5em 0.8em !important; } }</style></head><body><table id="overall-container" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><table id="email-container" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 680px;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.afa.org/afa-warfare-symposium/" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="90" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/WS_Reg_DR_680x90.png"></a></td></tr><tr class="logo"><td align="center"><img style="margin: 0;" alt="airforcemag daily report logo" height="92" width="450" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/Image/AFM_Daily_Report.jpg"></td></tr><tr class="date"><td align="center"><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #1E4A85; font-weight: bold; margin: 0 0 .8em !important;">Nov. 29, 2023</p></td></tr><tr class="date"><td align="center"><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 0.8em;">Edited by Greg Hadley with Chris Gordon, Unshin Lee Harpley, David Roza and John A. Tirpak</p></td></tr><tr class="view-in-browser"><td align="center"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20231129/" style="background: #3F6EB2; border-radius: 9px; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; padding: 0.8em 2em; display: inline-block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: .7em; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em;" target="_blank">View In Browser</a></td></tr><tr class="featured-image"><td align="center"><img width="680" height="383" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/IMG_7535__1.jpeg" class="attachment-680x9999 size-680x9999 wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 0.8em 0 0.1em;" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/IMG_7535__1.jpeg 1920w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/IMG_7535__1-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/IMG_7535__1-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/IMG_7535__1-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/IMG_7535__1-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/IMG_7535__1-550x309.jpeg 550w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/IMG_7535__1-800x450.jpeg 800w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/IMG_7535__1-250x141.jpeg 250w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/11/IMG_7535__1-1000x563.jpeg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /><em style='display: block; font-size: 0.8em; margin-bottom: 0.6em'>York Space Systems announced the first-ever successful demonstration of Link 16 technology from space on its Tranche 0 (T0) satellites.</em></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/sda-link-16-from-space/" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">SDA Demonstrates Link 16 from Space for First Time Ever</a></h2><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.8em 0;">By Unshin Lee Harpley</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">The Space Development Agency (SDA) has demonstrated the first-ever Link 16 network broadcast from space to the ground, the agency announced Nov. 28—a key milestone for its new constellation of satellites.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr class="article-hr" style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #aaaaaa; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-chief-master-sergeant-promotion-rate-2023/" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Chief Master Sergeant Promotion Rate Ticks Up to Seven-Year High</a></h2><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.8em 0;">By Greg Hadley</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">The Air Force is promoting 22.5 percent of eligible senior master sergeants to chief master sergeant in 2023, the service announced Nov. 28—the highest rate for E-9s in seven years. All told, 506 Airmen were selected from a pool of 2,249 eligible candidates. The full list of those selected will be released Dec. 1, according to the Air Force Personnel Center. </p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.afainsure.com/coverages/supplemental-health/hospital-indemnity-plans"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/10/ForrestJones_Nov23_680x265.jpg" style="margin: 1.1em 0;"></a></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/f-35-program-pratt-sole-source-engine-upgrade/" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">F-35 Program Will Give Pratt Sole-Source Engine Upgrade Work</a></h2><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.8em 0;">By John A. Tirpak</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">The F-35 Joint Program Office has officially announced plans to issue multiple sole-source contracts to Pratt & Whitney to upgrade the fighter’s F135 engine—a widely expected move after Pentagon officials indicated they would do so earlier this year instead of developing an entirely new engine.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr class="article-hr" style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #aaaaaa; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-geothermal-san-antonio/" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Why the Air Force Wants a Geothermal Plant in Texas</a></h2><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.8em 0;">By David Roza</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">The Air Force is taking steps towards starting a geothermal plant at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, as part of a larger effort to make the branch’s energy infrastructure more resilient and sustainable.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.usaa.com/inet/wc/why_choose_usaa_main?vurl=vurl_join&txid=OTH:TX1:YLGYHF7G8G"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/09/USAA_DR_Oct2023_ENTENT_Evergreen_680x265.jpg" style="margin: 1.1em 0;"></a></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-c-17-humanitarian-aid-gaza-egypt/" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">PHOTOS: Air Force C-17 With Humanitarian Aid for Gaza Lands in Egypt</a></h2><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.8em 0;">By Chris Gordon</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III with humanitarian aid bound for Gaza landed in Egypt Nov. 28, the U.S. government announced. The flight is the first U.S. military aircraft sent to the Middle East to deliver aid for the beleaguered civilians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas conflict that began Oct. 7, according to the Pentagon. U.S. officials say two more military aid flights are expected in the coming days.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.prattwhitney.com/en/products/military-engines/f135?utm_medium=enews&utm_source=afadailyreport&utm_campaign=military&utm_content=f135-ecu-smartdecision-680x265-english"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/10/PrattWhitney_Nov23_DR_680x265.gif" style="margin: 1.1em 0;"></a></td></tr><tr class="row-spacer" height="25"><td> </td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="radar-sweep" style="background-color: #F4F5F9;"><table id="radar-sweep" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" valign="top" width="90%"></tbody><tr class="row-spacer" height="24"><td> </td></tr><tr class="title""><td align="center"><h3 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.3em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold;">Radar Sweep</h3></td></tr><tr class="row-spacer" height=12><td> </td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">‘We’re Taking It out of Hide’: Pentagon Says It Has No Money for Middle East Buildup </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/28/pentagon-scrambles-to-pay-for-middle-east-troop-buildup-00128882" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">POLITICO</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The Defense Department has ordered an additional aircraft carrier strike group, air defenses, fighter jets and hundreds of troops to the Middle East since the surprise terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, in an effort to prevent the conflict from spiraling into a regional war. The problem: Congressional dysfunction means the Pentagon has no money to pay for the buildup. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">SPONSORED: How an Enterprise Portfolio Approach Improves Cost Efficiencies, Interoperability Across MAJCOMs </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/how-an-enterprise-portfolio-approach-improves-cost-efficiencies-interoperability-across-majcoms/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">HII Mission Technologies</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Senior Air Force leaders have made a clarion call for improving Total Force readiness to prepare for potential conflict with the nation’s pacing threats. Most notably, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall is emphasizing readiness and mobilization as one of his seven operational imperatives, saying that “supporting [our forces] takes the collective success of a large number of information systems and supporting logistical and industrial infrastructure.” HII Mission Technologies is presenting an enterprise portfolio solution to break down the operational and technical stovepipes between Air Force Major Command (MAJCOM) training architectures, an advantage that will unify critical infrastructure elements among distributed training systems across a standardized, global network—all while enabling the warfighter to train as they fight. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">What to Watch as Congress Negotiates Final Defense Policy Bill </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2023/11/27/what-to-watch-as-congress-negotiates-final-defense-policy-bill/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Defense News</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Congress will begin formal negotiations on a compromise defense policy bill this week, with final votes likely to occur before the holidays. The annual bill is usually a bipartisan product, but conference committee talks over the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act may be trickier than usual this year. House Republicans added numerous partisan provisions from the right-wing Freedom Caucus to their version of the bill. The Senate version contains several of its own amendments that enjoy bipartisan—though not always unanimous—support. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">‘Broken and Alone’: Father Pens Scathing Letter to Top Brass After Losing Airman Son to Suicide </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/11/28/broken-and-alone-father-pens-scathing-letter-top-brass-after-losing-airman-son-suicide.html " style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Military.com</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">A grieving father who lost his son—an Airman at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico—to suicide this month has written an open letter to the service’s leadership, as well as the Joint Chiefs chairman and defense secretary, pleading for the military to confront alarming numbers of suicides within the ranks. Sean Stevenson said in the Nov. 22 letter that his son, 24-year-old Senior Airman Sean Ryan Stevenson, died Nov. 1 after the Air Force “let him down to the point he became broken and alone.” </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Iran Claims It Has Finalized Long-Awaited Deal for Russian Fighter Jets, Helos </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2023/11/iran-claims-it-has-finalized-long-awaited-deal-for-russian-fighter-jets-helos/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Breaking Defense</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Iran has finalized a long-awaited deal with Russia to procure Sukhoi SU-35 fighters, attack helicopters, and military trainer aircraft, according to a senior defense official cited by local news agency Tasnim. “Plans have been finalized for Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, [military] Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 jet trainers to join the combat units of Iran’s Army,” Iran’s deputy Defense Minister Mehdi Farahi reportedly told the outlet. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">PODCAST: 4th Gen to 5th Gen Air Combat Evolution: Operator Perspectives </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/episode-156-4th-gen-to-5th-gen-air-combat-evolution-operator-perspectives" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;"> In Episode 156 of the Aerospace Advantage podcast, host John ‘Slick’ Baum chats with Lt. Col. Gary Glojek and Lt. Col. Max Cover about how the combat Air Force inventory is evolving from a fourth-generation force to one increasingly populated by fifth-generation aircraft. Types like the A-10 are sunsetting. Others, like the F-16 will stay in the inventory for several more years, but in reduced quantities as F-35 numbers increase. Add this to the combination of F-22, F-35, B-2, and B-21, plus NGAD, and the Air Force is looking at a fundamentally reshaped combat inventory. Given Cover’s time in the F-16 and F-35, plus Glojek’s time in the A-10, these two Airmen are uniquely qualified to discuss this operational evolution. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://airforceassociation.my.site.com/joinapi__membershiplist?id=a2C1K000003kuM4UAI&order=1" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="250" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/10/Membership_300x250.jpg"></a></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">South Korea Delays Its Own Spy Satellite Liftoff, Days after North’s Satellite Launch </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-spy-satellite-delay-north-b928b7b368d777c5d0d92a85f37c665d" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">South Korea has postponed the planned launch of its first military spy satellite set for this Thursday, officials said, days after rival North Korea claimed to put its own spy satellite into orbit for the first time. Under a contract with SpaceX, South Korea is to launch five spy satellites by 2025, and its first launch using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket had been scheduled to take place at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base in the United States. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Momentum Builds for Psychedelic Therapies for Troops, Vets </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://rollcall.com/2023/11/28/momentum-builds-for-psychedelic-therapies-for-troops-vets" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">CQ Roll Call</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">After years of effort, momentum is building in Congress to explore a new path for service members and veterans struggling with psychological illnesses: psychedelics. Current legislative proposals include studies of the effectiveness of using psychedelics to treat PTSD among Active-Duty service members and veterans, reflecting a small but significant shift among lawmakers’ attitudes toward therapeutic use of the drugs. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">New Atomic-Scale Cooling Technology Could Unleash More Powerful Radar, Radios, EW Systems </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://insidedefense.com/daily-news/new-atomic-scale-cooling-technology-could-unleash-more-powerful-radar-radios-ew-systems " style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Inside Defense</a> <em style="font-size: 0.8em;">(Subscription Required)</em></p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The Defense Department is reaching for a next-generation microelectronics advancement that promises order-of-magnitude improvements for radar, communications and electronic warfare systems by using diamonds to reduce heat in transistors, awarding Raytheon an applied research contract to demonstrate the efficacy of such novel cooling technology. On Nov. 16, Raytheon announced the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency had awarded the radar maker a four-year, $15 million contract “to increase the electronic capability of radio frequency with high-power-density gallium nitride transistors. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">AI Has a Political Problem </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2023/11/ai-has-political-problem/392323/ " style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Defense One</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Left-leaning media outlets are more skeptical of artificial intelligence than right-leaning outlets, a new study shows, which could make a significant difference in voters’ attitudes toward military and government use of AI—as well as how those technologies are regulated. The study, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science in September and made public last week, looked at the way media outlets such as the Washington Post, CNN, the New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal, discussed AI, paying particular attention to specific sentiment tags to determine whether the coverage was positive or negative. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Signs Point to Less Range, Higher Performance for CCA Drones </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/signs-point-to-less-range-higher-performance-for-cca-drones " style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The War Zone</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The U.S. Air Force says it's considering drone designs capable of being aerial refueled for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program with range capabilities similar to its existing fighter aircraft. It has also revealed new details about what kind of payload it wants these highly autonomous uncrewed aircraft to have from the start, as well as a price tag that is at the top of what was supposedly being considered before. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Trio of DOD Leaders Poised to Visit Kamikaze Drone-Maker’s California Plant </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://defensescoop.com/2023/11/28/trio-of-dod-leaders-poised-to-visit-kamikaze-drone-makers-california-plant/ " style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">DefenseScoop</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">At least three senior Pentagon officials are preparing to visit drone manufacturer and military contractor AeroVironment’s plant in Simi Valley, Calif., later this week, sources familiar with their plans told DefenseScoop on Nov. 28. </p></td></tr><tr><td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="dark-block" style="margin: 1em 0; background: #F4F5F9;" valign="top" width="100%"><tbody><tr class="row-spacer" height="25"><td style="background: #1f2a39; border-color: #1f2a39; border-top-right-radius: 9px; border-top-left-radius: 9px;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="background: #1f2a39;" align="center"><table width="90%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td align="left"><h3 style="font-size: 1em; color: #dddddd; margin: 0; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.8em; font-weight: normal">One More Thing</h3><h2 style="font-size: 1em; color: #eeeeee; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: 0.01em;">And Happy Returns! Army & Air Force Exchange Service Extends Return Policy During Holidays </h2><p class="bodytext-radar"><a style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; color: #dddddd; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0.03em; text-decoration: underline #bbbbbb solid;" href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/458572/and-happy-returns-army-air-force-exchange-service-extends-return-policy-during-holidays" target="_blank">DOD release</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #eeeeee; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.01em;">Military shoppers have extra time to make returns on purchases this holiday season as the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is extending its return policy. Shoppers have until Jan. 31 to make returns on items purchased between Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 at PXs and BXs or ShopMyExchange.com. </p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class="row-spacer" height="25"><td style="background: #1f2a39; border-color: #1f2a39; border-bottom-left-radius: 9px; border-bottom-right-radius: 9px;"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://shopafa.org/" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="265" style="margin: 0.8em 0;" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2023/10/Nov_ads_DailyReport_680x265.png"></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" style="padding: 1.1em 0 1em; text-align: center; background: #2d3d44;"><table width="100%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0><tbody><tr class="footer-logo"><td align="center"><img width="171" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em;" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/Image/ASF_mag_logo_white.png"></td></tr><tr class="footer-nav"><td align="center" style="color: #cccccc; font-size: 0.9em;"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Daily Report</a> | <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/contact-us/" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Contact Us</a> | <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/advertise/" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Advertise</a> | <a href="https://www.afa.org/join/" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Join AFA</a> | <a href="https://www.afa.org" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Air & Space Forces Association</a> | <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/reprint-permission/" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Reprints</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><p style="margin: 0.8em 0 0;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ASForcesMag" target="_blank"><img src="https://cdn2.iconfinder.com/data/icons/social-icons-33/128/Facebook-512.png" width="33"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ASForcesMag" target="_blank"><img src="https://cdn0.iconfinder.com/data/icons/social-network-7/50/4-512.png" width="35"></a></p></td></tr><tr class="footer-small"><td align="center"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #555555; font-size: 0.6em; margin: 0.8em 0">Published by the Air & Space Forces Association.<br/><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #214a86; font-size: 1em;" target="_blank">airandspaceforces.com</a> material is under copyright by the Air & Space Forces Association. 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Plaintext Version Air & Space Forces Magazine Daily Report for Nov. 29, 2023 View in your Web Browser: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20231129/ Edited by Greg Hadley with Chris Gordon, Unshin Lee Harpley, David Roza and John A. Tirpak -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.afa.org/afa-warfare-symposium/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SDA Demonstrates Link 16 from Space for First Time Ever By Unshin Lee Harpley The Space Development Agency (SDA) has demonstrated the first-ever Link 16 network broadcast from space to the ground, the agency announced Nov. 28—a key milestone for its new constellation of satellites. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/sda-link-16-from-space/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chief Master Sergeant Promotion Rate Ticks Up to Seven-Year High By Greg Hadley The Air Force is promoting 22.5 percent of eligible senior master sergeants to chief master sergeant in 2023, the service announced Nov. 28—the highest rate for E-9s in seven years. All told, 506 Airmen were selected from a pool of 2,249 eligible candidates. The full list of those selected will be released Dec. 1, according to the Air Force Personnel Center. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-chief-master-sergeant-promotion-rate-2023/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.afainsure.com/coverages/supplemental-health/hospital-indemnity-plans -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-35 Program Will Give Pratt Sole-Source Engine Upgrade Work By John A. Tirpak The F-35 Joint Program Office has officially announced plans to issue multiple sole-source contracts to Pratt & Whitney to upgrade the fighter’s F135 engine—a widely expected move after Pentagon officials indicated they would do so earlier this year instead of developing an entirely new engine. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/f-35-program-pratt-sole-source-engine-upgrade/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why the Air Force Wants a Geothermal Plant in Texas By David Roza The Air Force is taking steps towards starting a geothermal plant at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, as part of a larger effort to make the branch’s energy infrastructure more resilient and sustainable. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-geothermal-san-antonio/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.usaa.com/inet/wc/why_choose_usaa_main?vurl=vurl_join&txid=OTH:TX1:YLGYHF7G8G -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PHOTOS: Air Force C-17 With Humanitarian Aid for Gaza Lands in Egypt By Chris Gordon A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III with humanitarian aid bound for Gaza landed in Egypt Nov. 28, the U.S. government announced. The flight is the first U.S. military aircraft sent to the Middle East to deliver aid for the beleaguered civilians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas conflict that began Oct. 7, according to the Pentagon. U.S. officials say two more military aid flights are expected in the coming days. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-c-17-humanitarian-aid-gaza-egypt/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.prattwhitney.com/en/products/military-engines/f135?utm_medium=enews&utm_source=afadailyreport&utm_campaign=military&utm_content=f135-ecu-smartdecision-680x265-english -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Radar Sweep -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ‘We’re Taking It out of Hide’: Pentagon Says It Has No Money for Middle East Buildup The Defense Department has ordered an additional aircraft carrier strike group, air defenses, fighter jets and hundreds of troops to the Middle East since the surprise terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, in an effort to prevent the conflict from spiraling into a regional war. The problem: Congressional dysfunction means the Pentagon has no money to pay for the buildup. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/28/pentagon-scrambles-to-pay-for-middle-east-troop-buildup-00128882 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPONSORED: How an Enterprise Portfolio Approach Improves Cost Efficiencies, Interoperability Across MAJCOMs Senior Air Force leaders have made a clarion call for improving Total Force readiness to prepare for potential conflict with the nation’s pacing threats. Most notably, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall is emphasizing readiness and mobilization as one of his seven operational imperatives, saying that “supporting [our forces] takes the collective success of a large number of information systems and supporting logistical and industrial infrastructure.” HII Mission Technologies is presenting an enterprise portfolio solution to break down the operational and technical stovepipes between Air Force Major Command (MAJCOM) training architectures, an advantage that will unify critical infrastructure elements among distributed training systems across a standardized, global network—all while enabling the warfighter to train as they fight. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/how-an-enterprise-portfolio-approach-improves-cost-efficiencies-interoperability-across-majcoms/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What to Watch as Congress Negotiates Final Defense Policy Bill Congress will begin formal negotiations on a compromise defense policy bill this week, with final votes likely to occur before the holidays. The annual bill is usually a bipartisan product, but conference committee talks over the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act may be trickier than usual this year. House Republicans added numerous partisan provisions from the right-wing Freedom Caucus to their version of the bill. The Senate version contains several of its own amendments that enjoy bipartisan—though not always unanimous—support. https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2023/11/27/what-to-watch-as-congress-negotiates-final-defense-policy-bill/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ‘Broken and Alone’: Father Pens Scathing Letter to Top Brass After Losing Airman Son to Suicide A grieving father who lost his son—an Airman at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico—to suicide this month has written an open letter to the service’s leadership, as well as the Joint Chiefs chairman and defense secretary, pleading for the military to confront alarming numbers of suicides within the ranks. Sean Stevenson said in the Nov. 22 letter that his son, 24-year-old Senior Airman Sean Ryan Stevenson, died Nov. 1 after the Air Force “let him down to the point he became broken and alone.” https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/11/28/broken-and-alone-father-pens-scathing-letter-top-brass-after-losing-airman-son-suicide.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iran Claims It Has Finalized Long-Awaited Deal for Russian Fighter Jets, Helos Iran has finalized a long-awaited deal with Russia to procure Sukhoi SU-35 fighters, attack helicopters, and military trainer aircraft, according to a senior defense official cited by local news agency Tasnim. “Plans have been finalized for Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, [military] Mi-28 attack helicopters, and Yak-130 jet trainers to join the combat units of Iran’s Army,” Iran’s deputy Defense Minister Mehdi Farahi reportedly told the outlet. https://breakingdefense.com/2023/11/iran-claims-it-has-finalized-long-awaited-deal-for-russian-fighter-jets-helos/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PODCAST: 4th Gen to 5th Gen Air Combat Evolution: Operator Perspectives In Episode 156 of the Aerospace Advantage podcast, host John ‘Slick’ Baum chats with Lt. Col. Gary Glojek and Lt. Col. Max Cover about how the combat Air Force inventory is evolving from a fourth-generation force to one increasingly populated by fifth-generation aircraft. Types like the A-10 are sunsetting. Others, like the F-16 will stay in the inventory for several more years, but in reduced quantities as F-35 numbers increase. Add this to the combination of F-22, F-35, B-2, and B-21, plus NGAD, and the Air Force is looking at a fundamentally reshaped combat inventory. Given Cover’s time in the F-16 and F-35, plus Glojek’s time in the A-10, these two Airmen are uniquely qualified to discuss this operational evolution. https://mitchellaerospacepower.org/episode-156-4th-gen-to-5th-gen-air-combat-evolution-operator-perspectives -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://airforceassociation.my.site.com/joinapi__membershiplist?id=a2C1K000003kuM4UAI&order=1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Korea Delays Its Own Spy Satellite Liftoff, Days after North’s Satellite Launch South Korea has postponed the planned launch of its first military spy satellite set for this Thursday, officials said, days after rival North Korea claimed to put its own spy satellite into orbit for the first time. Under a contract with SpaceX, South Korea is to launch five spy satellites by 2025, and its first launch using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket had been scheduled to take place at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base in the United States. https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-spy-satellite-delay-north-b928b7b368d777c5d0d92a85f37c665d -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Momentum Builds for Psychedelic Therapies for Troops, Vets After years of effort, momentum is building in Congress to explore a new path for service members and veterans struggling with psychological illnesses: psychedelics. Current legislative proposals include studies of the effectiveness of using psychedelics to treat PTSD among Active-Duty service members and veterans, reflecting a small but significant shift among lawmakers’ attitudes toward therapeutic use of the drugs. https://rollcall.com/2023/11/28/momentum-builds-for-psychedelic-therapies-for-troops-vets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Atomic-Scale Cooling Technology Could Unleash More Powerful Radar, Radios, EW Systems The Defense Department is reaching for a next-generation microelectronics advancement that promises order-of-magnitude improvements for radar, communications and electronic warfare systems by using diamonds to reduce heat in transistors, awarding Raytheon an applied research contract to demonstrate the efficacy of such novel cooling technology. On Nov. 16, Raytheon announced the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency had awarded the radar maker a four-year, $15 million contract “to increase the electronic capability of radio frequency with high-power-density gallium nitride transistors. https://insidedefense.com/daily-news/new-atomic-scale-cooling-technology-could-unleash-more-powerful-radar-radios-ew-systems (Subscription Required) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AI Has a Political Problem Left-leaning media outlets are more skeptical of artificial intelligence than right-leaning outlets, a new study shows, which could make a significant difference in voters’ attitudes toward military and government use of AI—as well as how those technologies are regulated. The study, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science in September and made public last week, looked at the way media outlets such as the Washington Post, CNN, the New York Post, and The Wall Street Journal, discussed AI, paying particular attention to specific sentiment tags to determine whether the coverage was positive or negative. https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2023/11/ai-has-political-problem/392323/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Signs Point to Less Range, Higher Performance for CCA Drones The U.S. Air Force says it's considering drone designs capable of being aerial refueled for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program with range capabilities similar to its existing fighter aircraft. It has also revealed new details about what kind of payload it wants these highly autonomous uncrewed aircraft to have from the start, as well as a price tag that is at the top of what was supposedly being considered before. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/signs-point-to-less-range-higher-performance-for-cca-drones -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trio of DOD Leaders Poised to Visit Kamikaze Drone-Maker’s California Plant At least three senior Pentagon officials are preparing to visit drone manufacturer and military contractor AeroVironment’s plant in Simi Valley, Calif., later this week, sources familiar with their plans told DefenseScoop on Nov. 28. https://defensescoop.com/2023/11/28/trio-of-dod-leaders-poised-to-visit-kamikaze-drone-makers-california-plant/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One More Thing... And Happy Returns! Army & Air Force Exchange Service Extends Return Policy During Holidays Military shoppers have extra time to make returns on purchases this holiday season as the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is extending its return policy. Shoppers have until Jan. 31 to make returns on items purchased between Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 at PXs and BXs or ShopMyExchange.com. https://www.dvidshub.net/news/458572/and-happy-returns-army-air-force-exchange-service-extends-return-policy-during-holidays -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://shopafa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Daily Report: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/ - Contact Us: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/contact-us/ - Advertise With Us: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/advertise/ - Purchase/Reprint: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/reprint-permission/ - Air & Space Forces Assoc.: https://www.afa.org - Join AFA: https://www.afa.org/join/ - A&SF Mag on Facebook: https://facebook.com/ASForcesMag - A&SF Mag on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASForcesMag -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Air & Space Forces Association All airandspaceforces.com material is under copyright of the Air & Space Forces Association. 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