Pilot Ejects from F-16 Crash at Holloman Air Force Base
An Air Force pilot ejected “successfully” from an F-16 fighter jet assigned to Holloman Air Force Base when it crashed on April 30, the base announced.
MH-139 Suffers ‘Critical’ Cost Breach; Sentinel ‘Halfway’ Through Its Review
While the Pentagon is halfway through its review of the Air Force’s new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program in the wake of “critical” cost and schedule overruns, the service has declared a similar issue for the helicopters meant to provide security and transport across those ICBM fields. The Air Force recently notified Congress of a “critical” Nunn-McCurdy breach on the MH-139 Grey Wolf program, a spokesperson confirmed to Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Austin Pushes Back on Lawmaker’s F-35 Criticism: Not a ‘Paperweight’
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III rebuffed criticism that the F-35 program has proved too costly and unreliable to serve as the viable backbone of America’s and allies' future fighter fleet on April 30. “I would not categorize the F-35 as a paperweight,” Austin said in response to questioning from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of Defense’s fiscal 2025 budget. “It is one of the best aircraft in the inventory.”
SDA Awards Contract for Eight New ‘FOO Fighter’ Fire Control Satellites
The Space Development Agency has awarded a $414 million contract for eight new “FOO Fighter” satellites to Millennium Space Systems.
Kendall: Air Force Expects 100 CCAs Operating Within Five Years
The Air Force only expects to field about 100 Collaborative Combat Aircraft during the next five years, but that the tempo of the program will yield new contracts about every two years, Secretary Frank Kendall said.
Radar Sweep
The Dark-Horse Alliance Racing Forward to Take On China
The Wall Street Journal
Four years ago, the U.S. and its oldest ally in Asia were close to breaking up. The Philippines had declared it wanted to exit a cornerstone defense pact between the countries. Then-President Rodrigo Duterte favored a realignment toward Beijing. Today, the alliance is at its strongest in decades. The striking turnaround is the result of a U.S. charm offensive, a new leader in Manila, and forceful Chinese actions against the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Warren, Bay State Pols Want Air Force to Put Electronic Warfare Center at Hanscom AFB
MassLive
As the U.S. Air Force looks to up its game against high-tech global threats, a coalition of Bay State lawmakers says it wants Massachusetts to be on the front lines. They’re calling for the Air Force to locate its new Information Dominance Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, about 21 miles from Boston.
New Air Force PT Uniforms Roll Out After 2-Year Delay
Air Force Times
The Air Force’s newest airmen are finally working out in the service’s upgraded physical training uniforms. The new workout gear began rolling out at basic military training earlier this month, an Air Force spokesperson told Air Force Times. They are anticipated to hit shelves at Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores in July, said AAFES spokesperson Chris Ward.
Soaring US Munitions Demand Strains Support for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan
Defense News
The U.S. has transferred tens of thousands of its bombs and shells to Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. But it hasn’t given Israel everything it wants. That’s because the U.S. military lacks the capacity to provide some of the weapons Israel requested, according to Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
‘Dead on Arrival: Key House Appropriators Oppose Transfer of Guard Units to Space Force
Breaking Defense
Two top leaders of the House Appropriations Committee expressed skepticism for a Pentagon proposal that would transfer the National Guard’s space units to the Space Force, with one ranking Democrat stating that the proposal was “dead on arrival.” Opposition from congressional appropriators, who control the Pentagon’s purse strings, could throw a wrench into the plan, which would involve the transfer of several hundred Guard members and consolidate space operations inside the Space Force.
Saltzman: Space Force Still Grappling with Refueling Math
SpaceNews
The Space Force is eyeing innovative in-orbit refueling technology, but a key question lingers: is it worth the cost, especially when the military is considering a shift towards cheaper, disposable satellites? The jury’s still out on the value proposition, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said at a House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee hearing April 30.
Supreme Court Rejects Military Chaplains’ Lawsuit Claiming Refusal of COVID-19 Vaccine Hurt Their Careers
Military.com
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear a case involving 39 military chaplains who say they continue to face recrimination for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine for religious reasons. In an announcement April 29 of the cases the court has selected to hear next year, the justices denied the chaplains’ petition to review last year’s dismissal of the case by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
How The Marines Plan to Fly The MV-22 Osprey into the 2060s
The War Zone
With the final U.S. Marine Corps orders for the MV-22 Osprey now very likely having been placed, the service is looking forward to getting the most out of the tiltrotor transport as it plans for a career that could see it serve into the 2060s and potentially beyond. Among a raft of enhancements to keep it viable until then, the V-22 Joint Program Office is looking at some radical potential ideas, including optionally piloted configurations.
Pentagon Tech Chief Announces Four RDER Projects Headed into Production
Inside Defense
Pentagon technology chief Heidi Shyu announced April 30 that four Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve projects are headed into production. Shyu, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said during a National Defense Industrial Association webinar that the four RDER programs were first approved last year.
SAIC Wins Second Chance at $457M Air Force IT Modernization Award
Washington Technology
Science Applications International Corp. has secured another shot at a $457.5 million Air Force task order contract to modernize the service branch's enterprise and tactical architecture. The Air Force awarded the order to HII through the IAC-MAC vehicle, known in full as the Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract. HII inherited its place on the vehicle through its acquisition of Alion Science & Technology in 2021.
How Grooming Standards Have Changed in the US Military
Task & Purpose
Ever since the American military was established, grooming standards have ebbed and flowed with changes in uniform and broader cultural norms over the years. Today, the common belief is that a clean-cut hairstyle, no facial hair, and a sharp-looking uniform are signs of discipline.