A new-design aircraft to fill the arsenal plane concept is in the offing at Air Force Global Strike Command, according to its commander, Gen. Tim Ray. In a press telecon, he discussed the concept, along with USAF's preferred air-launched hypersonic missile, recovery in the B-1 fleet, and AFGSC exiting the close air support mission to focus on long-range strike, as outlined in the National Defense Strategy.

The likely continuation of the military’s stop movement order, and the related extension of deployments and pause in change of station moves, will require continued sacrifice but is necessary to protect the force from the new coronavirus outbreak, top military officials said. “We don’t want to do anything that places the health of our force at risk,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said during a live-streamed town hall April 9. “If that means further delay, then that means further delay.” The Pentagon in mid-March ordered all movement of forces to stop, including those who are deployed to combat zones or forces getting ready to change assignments. Leaders said this order will likely extend into the summer.

Airmen who are eligible for special incentive pay but are not able to meet the requirements because of the impact of the new coronavirus outbreak should still receive that money, according to new Pentagon guidance. The Defense Department on April 9 issued a fact sheet for COVID-19-related benefits issues, specifically addressing aviation incentive pay for airmen who may not be able to fly enough to meet the required threshold or hazardous duty pay for service members who because of the stop movement are not on their expected orders.

Air Operations Centers are critical command and control nodes that typically involve a lot of people sitting close together in a confined space. So how does the Air Force maintain that mission while also protecting its personnel during a global pandemic? Air Force Magazine talked to three of the service's AOCs to see how they are tackling social distancing, COVID-19 prevention, and operational continuity.

F-22s, supported by a KC-135 Stratotanker and an E-3 Sentry, intercepted two Russian IL-38 maritime patrol aircraft near Alaska on April 8, the latest in a series of similar incidents in the region. The Raptors intercepted the Russian propeller-driven planes in the Bering Sea, north of the Aleutian Islands, and out of U.S. and Canadian sovereign airspace, according to a North American Aerospace Defense Command release. “This is the latest of several occasions in the past month in which we have intercepted Russian aircraft operating near Alaska and the approaches to our nations,” USAF Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, leader of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, said in the release.

The Air Force’s new combat rescue helicopter recently faced extreme temperatures and winds to prove the HH-60W Jolly Green II can be sustainable in any environment. The helicopter on April 2 finished a month-long test process at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in which it faced temperatures ranging from 120 degrees to negative 60 degrees Fahrenheit, along with 45 mph winds and rainfall, according to a base release. The recently named Jolly Green II is under production as part of a $7.1 billion program, with a planned buy of 112 helicopters to replace the current HH-60G Pave Hawk. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the second quarter of fiscal 2021.

Florida’s 45th Space Wing is aiming to keep as much regular order as possible as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, reviewing launch plans and hoping the virus remains at bay. Patrick Air Force Base and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aim to execute 49 military and commercial launches in 2020. While the Space Force is deciding whether to go forward with each event on a case-by-case basis, the Florida Space Coast has put eight rockets into orbit so far this year and expects it will stick to its overall plan for 49 launches, even if some launch dates shift. “I don’t see a ripple yet. I’m not saying that that can’t happen,” Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Doug Schiess said on an April 9 call with reporters. “If we were to have folks that were to get sick, not just us, if our launch providers or if something else were to happen, obviously that could push some launches into the next year.”

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.