A Senate Armed Services Committee hearing brought an interagency dispute over the future of spectrum management further into public view on May 6. SASC and the Defense Department are sparring with the Federal Communications Commission over its April approval of a Ligado Networks plan to build ground terminals for a broadband Internet network in the electromagnetic spectrum’s L-band, near the part of the spectrum occupied by GPS signals. For the FCC to reverse its decision, the Pentagon needs to go through a formal petition process with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to prompt the FCC to reconsider. DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy said he is talking to the NTIA and that DOD has until the end of the month to lodge its objection.

The Senate Armed Services Committee will hear from Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. to consider his nomination to be the service's 22nd Chief of Staff at 9:30 a.m. on May 7. If confirmed, Brown would become the first African-American Air Force Chief of Staff and replace Gen. David Goldfein, who has led the Air Force since July 2016.

The Air Force is seeking industry input on a new class of air-to-air missiles, which would be faster and longer-ranged than the AIM-120 and AIM-9X that currently equip its fighter fleet. It's not clear, though, how the new weapons would join a portfolio where there are several new missiles already underway—some of which seem to match the description available from industry already.

U.S. Transportation Command has about 30,000 service members and their families lined up and scheduled to move to another installation as part of a permanent change of station, and the Pentagon is requiring movers to meet new guidelines aimed at protecting troops and families from COVID-19. Since the first restriction of movement order came out in mid-March, TRANSCOM has conducted about 12,500 shipments of household goods for service members who received waivers to PCS, which is about 30 percent of the command’s typical volume. To keep moving families safe, Defense Secretary Mark Esper authorized new protocols requiring movers to abide by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for protection against the new coronavirus, including requiring face masks and screening movers for the virus.

The X-37B spaceplane will embark on its sixth mission from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on May 16, Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett said. The secretive, unmanned orbital test vehicle, which will launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, is notching new milestones as it matures. "This sixth mission is a big step for the X-37B program," said Randy Walden, who runs the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. "This will be the first X-37B mission to use a service module to host experiments. The incorporation of a service module on this mission enables us to continue to expand the capabilities of the spacecraft and host more experiments than any of the previous missions."

Defense Secretary Mark Esper acknowledged that heavy government spending on anti-Coronavirus efforts could suppress defense spending in coming years, and said the Pentagon will prioritize modernization programs over legacy systems if the budget flattens. There are "dozens" of legacy programs Esper said he would be willing to give up in order to preserve modernization efforts, though he didn't offer specifics. The Air Force has come under fire for just this approach, having offered up B-1 bombers, A-10 attack jets, and numerous aerial tankers for retirement in its fiscal 2021 budget, with the aim of using the resulting savings to develop the joint all-domain command and control system and other modernization programs.

USAF may soon update its initial Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training to better suit the demands of different Air Force Specialty Codes. The new program will incorporate preliminary distance learning so students can hit the ground running once they arrive at Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., the head of the 336th Training Group told Air Force Magazine.

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.