The Space Force is continuing its delta theme with a triangular new logo unveiled July 22. The silver, arrowhead-like delta symbol honors the heritage of the Air Force and Air Force Space Command, the predecessor to the Space Force, according to a USSF release. “The silver outer border of the delta signifies defense and protection from all adversaries and threats emanating from the space domain. The black area inside embodies the vast darkness of deep space,” the Space Force said. “Inside the delta, the two spires represent the action of a rocket launching into the outer atmosphere in support of the central role of the Space Force in defending the space domain.”

House lawmakers hammered Lockheed Martin for persistent problems in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter enterprise during a July 22 hearing, as the defense giant declined to promise it would fully reimburse the Pentagon for defective equipment files. At issue are electronic equipment logs, which act as digital medical records to show the history of the most crucial F-35 parts throughout their lifespans. The files help track when a part will fail, what parts are compatible with which planes, and more. Lockheed is trying to use logs only for 400 parts that need them, down from 1,000 parts that use them now, and grow the number of parts delivered with complete histories.

The U.S. will hand over control of bases in Iraq and is likely to reduce its overall troop level within the country as progress against the remnants of the Islamic State group continues, a senior official with the American-led coalition said. USAF Maj. Gen. Kenneth P. Ekman, the deputy commander of Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, told reporters via videoconference July 22 the group’s military, logistics, and media power is a “shadow of what it used to be.” While the group still has fighters largely hiding out in the mountains and caves of Iraq and Syria, it “does not, and cannot, control terrain,” Ekman said. While ISIS will likely never be fully eradicated, the coalition’s focus is limiting the group’s influence as much as possible, and ensuring it is not more than a “low-level insurgency,” he said.

USAF F-16s, KC-135s, MC-130Js, and MQ-9s linked up with U.S. Navy aircraft and ships as well as support from U.S. Space Command during a large-scale exercise in the Black Sea on July 22. The mission in Eastern Europe, with Russia watching, “was designed to train U.S. forces to integrate, operate, and communicate while executing all-domain operations,” U.S. Air Forces in Europe said in a release. The same day, the Russian Ministry of Defense posted a video claiming to show an intercept of a P-8 in the Black Sea region, adding its forces also identified a U.S. U-2 and a German P-3. USAFE said in a statement that no USAF aircraft came in contact with any Russian aircraft on July 22.

Rolls-Royce formally entered the competition to re-engine the B-52 as expected, offering its F130 engine already in use in some USAF aircraft to power the bomber. The Air Force on May 19 issued its request for proposals for the B-52 Commercial Engine Replacement Program, with responses due on July 22 and a contract award expected in June 2021. In addition to Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation and Raytheon Technologies’ Pratt & Whitney will compete for the award. The service wants to buy 608 engines for 76 B-52s to keep the bomber flying through 2050.

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.