A member of the Texas Air National Guard died of COVID-19-related issues, the first uniformed member of the Department of the Air Force and ninth service member overall to die of the disease. The Air National Guardsman has not been identified. The death was reported in a Defense Department tally of COVID-19 cases on Nov. 4. As of Nov. 5, there have been a total of 58,968 cases of COVID-19 reported among service members. The Air Force has reported 15,744 cases, which include Active Duty Air Force, Space Force, and Air Force Reserve Command personnel, along with civilians, dependents, and contractors. There are currently 32 USAF personnel hospitalized with the new coronavirus, according to statistics released Nov. 3.

Two dozen more companies have joined the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System effort to network its aircraft, sensors, and computer systems, the Pentagon said Nov. 4. Nearly 100 contractors are now part of that project, which offers hundreds of billions of dollars for technologies that can crunch combat information, share it across the force, and display it in new ways. The Air Force is casting a wide net to work with startups and other companies that don’t typically do business with DOD, and has started procuring some of their products for longer-term use.

One person was injured in a Nov. 5 fire at an explosives development laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the base announced. The fire broke out in the Air Force Research Laboratory’s High Explosive Research and Development Facility at about 11:30 a.m., and emergency services from the base’s 96th Test Wing were able to contain and clear the blaze. One person was taken to Fort Walton Beach Medical Center with an undisclosed injury, the base said in a statement. There is no detail on what caused the fire, which remains under investigation.

The number of U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan has increased despite ongoing peace talks with the Taliban aimed at ending the 19-year-old war. U.S. Forces-Afghanistan in October reported that airstrikes supporting Afghan forces on the ground have increased from the second to third quarter—a step that is permitted under the February agreement with the Taliban, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction quarterly report released Nov. 5. Enemy-initiated attacks in Afghanistan jumped 50 percent in the same period, from July to September, when compared to the previous quarter of April to June. If the Taliban violence continues at this “unacceptably high” rate, it would undermine the agreement, the DOD said.

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.