Defense One
The Defense Department continues to move forward with its Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) plan, with Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III signing the Joint Warfighting Concept document to enable the Joint Chiefs to better orient each service on the same page. But such a comprehensive system needs an all-encompassing cloud, and the Pentagon’s JEDI system, currently under contract to be made by Microsoft, may be imperiled by a lawsuit from Amazon Web Services.
The Hill
“We contend that the U.S. military has neglected its responsibility to develop in its ranks a professional military ethos focused on service members’ oath to the Constitution. The oath is not to any individual or organization, but rather to the democratic processes and civil liberties that our Founders enumerated in the Constitution. Improved education and training on the meaning of the oath would strengthen service members’ core commitment to the nation and bring into focus behaviors that deviate from the ideals that bind us together as Americans,” write USAF Maj. Kelly Atkinson, a member of the faculty advisory board for The Oath Project at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and retired Col. Marybeth Ulrich, co-founder of The Oath Project.
Defense News
Boeing’s MQ-25 Stingray completed the U.S. Navy’s first ever aerial refueling between a manned aircraft and an unmanned tanker June 4, successfully connecting and transferring fuel with a Navy F/A-18E-F Super Hornet at 10,000 feet. The MQ-25 operator was positioned in a ground control station and was in radio contact with the two F-18 pilots. More tests are scheduled throughout 2022 and 2023 in a series of more challenging conditions, altitudes, and situations.
Air Force Times
More than five years ago, the Defense Department lifted its ban on women serving in ground combat roles. But in the Air Force, there are still only a handful of women in such positions, with the Air Force Special Operations Command featuring just six in an operational force with 4,000 total Active-duty special warfare billets. Officials say there has been a lack of interest but are working on increasing recruitment and training.
Space News
The U.S. Space Force has awarded a $1 billion contract to Lockheed Martin to operate and maintain the ground control systems of the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS), part of the Defense Department’s missile warning network. The contract runs for five years and involves SBIRS’ geostationary satellites, run from operations centers at Buckley Space Force Base, Peterson Air Force Base, and Greeley Air National Guard Station, all in Colorado.
CBS News
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a case challenging the requirement under federal law that only males have to register for the draft when they become legal adults. The case was brought by an organization called the National Coalition for Men, who were represented by the ACLU, and the plaintiffs asked the court to review the constitutionality of the Military Selective Service Act’s male-only requirement, calling it sex discrimination. In a three-page opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Stephen Breyer and Brett Kavanaugh, seemed to express doubt that the law was in fact constitutional but cited the “Court's longstanding deference to Congress on matters of national defense and military affairs” in declining to take on the case.
The Drive
The U.S. Air Force uses the NT-43A aircraft to help develop and validate stealth technologies, but it is highly secretive and rarely seen. In newly unveiled photos from 2014, though, we get a glimpse of the heavily modified Boeing 737, often known by its callsign and nickname "RAT 55.” The 50-year-old airframe has some unusual features, presumably as part of its mission.
The Associated Press
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a bill June 7 confirming his country’s exit from the global treaty allowing surveillance flights over military facilities. U.S. President Joe Biden announced last month that America would also not re-enter the treaty after his predecessor, Donald Trump, initially withdrew from it in 2020. Trump cited violations of the treaty on Russia’s part as his reason for leaving the pact, and though Biden initially criticized the move, he reaffirmed it once in office. Biden and Putin are set to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16.
The Verge
The richest man on Earth is now set to leave it—for a couple of minutes at least. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos announced Monday that he will be taking part in the first commercial flight of Blue Origin, the spaceflight company he founded, in July. The brief flight is a first in the long-anticipated space tourism business and will include Bezos, his brother Jeff, and the highest bidder in a charity auction.
NPR
Rainbow flags signaling support of LGBTQ rights will still not be permitted to fly at U.S. military bases and installations, as the Defense Department reaffirmed its stance on the matter June 4, a few days after the start of Pride Month. The decision, announced by Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby, follows the department’s ruling last year that effectively barred the Confederate flag from flying at any military installation. Only the U.S. flag, the flags of U.S. states and territories, flags for military services, prisoners of war and missing in action, national flags of U.S. allies, and a handful of others flags are allowed to be flown.
Breaking Defense
Egypt’s recent agreement to purchase 30 new Rafale jets from France could lead to more deals and a strengthened partnership between the two countries, as the Egyptian government will “probably” buy more air force equipment from the French, according to a defense analyst. In particular, Egypt is looking to acquire satellites and a multi-role tanker transport to equip its air force with aerial refueling capabilities.
One More Thing
The Associated Press
Members of the German military are typically entitled to two cans of beer, or the equivalent, per day, but a commander in Afghanistan recently banned the consumption of alcohol for security reasons. What with U.S. and NATO forces continuing to withdraw from the country, that created a 22,600-liter surplus of beer, wine, and liquor that could not be sold or destroyed. Thankfully, a civilian contractor agreed to ship it all, including almost 60,000 cans of beer, back to Germany.
