JASSM

As Air Force Ramps Up JASSM, Work Begins on its Replacement

Even as it ramps up production of the Lockheed Martin AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, the Air Force is doing preliminary work on a successor, Air Force armament directorate boss Brig. Gen. Heath A. Collins told reporters this week. Collins also provided an update on a number of other Air Force munitions, saying work is proceeding on the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, used for dogfighting, which will succeed the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.
air force superintendents

Air Force Superintendents to Get New Titles

The Air Force is changing how it refers to the top enlisted Airmen in detachments, squadrons, and groups. Starting Oct. 1, Superintendents will instead be referred to as Senior Enlisted Leaders, or SELs, according to a memo from Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Joanne S. Bass.
airman killed kuwait

USAF Chief Master Sergeant Dies at Ali Al Salem

The superintendent of the 96th Force Support Squadron died in a non-combat-related incident at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, the Pentagon announced Aug. 5. Chief Master Sgt. Tresse Z. King, 54, of Raeford, N.C., died Aug. 3 while deployed as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. The incident is under investigation. She is the second Airman to die in a non-combat incident in the Middle East in recent months

Radar Sweep

Secretary Austin Approves Spectrum Superiority Strategy Implementation Plan

Breaking Defense

Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III signed off on the implementation plan for the department’s 2020 Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority Strategy, the Pentagon announced Aug. 5. The authorized plan marks a significant milestone toward modernizing a key capability to enabling practically every aspect of modern warfare—including the DOD’s Joint Warfighting Concept and All Domain Operations—and one which the U.S. has allowed to atrophy since the end of the Cold War, according to experts. The EMS enables a broad range of military capabilities, from communications, signals intelligence, and command and control to sensing, navigation, and targeting.

The Space Force Wants to Manage Acquisitions by Portfolio

C4ISRnet.com

The Space Force believes it could improve the way it develops space capabilities by thinking in terms of portfolios rather than developing each program of record independently. When asked about the need for acquisition reforms, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Shawn Barnes said the Space Force had enough flexibility in issuing contracts to do what it needs to do. However, he said the service could do better by thinking in terms of portfolios rather than single platforms.

SPONSORED: Pratt & Whitney Outlines Vision for Renewing the B-52

Pratt & Whitney

The Air Force has set an ambitious goal for the B-52 Stratofortress: Update the aircraft for the modern battlefield so the legendary bomber can continue flying combat missions at least 100 years after its first flight. Central to the Air Force’s plan are new engines, which should slash maintenance and fuel costs while delivering significantly improved mission performance and reliability. “There’s never been a better time to upgrade the B-52 with a modern commercial engine that will provide huge benefits to both the warfighter and the taxpayer,” said former B-52 pilot, retired Lt. Gen. Michael R. Moeller, who is now Vice President for military engines and integrated customer solutions at Pratt & Whitney.

Military Lands Aircraft on Closed Michigan Highway in Test of Agility

The Detroit News

The U.S. military shut down a state highway in northeast Michigan on Aug. 5 to test landing aircraft on civilian roads. The Michigan National Guard closed a portion of M-32 for five hours to perform the landing. Working with the Michigan Department of Transportation and local organizations, the Guard successfully landed four aircraft, including A-10s from Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township.

Mansfield, Ohio, Could Be Home to the Air National Guard's New Cyber Wing

Statehouse News Bureau

Ohio could be on the front lines in protecting national data infrastructure from cybercriminals. The Air National Guard is looking to launch a cyber wing, and an Ohio location is one of two being considered. Ohio National Guard Maj. Gen. John Harris says officials are assessing the viability of the Guard's base in Mansfield as the location for the Air National Guard’s first cyberspace wing. “It is a huge deal because, No. 1, it will be one of the first of its kind in the Air National Guard inventory, and secondly, that’s really where the emerging challenges are going to be for us as a nation in the future," Harris says.

OPINION: Sanctions Won’t Hurt Iran’s UAV Program

Defense One

“U.S. officials recently announced that they are considering sanctions against a supply chain that enables Iran’s unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, program. But sanctions are unlikely to be effective, and in fact, are almost beside the point. What is needed is a multilateral effort around ending Iran’s support of militias acting against internationally recognized governments,” writes Kirsten Fontenrose, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs.

Air Force General Nominated for New Job, Promotion

DOD release

The President nominated Air Force Maj. Gen. David J. Julazadeh for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as deputy chief of staff for capability development, Supreme Allied Command Transformation, Norfolk, Va.

Missile Defense Space Sensor Made by Northrop Grumman and Ball Aerospace Clears Design Review

Space News

A new sensor payload developed by Northrop Grumman Corp. and Ball Aerospace to detect missile launches has passed a critical design review, the companies announced Aug. 5. The payload is one of two being manufactured for the U.S. Space Force’s Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) geosynchronous satellites made by Lockheed Martin. A competing payload is being developed by Raytheon. Next-Gen OPIR is a planned constellation of early warning satellites that detect intercontinental and tactical ballistic missile launches.

One More Thing

Airman Advocates for Neurodiversity in the Military

Air Force release

Master Sgt. Shale Norwitz, an Airman assigned to the 5th Combat Communications Group, 688th Cyberspace Wing, is “on the [autism] spectrum, and that makes me good at being a strategic thinker and contributes to my innovation,” he said. “This is the stuff that makes us great, but it is something we need reinforcement on.” Norwitz said his neurodiversity allows him to objectively react during situations. He said that because of his ability to remove emotion from a situation, he is able to see a clear series of targets, tasks, and creative solutions whenever an issue arises.