JASSM-ER

Air Force Moving Toward Multi-Domain Munitions, Away From ‘Exquisite’ Types

The Air Force is moving away from weapons meant to strike specific types of targets and instead toward generic munitions with "swappable" payloads that can be used in a variety of ways, said Air Force Global Strike Command planner Maj. Gen. Jason R. Armogost. Other goals are to increase production numbers, reduce cost, and expand the types of targets that can be struck.
space force isr

ISR Missions for Space Force ‘Just Make a Lot of Sense,’ USECAF Says

While the Air Force is in the midst of a push to modernize its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms, it’s the Space Force that could wind up taking on more ISR missions in the years ahead, Undersecretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones hinted Nov. 30 during an AFA Air and Space Warfighters in Action symposium.
B. Chance Saltzman

Rendering ASATs Obsolete, Tweaking Missile Defenses in Light of Russian, Chinese Tests

Recent Russian and Chinese tests of space weapons are a "natural consequence of military behaviors," and the U.S. must now "mitigate this threat," the Space Force's operations chief said. “When you are behind, you look for ways to seek vulnerabilities of your adversary and your competitor so that you can regain the strategic advantage, and we’re seeing that play out,” Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman said during a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual event. “We’ve had an advantage for a long time. They’ve watched how we’ve prosecuted campaigns from Desert Storm and beyond, and they know that if they can take those capabilities away from us, that it can bring more parity to the strategic military environment.”

Biden to Nominate LaPlante to Succeed Lord as Pentagon Acquisition and Sustainment Chief

President Joe Biden will nominate former Air Force acquisitions chief William LaPlante to serve as the Defense Department's undersecretary for acquisition, one of the remaining vacancies at the Pentagon. LaPlante, who served in the Obama administration as assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics from 2014 to 2015, now serves as president and chief executive officer of Draper Laboratory, a nonprofit engineering company.

Radar Sweep

COVID-19 Testing Rules Change at Air Force Terminals Around the World

Air Force Times

People looking to hop on an Air Mobility Command flight to the United States must first comply with new coronavirus testing requirements. The rules affect U.S. troops, their families, and other affiliated employees who are traveling to the U.S. for business or pleasure. Changes kicked in earlier this month in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

OPINION: The Uncomfortable Reality of the US Army’s Role in a War Over Taiwan

War on the Rocks

“How exactly the U.S. military might defend Taiwan is still largely conjecture, but public discussions foreshadow a high-tech concept of warfare dominated by the Navy and Air Force, possibly with help from the Marine Corps. But is there a place for the Army too? Should there be? If so, what? These are uncomfortable questions because there is a good chance that the role U.S. decision-makers will ask the Army to play in this conflict is not what has been presented so far: lobbing missiles or ‘advising’ Taiwanese military units. Instead, troops may find themselves either defending the island from a Chinese invasion or even helping retake Taiwan after China (due to proximity and first-mover advantages) wins the initial high-tech struggle. Both of these roles are massive shifts for an insurgency-honed force, as well as expensive, bloody, and politically fraught—not to mention that they would represent a significant escalation in a crisis between two nuclear-armed states,” writes Jacquelyn Schneider, a Hoover fellow at Stanford University and an affiliate at Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation.

Ellsworth Command Chief Removed by Base Commander

Rapid City Journal

The commander of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., announced Monday he has removed Chief Master Sgt. Justin Deisch from his position as the wing's command chief for "behavior that demonstrated a lack of respect, judgement and professionalism expected of a senior non-commissioned officer." Base commander Col. Joseph Sheffield said, “Inappropriate conduct undermines standards of good order and discipline. Based on the results of a thorough investigation, Chief Deisch’s removal was necessary to uphold these high standards.”

Aircraft Propulsion: The Power of Modern Propulsion

Air Force Magazine

The engines that power the Air Force are the best in the world. But as technology continues to evolve, new improvements promise greater power, range, and other capabilities. Read the latest on advances in aircraft engines and propulsion technology.

Subscription Required

US in Hypersonic 'Arms Race' with China, Air Force Secretary Says

Reuters

The United States and China are engaged in an arms race to develop the most lethal hypersonic weapons, the U.S. Air Force secretary said Tuesday, as Beijing and Washington build and test more and more of the high-speed next-generation arms. "There is an arms race, not necessarily for increased numbers, but for increased quality," Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told Reuters during an interview in his Pentagon offices. "It's an arms race that has been going on for quite some time. The Chinese have been at it very aggressively."

Air Force Starts Rolling Admission for Eglin Wide Agile Acquisition Contract

Govconwire.com

The Air Force is seeking proposals for the first on-ramp of a multiyear engineering and analytics support contract managed by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. EWAAC is a potential $46 billion contract that covers digital and model-based systems engineering, agile processes, open-systems architecture, and weapons and enterprise analytics in support of Eglin and its mission partners.

Senators Urge Biden Administration to Act on Space Debris

SpacePolicyOnline.com

The bipartisan leaders of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee have sent letters to Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo urging them to step up efforts to address the threat from space debris. Russia’s recent anti-satellite test created more than 1,500 new pieces of trackable debris, underscoring the need to find ways to maintain the long-term sustainability of the space environment, they said.

One More Thing

AFRL’s Drone Killer, THOR, Wins Popular Science ‘Best of’ Award

AFRL release

The Air Force Research Laboratory is celebrating the success of its counter-drone weapon, the Tactical High-power Operational Responder (THOR), after being named Popular Science's “Best of What’s New” in the security category. Each year, Popular Science reviews thousands of new products and innovations to choose the top 100 winners across 10 categories. To win, the technology must represent a significant advancement in its category.