Radar Sweep
DOD to Examine Options for Hard and Deeply Buried Targets
While the Biden administration’s Nuclear Posture Review has proposed retiring the B83 megaton-capable gravity bomb, the Pentagon is to examine nuclear and conventional options against hard and deeply buried targets. The B83 has had “a diminishment of usefulness,” and the NPR “does point out that we need to do more work to make sure we can get after some of the hard and deeply buried targets,” said Richard Johnson, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and countering weapons of mass destruction policy.
Air Force Welcomes Public in a Water Cleanup Tour for PFAS
Tucked in around the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Mich., a mass water purification operation is taking place. And if you know where to look, one can spot the buildings that house wells and tanks sucking up water to purify the ground of a family of chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Recent upgrades mean the treatment system pulls water from the ground at a constant rate of 1,400 gallons per minute, which equals about 2 million gallons per day. To celebrate the upgrades, the Air Force hosted a site tour and PFAS Technical Workshop.
Satellite Images Show Air Base in Southern China Receiving Makeover
China is expanding an air base close to a key southern naval base with the addition of a second runway, widened taxiways, and two vastly expanded aircraft parking areas, satellite photos show. The imagery, provided by Planet Labs, also shows that one of the new expanded parking aprons at the air base at Suixi in Guangdong province has had markings for more than 40 small and large aircraft painted on it.
Air Force Acknowledges Improperly Releasing Congressional Candidate's Performance Review
A "junior individual" improperly released a Republican congressional candidate's Air Force records, an action that led to the public disclosure of her sexual assault, the service is acknowledging. "Based on the preliminary findings of an investigation, it appears information was released to a third party by a junior individual who didn't follow proper procedures and obtain required consent," Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said in a statement.
The US Military Is Still Struggling to Figure Out Social Media
While the Defense Department released a new social media policy just a few months ago, experts say the military doesn’t have a good enough understanding of the social media space, or the ability to work quickly, in order to be successful there. “You will not be able to win the wars of the future, whether it be against Russia and China or domestic actors seeking to aid them by aping their messages and undermining recruiting, if you can’t even figure out how to operate in the information space,” said Peter Singer, a strategist at New America and the co-author of “LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media.”
Republicans Push Back on Okinawa F-15 Withdrawal
Four key Republicans on Capitol Hill are questioning the Air Force’s decision to replace two permanent F-15C Eagle fighter squadrons in Okinawa with rotational forces. In a new letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, the lawmakers expressed concern about the plan and asked for a briefing on the decision to remove permanent forces from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.
Basing B-52s in Australia Would Keep Potential Adversaries Guessing, Expert Says
A plan to rotate U.S. B-52 bombers to Australia’s Northern Territory shows that the Pentagon has found a useful alternative to basing aircraft on Guam, according to security experts. Australian public broadcaster ABC reported the plan for dry-season bomber rotations at Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal. Basing bombers in Australia would disperse U.S. forces across the Indo-Pacific region, said Ian Chong, an associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.
Dramatic Video Shows Why Russian Helicopters Are Sitting Ducks in Ukraine
A new video showing a Russian Mi-8 helicopter being shot down by Ukrainian forces underscores how the Russians have failed to gain air superiority more than eight months after launching their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers with the 54th Mechanized Brigade posted a video on Telegram showing a Russian helicopter being hit by a missile in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
Space Force Funds Experiment on Use of AI to Predict Satellite Failures
RS21, a data science startup developing artificial intelligence tools for autonomous space operations, won a Space Force contract to research the use of AI to predict satellite failures in orbit. The company, based in Albuquerque, N.M., announced that it won a two-year Small Business Innovation Research Phase 3 contract worth $375,000 with options for over $1 million in additional work. The technology will be tested in an upcoming Space Test Program experiment.
'I Just Did What I Hope Anyone Else Would Do': Air Force Staff Sgt. Helps Rescue Motorcyclist
Sherry Hornik was on the way home from dinner with her son, Air Force Staff Sgt. Stephen Hornik, when they saw a crash between a car and a motorcycle. "I was screaming. We were watching a body that was flying into the air. He just put the car into park and just went running across the street," Sherry Hornik said.