Ellsworth Runway Reopens After B-1 Crash Wreckage Moved

After a month-long closure, the runway at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., has reopened and a B-1 bomber that crashed there has been cleared, a 28th Bomb Wing spokesman said Feb. 6. Meanwhile, some of the B-1s that left the base to train and operate elsewhere have returned, with the entire contingent expected back by the end of the week.

Cannon Program Brings Needed Medical Specialists To Rural Base

A new program at rural Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. brings in medical specialists who can’t be found nearby. Since the “Circuit Rider” program stood up in October, specialists have come in from as far as Alaska to spare Airmen and their families long trips off-base for consultations and treatments.

Radar Sweep

Pentagon Believes It Has Identified Problem Behind Osprey Crash That Killed 8 Air Force Crew Members

The Associated Press

The Pentagon believes it has identified the mechanical failure that led to a fatal crash of an Osprey aircraft in Japan and the grounding of the fleet for two months, a U.S. defense official told The Associated Press. It is now weighing how the aircraft can be returned to service. The Pentagon’s Joint Safety Council is now working with the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps on their plans to get Osprey crews ready to fly again, said Navy Rear Adm. Chris Engdahl, chairman of the council and commander of Naval Safety Command.

Drone That Killed US Troops in Jordan Likely Went Undetected

The Washington Post

U.S. forces probably did not detect the approach of the Iranian-made drone that killed three American soldiers last week at a remote base in Jordan, and there was no air defense system on site capable of shooting it down, the military’s initial assessment of the attack has found. The early findings, which have not been previously reported, indicate that the drone may have been missed “due to its low flight path,” a U.S. defense official with direct knowledge of the assessment told The Washington Post. Additionally, this person said, the base, known as Tower 22, was not outfitted with weapons that can “kill” aerial threats like drones, and instead relied on electronic warfare systems designed to disable them or disrupt their path to a target.

House Advances Arms Sales Bill Supported by Defense Industry

Defense News

The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Feb. 6 narrowly advanced 26-20 an arms sale bill largely along party lines that has pitted defense industry groups against arms control advocates. Despite the near party-line vote, the legislation emerged from a bipartisan taskforce meant to address substantial U.S. foreign military sales delays across the board, including to Taiwan.

All Pentagon Contracts Should Secure Data Rights, Says Advisory Board

Defense One

Congress should require all Pentagon contracts to secure data rights from the vendor, the Defense Innovation Board says. “The current state of data access within DOD vendor agreements is fragmented and inconsistent,” the advisory board wrote in its most recent report, which includes suggested legislative text for the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act that would "enshrine DOD data access and rights in all vendor agreements.”

Space VCs Urge Startups to Pursue Government Contracts But Stay Focused on Commercial Success

SpaceNews

Space technology startups should carefully weigh the risks and rewards when bidding on Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) government contracts, a venture investor said Feb. 6 at the SmallSat Symposium in Mountain View, Calif. The SBIR program provides crucial early funding for young firms, and can be a lifeline for many space entrepreneurs when they’re just getting off the ground.

CMV-22B Osprey ‘Not Operationally Suitable’ According to Test Report

The War Zone

Even before the entire fleet of V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft was grounded following a fatal crash of an Air Force Osprey off the coast of Japan in November, the Navy’s version was experiencing serious issues that limited its ability to fully perform its assigned missions. Those findings by the Pentagon’s top testing office come even though the Navy’s former air boss called the CMV-22B a “game changer” after its first operational deployment in 2022.

After Jordan Attack, Pentagon Weighs Options to Bolster Base Security

Military Times

There are no plans to move troops out of Jordan, a Pentagon spokeswoman told reporters Feb. 5, and U.S. Central Command continues to investigate how an Iran-backed militia’s drone was able to evade detection and detonate above a housing building at Tower 22, killing three U.S. soldiers and wounding dozens more on Jan. 28. While troops are more than likely to stay put at the remote outpost on the Syrian border, officials are mulling options for upgrading air defenses at Tower 22 and other small outposts across the Middle East.

Austin Agrees to Testify at House Hearing on His Secret Hospitalization

POLITICO

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will appear at a House Armed Services hearing this month to face questions over his decision to hide his recent hospitalization from top national security officials. The Pentagon chief has agreed to testify on Feb. 29, according to Armed Services spokesperson Justine Tripathi.

One More Thing

Air Force Academy Cadet Wins National Skydiving Award

The Gazette

When Brock Holmgreen first arrived at the Air Force Academy, a single tandem jump—a gift from his parents when he turned 18—was the sum total of his skydiving experience. Less than four years later, Holmgreen, a senior, is a collegiate skydiving champion and a core member of the Academy’s Wings of Blue parachute team.