Air Force Now Planning First Flight of Pave Hawk Replacement for May

The first flight of the Air Force’s next generation combat rescue helicopter is now slated for May, as design flaws and other issues have pushed the program out of an accelerated schedule and back toward the original baseline schedule. Read the full story by Brian Everstine.

STRATCOM to Share Ops Responsibilities with US Space Command

Wherever the new US Space Command is headquartered, US Strategic Command will share the operational load to smooth the new organization’s launch. Gen. John Hyten, the head of STRATCOM, told senators this week that supporting SPACECOM will help avoid making the same mistakes that occurred when the space mission changed hands in the early 2000s. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

Military to Vet NC3 Enterprise Proposals

US Strategic Command boss Gen. John Hyten told lawmakers this week he received ideas from industry and academia on how to design a next generation nuclear command, control, and communications enterprise, and will vet them as an early step in the requirements-building process. He envisions a network of satellites, aircraft, software, and more that provides “nearly infinite” pathways to make NC3 information less vulnerable to adversaries. Read the full story by Rachel S. Cohen.

DOD, Defense Policy Board Look Toward 5G Technology

The Defense Policy Board, an independent advisory board of former government officials and experts, will hold a closed meeting March 13-14 to discuss security issues regarding the next generation 5G cellular technology. “Secure and resilient 5G telecommunications is vital to the security and prosperity of the United States, and DOD is working closely with our industrial and research partners to develop comprehensive and innovative solutions for both the department and commercial industries,” Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said in Tuesday statement. “The United States and our allies and partners must demand nothing less than robust, trusted, and secure next generation communications systems.” The US and other nations are looking to roll out 5G networks, though there are concerns about the use of widespread technology from Chinese manufacturing giant Huawei. The Defense Policy Board will hear testimony from officials including Gen. Paul Nakasone, the head of US Cyber Command, DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Easy, and the National Security Agency, among several others. Following the meeting, the board will provide a report to Undersecretary of Defense for Policy John Rood. —Brian Everstine

Air Warfare Symposium 2019

The Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium runs Feb. 27-March 1, in Orlando, Fla. The theme of this year’s conference is “Innovation: Future Force Faster.” “What we’re trying to capture here is, let’s take off the formality, and let’s really get innovative,” AFA President retired Gen. Larry Spencer told Air Force Magazine in a Feb. 22 interview previewing the event. Speakers will include USAF Secretary Heather Wilson, Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen “Seve” Wilson, Air Combat Command boss Gen. Mike Holmes, CMSAF Kaleth Wright, Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank judge Mark Cuban, Tony Ambrozie, the senior vice president of technology, engineering excellence at The Walt Disney Company, and more. The conference also will include the second-annual Spark Tank competition. See the full conference agenda and a detailed map of the exhibit floor, and if you can’t make it to Orlando, tune into sessions via the live stream. Track the conference on social media by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr, or by using #AWS19.