The Air Force and the Army are undergoing an “extensive” review of lessons learned from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom to see how space-based capabilities could have been used differently or improved upon in Iraq and Afghanistan, Gen. Robert Kehler, commander of Air Force Space Command, said Tuesday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference. For example, he said, last year the Air Force repositioned its GPS satellites to provide better coverage to troops operating deep in the mountains of Afghanistan. That move is expected to be complete in the next 12 to 18 months. Kehler said it’s up to the Air Force to leverage existing capabilities to become smarter and more innovative. “Space and cyberspace will remain key components to how the US conducts its military operations in the future,” he said.
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.