Twenty-fourth Air Force, USAF’s new cyber operations arm, has been cleared to commence initial operations, Air Force Space Command announced Monday. Gen. Robert Kehler, AFSPC boss, made the decision on Jan. 22 by certifying that the organization had achieved initial operational capability. This means that 24th AF, headquartered at Lackland AFB, Tex., is deemed capable of performing critical elements of its mission to operate and protect the Air Force’s portion of the US military’s cyber network and provide full-spectrum cyber capabilities to the joint force. “This is a big day for the United States Air Force,” said Kehler. Maj. Gen. Richard Webber, 24th AF commander, said “cyber mission assurance is a top priority of the Air Force” and his airmen are “well underway” toward that goal. As a prelude this milestone, the AFSPC inspector general evaluated 24th AF in December and rated it “ready” for the mission.
In the wake of a major Chinese military shakeup, the head of U.S. Space Command warned of China’s “breathtakingly fast” advances in space during visits to Japan and South Korea. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting’s trip to the Indo-Pacific is his first overseas visit since taking command of SPACECOM in January.