20 minute read
Week in photos
Photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Foster
U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Javier Ortega, 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, fuels a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft at MacDill Air Force Base Nov. 28. The KC-135 is designed to hold 150,000 pounds of global aerial refueling power to all 33 mission partners at MacDill.
Photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Foster
U.S. Air Force Col. Adam Bingham, 6th Air Refueling Wing commander, receives his influenza vaccine at MacDill Air Force Base Nov. 30. The 6th MDG provides all MacDill personnel vaccinations to ensure their health and wellness.
Photo by Airman 1st Class Zachary Foster
U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Jeremey Keller, 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, teaches panel replacement to junior enlisted personnel at MacDill Air Force Base Nov. 28. The 6th AMXS utilizes every learning opportunity for junior enlisted personnel to advance their craft.
From Page 3 men submitted 235 ideas on wide-ranging topics designed to improve maintenance, operations, communications, medical and support activities. Originating from enlisted and officer intrapreneurs, ideas came from almost every major and field command. Air Combat Command led the way with 44 submissions. New this year, and in support of the DAF’s digital transformation culture shift initiative, ST23 launched with a goal of 100% digital execution. The program accomplished this by leveraging GAIN’s smart technology operating platform to streamline campaign communications between coordinators, moderators and intrapreneurs. Then, to ensure the fastest and most asynchronous coordination, the campaign management team created a Microsoft Teams collaboration forum for internal communications. “The combination of Spark Tank operations’ digital workflows provided real-time updates, reduced the risk of outdated campaign or idea information, prevented locking data in email messages, and significantly reduced the coordination time gap between identifying concerns and devising solutions,” said Crystal Ortiz, SAF/MG Spark Tank operations action officer. This year, Guardians and Airmen participated in dual peer review phases leveraging GAIN’s PairWise and TokenVoting technology. “These techniques allowed us to review each idea and vote on which were the most deserving to move forward,” said Aaron Beebe, AFWERX Spark Cell program manager and Spark Tank production manager. “The net result of peer review phases was that 35 distinct ideas emerged with clear support,” Beebe added. “Of those, we saw trends around adopting emerging technology to solve emerging problems and a reoccurring need for finding better tools to improve existing techniques and workflows.” Last year, Spark Tank created a new Just Do It, or JDI, category. The team extended that concept this year by identifying a list of high fidelity, simple ideas. While no longer in the competition for financial support, all JDIs are tracked to ensure the concepts are vetted by the owning DAF headquarters functional owner, the lead command responsible for the capability and its sustainment, and the capability delivery teams or program offices who must coordinate on and approve program kit, Ortiz said. Like in ST22, 10 innovations this year were designated as JDI that will challenge the velocity the Spark Tank program can accelerate change at scale. The top 15 ideas will be pitched Dec. 7, at the ST23 semifinals, an event co-chaired by the vice chief of staff of the Air Force and the vice chief of Space Operations, U.S. Space Force. The finals will be held during the 2023 Air and Space Forces Association’s Warfare Symposium, March 8, 2023, in Aurora, Colorado. The 2023 Spark Tank quarterfinalists are: Note: An asterisk (*) denotes selection as a semifinalist and a double asterisk (**) indicates JDI ideas. No asterisk indicates the idea did not advance to the semifinals. - *Accelerate the Killchain - “Spinning the Killweb.” - *Accelerated Development of Multi-Capable Airmen. - *Agile Content Evolution and Deployment. - *Advanced Maintenance & Troubleshooting Suite. - Air Force Materiel Command Test Aircraft Problem - VR “Just in Time.” - *Airspace Optimization Application. - *Astro Psychiatric Artificial Intelligence. - *B-52 Nuclear Arming Components: Mobile Shielded Coding Enclosure. - Base Comm Out Back Up Plan. - **Boom Cover Removal and Installation Tool. - Contested Degraded Environment Comm Suite. - **ELIMINATING “GHOSTS” FROM RESERVE UNITS - Enterprise Analytics Platform. - **Fighting Falcon F-16 Horizontal Stabilizer Training Aid - Foreign Object Damage. - Improving Training Program with Learning Management System.
See SPARK TANK, Page 8
Pease ANG crew flies recordbreaking endurance mission
by Senior Master Sgt. Timm Huffman
157th Air Refueling Wing
PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. (AFNS)—In a feat of air mobility endurance, a KC-46A Pegasus from the 157th Air Refueling Wing flew a non-stop mission halfway around the globe and back, Nov. 16 to 17.
The point-to-point, 36-hour, 16,000-mile, multi-crew, total force sortie was the longest such mission in the history of Air Mobility Command, the active duty major command to which the 157th ARW is aligned.
Gen. Mike Minihan, AMC commander, has relentlessly driven the command to find new ways to employ current assets in anticipation of a future fight.
“This extended mission is yet another example of capable Airmen taking charge and moving out to accelerate our employment of the KC46A,” Minihan said. “This total force mission boldly highlights the imperative to think differently, change the way we do business, and pro-
See RECORD, Page 17
Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Timm Huffman
Lt. Col. Greg Van Splunder, Lt. Col. Brandon Stock and Tech. Sgt. Matt Rogers, all from the 157th Air Refueling Wing, Pease Air National Guard Base, New Hampshire Air National Guard, guide their KC-46A Pegasus as it receives fuel from another Pease ANG KC-46A during a 36-hour endurance mission, Nov. 16.
From Page 6 - **In-house Automated Solar Powered Camera Cleaning System. - **Infiniguard Corrosion Prevention Solution. - *Infrastructure in an AR World. - **Medium Reach Articulating Staircase Type II MX Stand “B7” Safety Step. - *Mercury West - Emulated Signal/Target Training Network. - *OpsLab Automated Scheduling. - *Project Kinetic Cargo Sustainment. - *Project OREGON TRAIL. - **Project Patient Airlift (formerly Stanchion Litter System). - *Real-time Asset Management System. - **Robotics Universal Remote. - *Space Bot - AI Platform for Space. - **Space Force Crew Scheduler. - Tactical Ballistic Applied Geolocation System. - The Next Revolution in Maintenance Information Systems. - **Transformed Entry Authorization List System. - Turbo Requirements Generator. - *Vital Beacon for Personnel Recovery. - Wearable Edge Compute for Artificial Intelligence Aided Target Development. About SAF/MG SAF/MG is responsible for the overall supervision of matters pertaining to Air Force and Space Force performance management of an approximately 700,000-member workforce organized into 160 occupational specialties working at over 200 locations worldwide. Serving as the DAF deputy chief management officer, chief risk officer, performance improvement officer, and category management accountable official, SAF/MG represents the secretary or undersecretary at Department of Defense performance management forums and the Office of Management and Budget Category Management Leadership Council. This secretariat office is responsible for providing direction and policy regarding DAF performance and risk management using performance goals and metrics; developing and implementing Continuous Improvement and Innovation policy, education and training programs; building and managing productivity investment management systems for tracking effectiveness of CI2-based changes; and support service requirements, including execution of program action directive and program guidance letter processes. As director of business management, SAF/ MG leads the DAF’s Office of Business Transformation in accordance with U.S. law and related DOD policies. This role provides Secretariat representation for the Business Mission Area Council overseeing Defense Business Systems performance within the DAF, assures information technology investment planning, control, and data management practices are consistent with DOD and DAF strategic plans and guidance, and certifies all covered systems’ technical complexity, implementation planning and auditability.
See SPARK TANK, Page 13
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PhotobyAirman1stClassJoshuaM.Carroll
AcoveredNorthropGrummanB-21RaiderisdisplayedduringapracticeunveilingceremonyatNorthropGrumman’smanufacturingfacilityonAirForcePlant 42inPalmdale,California,Dec.1.TheB-21willbealong-range,highlysurvivable,penetratingstrikestealthbombercapableofdeliveringbothconventional andnuclearmunitions.
bySecretaryof the Air ForcePublicAffairs
PALMDALE,Calif. (AFNS)—Inatangibledisplay ofthenation’s resolvein meetingsecuritythreats, the U.S. Air Force, onDec. 2,publiclyunveiledthe B-21Raider, thefirstnew, long-rangestrikebomberinagenerationandan aircraftspecificallydesignedtobethemultifunctionalbackboneofthemodernizedbomberfleet.
WhiletheB-21isn’texpectedtobeoperationalandintroducedintoservice forseveralmoreyears, theformalunveilingceremonyhostedbyNorthrop GrummanCorporationatitsproductionfacilitiesinCaliforniaisasignificantmilestoneintheAir Force’s efforttomodernizecombatcapabilities. The B-21isdesignedtobeamorecapableandadaptable, state-of-the-artaircraft thatwillgraduallyreplaceagingB-1LancerandB-2Spiritbombersnowin service.
Accordingtodesignrequirements, theB-21isalong-range, highlysurvivablestealthbombercapableofdeliveringamixofconventionalandnuclear munitions. Theaircraftwillplayamajorrolesupportingnationalsecurity objectivesandassuring U.S. alliesandpartnersacrossthe globe.
SeniordefenseofficialsnotethattheNationalDefenseStrategyandother analysesmake clear the needfortheB-21 and itscapabilities.
“TheB-21Raideristhefirststrategicbomberinmorethanthreedecades,” SecretaryofDefenseLloyd J. Austinsaidduringtheceremony. “ItisatestamenttoAmerica’senduringadvantagesiningenuityandinnovation.Andit’ proofoftheDepartment’slong-termcommitmenttobuildingadvanced bilitiesthatwillfortifyAmerica’sabilitytodeteraggression,todayandinto thefuture.”
TheB-21,Austinsaid, “is deterrencetheAmerican way. …Thisisn’tjust anotherairplane. It’snotjustanotheracquisition. …It’stheembodimentof America’s determinationtodefendtherepublicthatwealllove. It’satestamenttoourstrategyofdeterrence—withthecapabilitiestobackitup, timeandeverywhere.”
Theworldanditsthreatshave changeddramaticallysincethelastnew bomber wasintroducedin1988,ashasthe waytheAir Force, other U.S. taryservicesandalliesworktogetherasajoint,multi-domainforce. defenseofficialssaythatnewthinkingandinnovationareneededtomeetthe newandemergingthreats.
“Thatinnovativespiritissittingbehindusrightnow,” Air ForceChiefof StaffGen.CQBrown, Jr.,toldreportersshortlybeforetheplane wa veiled.
“Youthinkaboutwhatwe’reabletodointheamountoftimewiththe workforceherefromNorthropGrumman,thecollaborationwiththeUnited StatesAir Forcetobringinacapabilityusingadigitalapproachwhichisnew anddifferentfromanythingwe’ve doneanymajorprogram,that’spartofthe Raiderspirit,” hesaid.
PhotobyAirman1stClassJoshuaM.Carroll
(Above)AdamWhite,2dAudiovisualSquadron,producer/directorchecksacameraatNorthropGrumman’s manufacturingfacilityonAirForcePlant42inPalmdale, California,Dec.1.TheB-21willbealong-range,highly survivable,penetratingstrikestealthbombercapableof deliveringbothconventionalandnuclearmunitions.
(Left)U.S.DepartmentofDefenseandAirForceleaderswaitduringtheB-21Raiderunveilingceremony atNorthropGrumman’smanufacturingfacilityonAir ForcePlant42inPalmdale,California,Dec.2.TheB-21 isdesignedwithanOpenSystemsArchitecturethatwill allowforrapidfuturecapabilityintegrationtokeeppace inhighly-contestedthreatenvironments.
From Page 10
The B-21 is the first new bomber to be introduced since the end of the Cold War. Air Force officials envision an ultimate fleet of at least 100 aircraft with an average procurement unit cost requirement of $692 million (base year 2022 dollars).
“When I think about accelerate change, this is exactly what it means to be able to bring this kind of capability very quickly and be able to adapt it vis-à-vis the threat,” Brown said in his meeting with reporters. “And so today, I’m really excited that we bring the B-21 Raider into the future. It’ll be the backbone of our bomber fleet.”
The aircraft is designed with updated stealth qualities and mission flexibility that senior leaders in the Air Force and across the Department of Defense say are necessary to achieve the U.S. goal of achieving integrated deterrence, and if necessary, capabilities required to successfully respond to aggression anywhere in the world at any time.
The specific B-21 unveiled Dec. 2 is one of six under production. Each is considered a test aircraft, but each is being built on the same production line, using the same tools, processes, and technicians who will build production aircraft. This approach has enabled production engineers and technicians to capture lessons learned and apply them directly to follow-on aircraft, driving home a focus on repeatability, producibility and quality.
The timing for first flight will be data and event, not date driven.
While the precise date when the B-21 will enter service is unknown, basing decisions have been made. Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota will become the first Main Operating Base and formal training unit for the B-21. Whiteman AFB, Missouri, and Dyess AFB, Texas, are the preferred locations for the remaining home bases. Each will receive aircraft as they become available.
In addition to building a bomber with state-of-the-art technology and capabilities, Air Force officials emphasized the focus on containing costs while simultaneously allowing for maximum flexibility.
For example, the B-21 is designed with an open systems architecture that will enable rapid future capability integration to keep pace with the highly contested threat environment.
The B-21 design is based on firm requirements with existing and mature technology to control program costs. In fact, the plane’s prime contractor, Northrop Grumman, has been directed to use production processes, production tooling, and a production workforce that ensures sustained and seamless production while avoiding unnecessary costs.
“Leveraging innovative manufacturing techniques, open systems architectures and active management allows us to integrate new technology as it matures and ensures the B-21 can adapt to future threats and be successful when and where we need it,” Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Andrew P. Hunter, said.
From Page 8
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 11,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit: https://afresearchlab.com/. About AFWERX AFWERX is an Air Force Research Laboratory Directorate that connects innovators across government, industry and academia. Through innovation and collaboration with our nation’s top subject-matter experts, AFWERX harnesses the power of ingenuity of internal talent while expanding technology, talent and transition partnerships for rapid and affordable commercial and military capability. Additional information is available at https:// www.afwerx.com/.
From Page 2
The official noted that as part of this, there is a trend of more coercive military behavior by China. “We’ve seen more coercive and aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific region, including some of which we would highlight as being dangerous,” he said. This includes PLA ships and aircraft demonstrating unsafe and unprofessional behavior.
Spotlight: Focus on Indo-Pacific
He noted that Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III specifically mentioned this in his meeting with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers meeting in Cambodia last week.
Another element of China’s strategy is strengthening the PLA’s strategic deterrence capabilities. China defines this element broadly to include nuclear, space, cyber, electronic warfare, counterspace capabilities and more.
The official said the United States assesses that China has more than 400 operational nuclear warheads in its stockpile now. If this modernization effort continues, the Chinese could field about 1,500 warheads by 2035, he said.
The report also examines China’s “intensified” diplomatic, economic, political and military pressure against Taiwan. As part of this, the report also covers China’s efforts to conflate the U.S.’s One China Policy with the PRC’s own One China Principle. Chinese leaders do this to “erroneously portray broad international support for the PRC’s claims over Taiwan, and attempts to legitimize PRC coercive actions against Taiwan,” the official said.
The report is primarily a discussion of the military aspects of China, and it offers new insights on how the PLA views the future of warfare. “The PLA refers to ‘systems destruction warfare’ as the next way of war,” the official said. “They’ve also begun discussing a new operational concept for them: what they call a core operational concept … called multidomain precision warfare.”
This new concept is intended to help identify key vulnerabilities in an adversary’s operational system, and then to launch precision strikes against those vulnerabilities, he said. These could be kinetic or non-kinetic. “Basically, it’s a way that they’re thinking about looking across domains to identify vulnerabilities in an adversary’s operational system and then to exploit those to cause its collapse,” the official said.
Photo by Chad McNeeley
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III meets with Gen. Wei Fenghe, China’s defense minister, while attending the Association of Southeast Asia Nations’ meeting of defense ministers in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Nov. 22
See CHINA, Page 18
From Page 7 vide options to the joint force.”
Leaving from the east coast of the U.S. on a cold and rain-soaked morning, the crew flew west across the country and out into the Pacific Ocean. After overflying Hawaii, the crew flew across the International Dateline to Guam, before turning around and retracing their steps home to New Hampshire, where they landed on the evening of Nov. 17; 36-hours to the minute after they launched.
Maj. Bill Daley, the mission’s aircraft commander and a traditional member of the New Hampshire Air National Guard, said the flight demonstrated the aircraft’s abilities to project and connect the joint force through its capacity for endurance, aircrew sustainment, refueling, situational awareness and connectivity, and airborne mission planning.
The KC-46A provides strategic flexibility to the Air Force through its unique blend of persistence and presence. It takes a continuous supply of fuel to stay aloft for hours on end. Since every KC-46A can itself be refueled in flight, each aircraft can persist in operations areas to provide sustained support to armed aircraft. The endurance mission put these capabilities on display, taking on fuel three times throughout the flight and delivering gas to F-22 Raptors while flying a closed-loop pattern off the coast of Hawaii.
The crew also leveraged the KC-46A’s secure and unclassified networks and situational awareness systems, which allow for a broad array of future uses. The platform’s situational awareness capabilities enable its protection in contested environments.
It takes more than gas to stay in the air — the crew must also be sustained, and this was another refueling barrier tested and shattered on the mission. Taking turns at the stick were two aircrews from the New Hampshire ANG’s 133rd Air Refueling Squadron and one active-duty crew from the affiliated 64th ARS. While one crew flew, the other two rested, taking advantage of the modern amenities provided by the jet.
According to Daley, earlier generations of refuelers lacked the basics needed to sustain crews for long-duration, multi-day missions. He said the old jets were incredibly uncomfortable and could go from hot to cold, contributing to crew fatigue. The Pegasus is a stark contrast to this.
“It’s like flying with first-class service,” Daley said, who is a civilian airline pilot when not flying for the Guard.
The KC-46A is climate controlled and comes equipped with kitchen, crew bunks and a lavatory. The configurability of the cargo area also allows for the placement of airline-style seats and additional sleeping areas to accommodate larger crews. For the endurance mission, a palletized kitchen and lavatory was also added to support the crew of 16 that included boom operators, aircraft maintainers, and a flight surgeon.
To pass the long hours when not on duty, the crew, spent time reading, watching movies, preparing meals, and sleeping in cots spread out through the cargo area.
Master Sgt. Michael Windy, a 133rd ARS boom operator who had nearly 3,000 hours of flight time on the KC-135 before converting to the KC-46, agreed with Daley on the increased comfort levels on the new aircraft that make missions like this one possible. With only a few hours remaining in the endurance sortie, Windy said he felt rested and comfortable.
“I was on the 22-hour sortie we flew to Saipan a few months ago, so I already had an idea of what to expect,” Windy said, who worked hard to keep the rest of the crew comfortable and fed. “I really haven’t noticed that much of a difference in how I feel.”
Senior Airman Paige Dunleavy, a 157th ARW avionics technician, said this was her first trip with a crew.
“The joke is that my first TDY is to Pease,” she said of the unusual point-to-point mission.
As a newer Airman who is in upgrade training, it was an excellent opportunity to see first-hand how the crew uses the systems she maintains.
“I definitely learned things and it was the first time I was able to troubleshoot a system in flight,” she said, indicating the civilian satellite communications system reboot she and another avionics technician were called on to execute when it was giving the aircrew problems.
Near the end of the mission, Dunleavy reported feeling normal overall, though she added that the hiker in her was excited to get back to
See RECORD, Page 18
From Page 15
The report also addresses topics that illuminate the strategic thinking of Chinese leaders in strategic stability, China’s views on information and information dominance, and what the PLA is thinking about expanded military diplomacy, the official said.
One key theme is China “wants its economic and political and social and military and security developments to be coordinated and mutually reinforcing, and to support the ambitious objectives that Xi Jinping has laid out for national rejuvenation by 2049,” the official said. The report looks at China’s military modernization and defense strategy, but also looks at elements of China’s economic policy and foreign policy, “and how these all kind of fit together with the military and defense modernization in pursuit of its regional and global ambitions,” the official said.
Specifically, this addresses China’s military-civil fusion development strategy. The report says Beijing seeks to develop and acquire advanced dual-use technology for its military, while also serving a broader purpose to strengthen all of the PRC’s instruments of national power.
China is also growing its national industrial and technological base. “in terms of kind of broader defense ambitions, the PRC has a strategy that entails strengthening and adapting its armed forces to what it views as kind of long-term trends and global military affairs,” the official said. “As an outcome of the 20th Party Congress [in October], Beijing is focusing on intensifying and accelerating the PLA’s modernization goals over the next five years, including strengthening what they refer to as its system of strategic deterrence.”
The report details China’s regional and global ambitions. “As we noted in last year’s report, Xi Jinping and the PRC leadership are determined that the armed forces should take a more active role in advancing the PRC’s foreign policy goals globally,” the official said.
The Chinese military is pursuing overseas bases and logistics facilities. This would allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at much greater distances from its borders.
The report stresses that there is a potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation. “That kind of emphasizes the importance of effective and timely communications between the Department of Defense and the PLA,” the official said. “Strategic competition — even as strategic competition intensifies — doesn’t mean that confrontation or conflict is inevitable or unavoidable. And we’ve been clear that we’re committed to responsibly managing the competition with the PRC to try to ensure that it doesn’t veer into conflict unnecessarily.”
RECORD
From Page 17 the ground after flying over the Grand Canyon on the return leg of the trip.
Maj. Heidi MacVittie, a Pease ANG base flight surgeon, served as a human performance monitor aboard the flight and collected quantitative data throughout the mission. This data, along with that collected during the wing’s recent 20-hour mission, will be used to inform decision making for similar missions in the future.
“This mission was a true example of total force integration,” said Lt. Col. Brian Carloni, the 157th Operations Group commander. “The expertise of both our Guard and active-duty Airmen in executing this mission, demonstrated how critical teamwork is in any wartime scenario.”
Daley said the success was due to more than the total force crew aboard the jet. The mission, which came nearly two months to the day after Minihan approved the KC-46A for worldwide deployments—including combat missions—was the result of the hard work and dedication of the whole wing over multiple years and ultimately demonstrated the strength they bring to the fight.
“We have a healthy fleet and demonstrated full mission-readiness with onload and offload capabilities. We could execute tomorrow if we had to,” he said.
