ARRW Flying Soon | US Sanctions Turkey | COVID-19 Vaccine Support

Dec. 15, 2020

Edited by Rachel S. Cohen with Brian W. Everstine and Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper (shown on the computer screen in the foreground) appears in conversation with Air Force Association President and retired USAF Lt. Gen. Bruce "Orville" Wright (shown in the background) during the virtual Doolittle Leadership Center Forum held on Dec. 14, 2020. Staff photo by Mike Tsukamoto.

Roper: ARRW Hypersonic Missile Will Fly This Month

By Brian W. Everstine

The Air Force will flight test the U.S. military’s first hypersonic missile this month, Air Force acquisition boss Will Roper said Dec. 14 at the inaugural Doolittle Leadership Center Forum. Speaking on the theme of “From Acquisition to Lethality,” Roper also described progress on the Advanced Battle Management System, AFWERX, and AFVentures. The forum was produced in partnership with AFA’s Wright Memorial Chapter.

US Sanctions Turkey Over S-400 Buy

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

The State Department on Dec. 14 announced sanctions against Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system. SSB is banned from receiving “U.S. export licenses and authorizations,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote. The U.S. has frozen the assets of and placed visa restrictions on SSB president Ismail Demir and additional officers from the organization. Turkey urged the U.S. to settle the matter through diplomatic channels.

National Guard Support for COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Ramps Up

By Brian W. Everstine

As America's first approved coronavirus vaccine is shipped across the country and frontline workers are getting their first jabs this week, National Guardsmen have been activated to assist with transportation. Military airlifters are standing by to support commercial shipping networks as well. Governors in 26 states are planning to use the National Guard in some capacity to help with distributing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that the Food and Drug Administration authorized Dec. 11 for emergency use. “We bring a wide variety of not only capacity to augment the size of the workforce. but also specialized skills within that workforce," Ohio Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr. said. “This is exactly what the Guard does.”

Space Force Commands Working Together to Grow in Year Two

By Rachel S. Cohen

The new boss of the Space Force’s operations branch on Dec. 14 offered a peek into how the organization is working with other parts of the service as they mature. Space Operations Command boss Lt. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting indicated the ops, training, and acquisition organizations are trying to stay linked so each piece of the service understands what the others need as they move forward. The Space Force turns 1 year old on Dec. 20.

AFMC Overhauling Acquisition, Personnel Practices to Stay Relevant

By Brian W. Everstine

As Air Force Materiel Command makes changes to speed up how it buys, tests, and sustains weapon systems, the command is also overhauling its personnel practices to ensure its Airmen face fewer career hurdles and can succeed, the command’s boss said. AFMC is overhauling its approach to hardware and software management through steps such as digital engineering, increased foreign military sales, advanced manufacturing, and conditions-based maintenance, command boss Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr. said Dec. 14. At the same time, however, command employees have said they face their own hurdles in training, career progression, and obtaining new certifications.

Virtual Events: Formica, Todorov on Mitchell’s Nuclear Deterrence Forum, and More

By Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory

On Dec. 16 at 10 a.m. EST, the Air Force Association's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a live, virtual Nuclear Deterrence Forum featuring retired Army Lt. Gen. Richard P. Formica, former commanding general of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense, and retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Kenneth E. Todorov, former Deputy Director of the Missile Defense Agency. This session will offer their unparalleled insight into the state of the U.S. missile defense enterprise following last year’s Missile Defense Review, as well as projected U.S. missile defense capabilities in space, cyber, and systems technologies. Advance registration is required. Sign up here.

Radar Sweep

Snapshot: DOD and COVID-19

Air Force Magazine

Here's a look at how the Defense Department is being impacted by and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump Faces Dec. 23 Deadline to Veto—or Sign—Massive NDAA Defense Bill

Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump has until Dec. 23 to decide whether to veto the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act or allow the annual measure setting policy for the Department of Defense to become law, a House of Representatives aide said on Dec. 14.

OPINION: Pentagon Needs More Balanced Representation in Joint Service Leadership

Forbes

“Only by combining a balanced set of talents do we get a successful whole,” writes retired USAF Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, dean of AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “That is why senior positions need to reflect the diversity of perspectives necessary to achieve this professional synergy. Too much is at stake to consider any other option.”

Newt Gingrich and Loyalists Tapped for Defense Policy Board as Henry Kissinger Is Ousted

Defense News

The Trump administration continued efforts to replace Pentagon advisers with loyalists as it tapped former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and others on Dec. 14 to replace ousted members of the Defense Policy Board, an independent outside body.

PODCAST: Don’t Expect Same Defense Spending Priorities under a Biden Administration

Federal News Network’s “Federal Drive with Tom Temin” podcast

There is no end to the important priorities for the Defense Department and the armed services it operates, but there is a limit to the dollars they can expect. And they can expect shifts in priorities as a new administration comes into authority. The podcast features Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

AFLCMC Delivers Final F-15SA to Royal Saudi Air Force

USAF release

The final F-15SA advanced fighter aircraft were delivered Dec. 10 to the Royal Saudi Air Force—a key milestone supporting the National Defense Strategy imperative to strengthen alliances and attract new partners.

Pentagon Risks Falling Short on Electromagnetic Spectrum Goals, GAO Finds

Nextgov

The Defense Department needs to improve governance and oversight of EMS strategies in order to maintain operational control, according to a new audit.

NSTXL Selected to Manage the Space Enterprise Consortium

SpaceNews

NSTXL, a company that helps commercial businesses compete for government contracts, has been selected to manage the U.S. Space Force’s Space Enterprise Consortium for the next 10 years. Based in Arlington, Va., NSTXL is short for National Security Technology Accelerator.

After Months of Delays, Spy Agency Launches 5th Mission of 2020

C4ISRNET

Following three months of delays, the National Reconnaissance Office successfully launched its fifth mission of 2020 on Dec. 10 from the renamed Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla.

AFRL Demonstrates Critical New Warhead Technologies for High-Speed Weapons

USAF release

The Air Force Research Laboratory successfully demonstrated new warhead technologies for high-speed weapons at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., on Nov. 18.

Navy Ends Search for Roosevelt Sailor Fallen Overboard

The Hill

The Navy has ended its search for a sailor who fell from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt into the Pacific Ocean last week. The service ended search and rescue efforts for the missing sailor “and has changed his status to deceased,” according to a statement released Dec. 13.

Free 3-Year Memberships!

Air Force Association

Airmen and Space Professionals—Active, Guard, Reserve, and civilian: Join your Air Force Association today and get a 3-year membership free–a savings of $85! Act now–this is a limited-time offer. Be a member of the only association totally dedicated to advancing Air and Space Power, Airmen, Space Professionals, their families, and the industries that support them.

Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings Debuts Alumni Network

Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings release

Arnold Air Society and Silver Wings has formally established an Alumni Network that will help former members of Arnold Air Society, Silver Wings, and Angel Flight stay informed and connected. The network will leverage social media platforms and email messaging to provide members with information on events, news, students, and volunteers, past and present. Alumni may register now at the link above.

One More Thing

Playing the Bad Guy: Inside the Air Force's Elite Aggressor Program with One of Its Top Pilots

The Drive

Journey into the shadowy world of the aggressors—where they came from, where they're going, what it takes to become one, and what it's like being one.