News from the Air Force

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The Case for Sticking with the Minuteman:

The Air Staff recently asked RAND to look at what the Air Force could do with the current ICBM force of Minuteman III missiles after 2030, said Chad Ohlandt, an associate engineer with RAND. What the research organization found was that the incremental modernization of the Minuteman force is a reasonably smart idea, Ohlandt told attendees at AFA's Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles last week. He said RAND concluded that silos likely will continue to be the most cost-effective basing option—as opposed to mobile basing—since any nation-state adversary would have to expend most of its nuclear arsenal to attack the current-sized Minuteman force. Further, silos are more affordable and more survivable than they were in the Cold War, noted Ohlandt, making incremental modernization and sustainment of this enterprise "relatively inexpensive" and an option that the Air Force should seriously consider. The Air Force already has modernized parts of the Minuteman force. Upgrading it further between Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2050 would cost approximately $2 billion a year, compared to about $2.8 billion annually for a new missile fleet, estimated Ohlandt. 2030 is the projected date when the Air Force might retire the Minuteman IIIs.

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A More Crowded Space Future Awaits:

The domain of space has fundamentally changed since the end of the Cold War, and in the 21st century, the United States will be one of many players on orbit, said Lt. Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center. That new landscape will present new risks and challenges, she said at AFA's Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles last week. Today, 11 countries operate 22 launch sites, and 60 countries and consortia operate satellites on orbit, said Pawlikowski. Those numbers will only expand in the years ahead as space programs around the world grow, she said. The Defense Department tracks 22,000 objects on orbit today, including satellites and space debris, and making sure these objects don't affect military and commercial space capabilities will be critical in the future, she added.

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Bombers as Communicators:

Bombers are becoming an "incredibly important" asset in the Air Force's shrinking tool box and offer an excellent way to send messages to potential adversaries, said retired Lt. Gen. Robert Elder, a former commander of USAF's nuclear-capable bomber force. Putting bombers on alert is a great way to communicate that the United States is getting serious in a diplomatic crisis, Elder told attendees of AFA's Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles last week. "They can also deter adversaries [and] assure allies," he said, making them an indispensible capability for the future. Moreover, bombers offer a way to get maximum value out of the counting rules for strategic nuclear weapons under the New START agreement with Russia, noted Elder. A bomber counts as "one" launcher whether it has one cruise missile or 20 on board, he said. "For comparatively little cost, you can add a lot of nuclear capability" to the inventory, he said. With long range and the ability to perform strategic as well as tactical missions, bombers are "well postured to work with other instruments of power," said Elder.

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And Then There were Two:

The Navy's second X-47B unmanned combat air system carrier demonstrator took to the skies on its maiden flight, announced prime contractor Northrop Grumman Monday. During the roughly 30-minute hop on Nov. 22, the new UCAS-D airframe, designated AV-2, ascended to 5,000 feet after takeoff from Edwards AFB, Calif., flying several orbits over Rogers Dry Lake before touching down safely, according to the company. Having two UCAS-D airframes will allow the Navy-contractor testing team to begin aircraft carrier suitability evaluations at NAS Patuxent River, M.D., while simultaneously continuing flight-envelope expansion at Edwards. "With two aircraft now available, we can increase the amount of aircraft performance data we gather, which will allow us to meet our required aircraft capability demonstration goals in a timely manner," said Carl Johnson, Northrop's UCAS-D program manager. Land-based trials will occur at Pax River, including catapult shots and arrested landings.

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Compass Call Milestones in Afghanistan:

Airmen with the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron supporting a deployed contingent of EC-130H Compass Call aircraft at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, have helped these platforms and their aircrews amass impressive statistics in combat operations. Through the maintainers' efforts, the EC-130s have flown more than 24,000 hours in 4,000 sorties, assisting ground troops in capturing roughly 600 high-value individuals and 4,500 other persons of interest, and in seizing 340 weapons caches, according to unit officials. "Making these milestones happen with an aging fleet and a steady deployment rotation is challenging," said Capt. Lisa Stokey, 455th EAMXS EC-130H officer in charge. She added, "I can honestly say this is one of the most impressive aircraft maintenance squadrons I've ever been a part of." Compass Call aircraft carry equipment that denies, degrades, or disrupts enemy communications. They left the Iraqi theater in August 2010.

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Civil Air Patrol Turns 70:

On Dec. 1, 1941, just six days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Civil Air Patrol was born. On Thursday, this all-volunteer organization celebrates its 70th anniversary. "On this historic day, I am reminded of the sacrifices of the founding members of CAP's Coastal Patrol, who—propelled by duty and love of country—quickly proved their worth during World War II by conducting aerial patrols that discouraged and eventually stopped deadly German U-boat attacks along America's shores," stated Maj. Gen. Charles Carr, CAP national commander, in a release. He added, "These members helped save lives and preserve our nation's freedom." CAP had some 61,000 members during World War II. Today, this Air Force auxiliary provides essential emergency, operational, and public services to communities, states, the federal government, and the US military. "Congratulations to each of you who continue CAP's legacy of selfless sacrifice and service to country and community," said Carr to his current officers and cadets. "Civil Air Patrol truly has evolved into a world-class public service organization." Legislation pending in Congress would award CAP a Congressional Gold Medal for its members' World War II service.

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Air Frame:

An MC-130P Combat Shadow refuels an HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopter as they fly from Kadena AB, Japan, to Osan AB, South Korea, to participate in the Pacific Thunder training exercise, Oct. 27, 2011.

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C-130s Drop Supplies to Outpost:

A C-130 crew with the 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron successfully delivered 18,000 pounds of fuel via precision airdrop to soldiers at Combat Outpost Herrera in Afghanistan, enough to supply the difficult-to-access base through the upcoming winter, according to Air Forces Central officials. The Kandahar Airfield-based aircrew made use of the Joint Precision Airdrop System to guide the parachute bundles down accurately to the Oklahoma Army National Guardsmen at the COP from an altitude of 17,000 feet—high above the reach of enemy ground fire—during the Nov. 27 mission. The base sits at 8,700 feet above sea level and is surrounded by mountains and trees. With colder weather and snowfall, convoys become more dangerous and less reliable to supply the base. "Utilizing airdrops with the GPS-guided parachutes allows us that avenue to use in case we can't get resupplied by helicopters or vehicles by the road," said Army SSgt. Denton Poe of COP Herrera's 1st Platoon.

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Throwing in the Towel:

The long battle between the Pentagon and Congress over development of a second engine type for the F-35 strike fighter appears to be over, once and for all. General Electric and Rolls Royce, partners in the Fighter Engine Team, announced that they will cease self-funding the maturation of their F136 engine at year's end due to "continued uncertainty in the development and production schedules" for the F-35. "GE and Rolls-Royce are proud of our technology advancements and accomplishments on the F136," said Dan McCormick, FET president, in the Dec. 2 release. "However," he added, "difficult circumstances are converging that impact the potential benefit of a self-funded development effort." After DOD terminated the F136 contract in April—in favor of proceeding solely with Pratt & Whitney's F135 that is powering F-35s flying today—GE and Rolls Royce said they'd continue funding the F136's development on their own dime through the end of Fiscal 2012. The companies anticipated that with continued political support on Capital Hill for F-35 engine competition, they'd be able to offer the F136 for future F-35 production lots. But it appears the F136's death knell has now sounded.

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F-16s Ordered for Iraq:

The Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a $835 million contract for 18 F-16 Block 52 aircraft for the Iraqi air force, announced the Defense Department on Monday. Under a foreign military sales arrangement, Iraq will receive 12 F-16Cs and six two-seat F-16Ds to reconstitute its fledgling air arm's fighter force. The first Iraqi F-16 pilots already are undergoing training in the United States. Arrival of the first Iraqi F-16 is not expected before late 2013, USAF officials have said. Lockheed, which builds the F-16 in Fort Worth, Tex., also will provide support equipment and logistics support under the terms of this contract. Iraqi officials have said they are interested in up to 36 F-16s.

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Lackland Airmen Awarded Bronze Star with Valor:

TSgt. Luis Garcia, a pararescueman assigned to the 342nd Training Squadron at Lackland AFB, Tex., received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor for his heroic actions in Afghanistan. On July 12, 2010, Garcia saved the lives of three US soldiers injured by improved explosive devices by helping to evacuate them during operations against enemy forces in Arghandab province, Afghanistan. "Those of us who look at his deed, appreciated what he did because we could face the same thing. He's not only a hero for all of us, but he's also a mentor . . . and for that, all of us owe him a tremendous thanks," said Brig. Gen. Timothy Zadalis, Air Education and Training Command's director of intelligence, operations, and nuclear integration, who presented Garcia with the medal during the Dec. 2 ceremony at Lackland, a part of Joint Base San Antonio. Garcia said, "I don't look at [my deed] as heroic or anything like that. I just think of it as this guy needs to get out and I'm the only one that can do that for him at this time—me and my team."

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Fighters in Full Battle Array:

Airmen at Kunsan AB, South Korea, stepped up to full wartime footing, arming more than 20 F-16s in a massive force-generation exercise meant to show the United States' commitment to its South Korean allies. Readied to the point of take-off, combat-loaded Vipers from Kunsan's 8th Fighter Wing, joined by visiting F-16s from Air Force Reserve Command's 419th Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah, formed on the flight line (see Air Frame below) for the Dec. 2 drill. "What we've done today is essentially generated aircraft for combat exactly as we would do in war time," said Col. Craig Leavitt, 8th Operations Group commander. During the so called "elephant walk," the bomb-laden hoard paraded en-masse along Kunsan's runway before returning to dispersal. "A lot of time, we only practice pieces," explained Leavitt. "Today, we've essentially practiced every step . . . right up until take off," building confidence in the wing's response, he added.

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Explosive Time Capsule:

An explosive ordnance disposal team from the US naval station at Yokosuka, Japan, on Wednesday detonated a World War II-era bomb discovered near the fitness center at nearby Yokota Air Base. USAF civil engineers aided the sailors, who detonated the device using plastic explosives. Workers excavating a construction site near Yokota's fitness center had unearthed the bomb on Tuesday, prompting evacuation of the site. The bomb was packed with an estimated 110 pounds of explosive. "I want to thank all of our emergency responders and the Yokosuka EOD team for their successful efforts to defuse the situation," said Col. Bill Knight, vice commander of Yokota's 374th Airlift Wing. "Their skillful handling enabled an expedient and safe disposal operation," he added. It is not clear whether the bomb was a dud dropped on the former Japanese base during World War II, or a training round buried since, reported Stars and Stripes.

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Mark Your Calendars:

The Air Force's Thunderbirds air demonstration squadron will kick off its 2012 show season on Feb. 26 with a flyover of NASCAR's Daytona 500 race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Overall, the Thunderbirds are set to perform 60 demonstrations in 33 locations in 2012, including two non-US shows in Abbotsford, Canada, in mid August. The flying season will conclude on Nov. 10-11 at Nellis AFB. Nev. "We are excited about the upcoming season and representing our fellow American airmen," said Lt. Col. Greg Moseley, who will command and lead the team in the 2012 show season. "We feel honored to tell the story of US Air Force airmen serving on the front lines of freedom around the world. We will proudly represent each airmen with the same pride, precision, and professionalism in which they perform their duties each and every day." 2012 will mark the Thunderbirds' 59th year and the squadron's 30th season performing with F-16s.

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Airpower with a Shorter Bench:

Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said the Air Force is facing toughs decisions in dealing with its share of the anticipated $450 billion cut in defense spending for the Pentagon over the next 10 years. In order to protect its top modernization projects—the F-35 strike fighter "at an appropriate level," a new bomber platform, and the KC-46A tanker—the Air Force will scale back other programs, Schwartz told This Week in Defense News, a CBS TV news show, in a segment airing on Dec. 11. "We will do less of other things in order to protect those programs," said Schwartz. He noted that the Air Force is now at the point where further cuts would mean not only less depth in key mission areas, but also less capability. He said the service has not yet factored the effect of the much more severe defense cuts under the 2011 Budget Control Act's sequestration clause. "We've only had a couple months to deal with the $450 billion number," he said. "Then we'll go to the next step."

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Gifts under the Silk:

Christmas began early on the South Pacific islands of Fais, Ngulu Atoll, and Ulithi Atoll in Micronesia. For the 60th year running, airmen participated in Operation Christmas Drop, a week-long effort organized by private volunteers and US service members to deliver gifts of food, provisions, and tools to isolated communities scattered across the Pacific. Three C-130s from the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota AB, Japan, flying from Andersen AFB, Guam, are carrying out this year's mission. "These islands do not have airstrips, do not have power, do not have water," said volunteer coordinator Bruce Best, reported Guam's Pacific Daily News. "It's the most exciting day of their year. This is it. This is Christmas for them," he underscored, while loading the aircraft for the "push-off" event on Dec. 12. Aircrews plan to make 60 drops this year to approximately 50 isolated islands, according to the newspaper.

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Key Hole Satellites for Air Force Museum:

Three shadowy relics of the Cold War will emerge at the National Museum of the US Air Force in late January, reports the Dayton Daily News. The National Reconnaissance Office donated the recently declassified intelligence satellites, along with hundreds of historical documents, to the museum, which is located in Dayton, Ohio. Code-named Key Hole, the KH-7 Gambit 1, the KH-8 Gambit 3, and the KH-9 Hexagon satellites photographed sensitive military targets over the communist bloc from the 1960s to 1980s. The spacecraft will go on public display after a commemorative ceremony, according to the newspaper. NRO declassified the satellites in September during a ceremony at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center in northern Virginia.

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It's Officially Over:

Baghdad—Pentagon leaders officially ended the US military mission in Iraq Thursday in a solemn ceremony here that recognized the sacrifices of Americans and Iraqis throughout the nearly nine years of war. "On this very historic occasion for both the Iraqi people and the American people, no words, no ceremony can provide full tribute to the sacrifices that have brought this day to pass," said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in his address at US Forces-Iraq headquarters, along the flight line of the former Sather Air Base. Nearly 4,500 US military personnel were killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the follow-on Operation New Dawn and more than 32,000 were wounded. "For more than 20 years, Iraq has been a defining part of our professional and our personal lives. The road we have traveled was long and it was tough," said Joints Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey at the ceremony. Hundreds of troops were scheduled to fly out of Sather on Thursday, with the remaining roughly 3,500 US military personnel set to depart Iraq by month's end.

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It's Officially Over:

Baghdad—Pentagon leaders officially ended the US military mission in Iraq Thursday in a solemn ceremony here that recognized the sacrifices of Americans and Iraqis throughout the nearly nine years of war. "On this very historic occasion for both the Iraqi people and the American people, no words, no ceremony can provide full tribute to the sacrifices that have brought this day to pass," said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in his address at US Forces-Iraq headquarters, along the flight line of the former Sather Air Base. Nearly 4,500 US military personnel were killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the follow-on Operation New Dawn and more than 32,000 were wounded. "For more than 20 years, Iraq has been a defining part of our professional and our personal lives. The road we have traveled was long and it was tough," said Joints Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey at the ceremony. Hundreds of troops were scheduled to fly out of Sather on Thursday, with the remaining roughly 3,500 US military personnel set to depart Iraq by month's end.

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Gould Tapped for Order of the Sword:

Bearing a five-foot broadsword, the enlisted corps of the US Air Force Academy nominated Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, academy superintendent, for induction into the Order of the Sword. "This morning, we're going to do what enlisted people do best, and that's take care of our leaders," said CMSgt. Todd Salzman, academy command chief, in announcing the nomination in a surprise ceremony on Tuesday. Gould "has a passion for the enlisted corps and has for a long, long time," added Salzman. Gould thanked the enlisted force gathered for the occasion. "Speechless is not even the word. You impress me so much, all of you. I don't know what to tell you other than thank you," he said. Gould's induction ceremony is scheduled for March 19. The order is the highest honor that USAF's enlisted force may bestow upon an individual.