News from the Air Force

[BubbleGumTiger]

Eight Miles High and Falling Fast

The Air Force is losing its edge and has to warn the nation against being too sanguine about the threat, service acquisition chief William LaPlante said March 17. "Don't assume benign conditions," LaPlante said. "We have to innovate and experiment ... we've got to catch up and get our margin back ... We are losing our margin." USAF, he said, is "not just going around saying the threat is 10 feet tall. Even if you say the threat is eight feet tall—when the intel says it's 10 feet tall—we're still losing our margin." If a competitor has certain preliminary capabilities, but those are discussed with comments that "they haven't fought [with] it yet, or trained with it ... Maybe. But we're losing our margin. Okay? Every year, the briefings get worse," LaPlante said. When the US looks at its adversaries, they are doing what the US should be, he said: "They're doing shaping and deterring. Make no mistake, they've watched us very carefully over the last 25 years—they've watched us fight—and they've learned from it. So we really need to get on with" the third o​ffset of technology overmatch.

[BubbleGumTiger]

Chief Binnicker Dies

​Retired CMSAF James C. Binnicker, who served from July 1986 through July 1990 as the ninth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, died on March 21 in Calhoun, Ga. He was 76. Binnicker was "a man of honor and commitment to things greater than himself," said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, in the service's release. "His passing is mourned by all airmen, past and present, around the globe," she said. During his tenure as the service's top enlisted leader, Binnicker led the transformation from the Airman Performance Report to the Enlisted Performance Report, developed the performance feedback system, and worked to have master sergeants admitted to the Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy and to increase opportunities for minority and female airmen, states the release. Binnicker's Air Force career spanned 33 years; he retired in August 1990, according to his official Air Force biography. "We often speak of legends, those airmen who have gone before us," said CMSAF James Cody. "Chief Binnicker is a legend among those legends. His impact on our Air Force is everlasting and we will truly miss his leadership, counsel, and friendship," said Cody. In 2000 Binnicker, who was a native of Orangeburg, S.C., became president and CEO of the Air Force Enlisted Village in Shalimar, Fla., near Eglin Air Force Base. He held the job until his death.

[BubbleGumTiger]

Simultaneously Supporting Four COCOMs

Airmen assigned to US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa simultaneously supported four large-scale defense exercises under four different combatant commands, according to a March 25 release. The exercises included US European Command's Austere Challenge 2015, US Africa Command's Judicious Response 2015, US Strategic Command's Global Lightning 2015, and US Transportation Command's Turbo Challenge 2015. "We live in a very dynamic and evolving world, where it seems there is always more than one emergency taking place," said Lt. Gen. Darryl Roberson, commander of 3rd Air Force and the 17th Expeditionary Air Force. "We need to better understand how to best provide the most comprehensive support when our forces are pulled in different directions." The computer-based command post simulations, which ranged from combat responses to humanitarian assistance, forced commanders to make calculated decisions with limited assets. Nearly 350 augmentees were brought in to support the two-week event, according to the release. "By combining our efforts across these commands, we have intentionally turned up the heat on ourselves to identify seams or cracks in our efforts to provide the best land, air, and sea defense capabilities our allies deserve," added Roberson.

[BubbleGumTiger]

Airmen Rescue Saudi Aircrew


​Djibouti-based Air Force rescue personnel last week plucked a two-man Saudi F-15S crew from the Red Sea after the pair ejected during a strike sortie over Yemen, according to the Saudi government and a press report. An HH-60G rescue helicopter from Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, recovered the Saudi airmen on March 26, in coordination with US Navy ships in the area, within two hours of the request for assistance, reported the Wall Street Journal. "Both pilots are reported in good health and high spirits" and were taken to King Khalid AB, Saudi Arabia, for treatment, according to a March 28 release from the Saudi embassy in Washington, D.C. Air Force Reserve Command HH-60s of the 303rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron are currently deployed to Camp Lemonnier alongside pararescue personnel and Alaska Air National Guard HC-130 tankers supporting Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. Saudi Arabia kicked off an Arab coalition air offensive against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen last week.

[BubbleGumTiger]

US, Canadian Forces Exercise Insider Threat Response

The Canadian Armed Forces is looking to mimic the US Air Force's "Check Six" program to counter insider threats, according to a March 30 release. So far, members of USAF's 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, based in the Persian Gulf region, have trained Canadian forces on active shooter scenarios, support for joint task force components, retaining personal weapons, and disarming hostile persons, said MSgt. Antonio Martinez, the "Check Six" program lead. The Canadians also have begun the first phase of active shooter training with their own forces, he added. Although the training has been adapted for Canadian needs and the newly formed "auxiliary security forces" in theater, it also ensures that situational awareness and response will be similar in a coalition environment. Martinez noted active shooters and aggressors have conducted several high-profile attacks on USAF and coalition personnel​, such as the 2011 Kabul International Airport attack on USAF air advisors, underscoring the need to promote resilience and awareness of the problem among coalition partners.

[BubbleGumTiger]

Kunsan F-16 Safe Following Engine Emergency

An F-16 safely diverted to Muan International Airport, South Korea, after a "serious engine malfunction" during a training sortie April 7, according to officials from Kunsan AB, South Korea. The pilot was forced to fire the aircraft's emergency power unit to safely recover the aircraft to the alternate airfield, and followed "established safety guidelines before landing," according to an April 7 release. The F-16's EPU supplies approximately 10 minutes of emergency electrical and hydraulic power in the event of an engine failure, and a response team verified that none of the unit's highly toxic hydrazine monopropellant leaked from the aircraft, according to a second release. Neither the pilot nor the wingman, who accompanied the crippled aircraft, were injured in the incident. The F-16s are assigned to Kunsan's 8th Fighter Wing, which flies F-110-GE-100-powered Block 40 aircraft. The incident is currently under investigation, according to Kunsan officials.

[BubbleGumTiger]

If It Looks Like A Duck

Though he'll leave such a declaration to "diplomatic leaders," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said it seems like the US may be in a new Cold War with China and/or Russia, based on the behavior of those countries. "Whether China is trying to expand its influence regionally or globally, and whether Russia is trying to expand its influence, or ... are they buffering? I don't know," Welsh told reporters in Washington, D.C. "I suspect nobody outside those countries does. But it clearly looks that way." Welsh said he doesn't see war looming with Russia or China, and "I ... hope that's not on the horizon," but he acknowledged their rapid advancement in conventional and nuclear weapons and said "the capability gap" with the US "is closing." Based on "open source" information, China is developing military capabilities in the coming 15-20 years that are "problematic" for the US, Welsh said. Compared with Russia and China, "we are certainly not developing the same amount of capability [or] … new programs during that same timeframe." This is why, he said, USAF modernization "is simply not optional. You have to modernize as a military service or you become irrelevant." He also noted that both China and Russia sell their best military gear around the world. "Today there are 53 countries that have Russian or Chinese top-end fighters," he noted as one example. "So the next generation of stuff they build they will also export, and we'll be facing that equipment somewhere, sooner or later."

[BubbleGumTiger]

19th Air Force Commander Resigns

Maj. Gen. Michael Keltz resigned from his position as commander of 19th Air Force following "an inappropriate comment" made in a "public Air Force forum," according to an April 30 Air Education and Training Command release. AETC Commander Gen. Robin Rand accepted his resignation Thursday and began processing his request to retire after 34 years in uniform, states the release. "Mike Keltz is an extraordinarily dedicated airman and commander with a highly distinguished service career," said Rand. "He realizes the impact of his actions and has expressed his genuine regret to me, which he extends to all airmen. As a senior leader, Maj. Gen. Keltz understands he must be held accountable for this inappropriate comment." It's not clear what the comment was or where it was made. Keltz is a command pilot with more than 4,000 hours, including more than 300 combat and contingency sorties on AC-130H, MC-130H, and AC-130U gunships and Combat Talons in Grenada, El Salvador, Panama, Sierra Leone, and in Operations Desert Storm, Provide Comfort, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. He is the second Air Force commander this month to lose his position because of inappropriate comments. Former Air Combat Command Vice Commander Maj. Gen. James Post was relieved of command after an Air Force Inspector General investigation found he attempted to restrict airmen from communicating with Congress. Post allegedly told airmen that expressing their opinion on the Air Force's decision to divest the A-10 Warthog could be construed as "treason."

[BubbleGumTiger]

JSOC Monitoring Out-of-Control Satellite

The Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., continues to monitor an "out-of-control" Russian satellite, which could re-enter the atmosphere within two weeks, reported the Washington Free Beacon. It was determined the unmanned Space Station resupply cargo craft, known as "Progress-M 27M," was in trouble around 3 a.m. on April 28, according to the report. Igor Komarov, director of the Russian space agency, said it's not clear why the $51 million spacecraft, which launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on April 28, malfunctioned. It was carrying food and fuel for astronauts on the Space Station, reported the Free Beacon. Although US military commanders are aware of the "potential threat posed by the spacecraft," a defense official told the publication there were "no immediate plans to shoot the craft down before it enters the atmosphere," which is expected to occur around 1:30 p.m. on May 9.

[BubbleGumTiger]

Bomber Numbers Matter

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced a bill that would add congressional oversight to any decision to reduce the size of the Air Force's bomber fleet. S. 1265, the Long Range Bomber Sustainment Act of 2015, prevents the retirement of B-1B, B-2A, or B-52H aircraft unless the Defense Department certifies that the drawdown would not result in a loss of operational capability, states Rounds' May 11 release. He presented the bill the same day. "Long-range bombers play an important role in our national defense strategy," said Rounds, whose state hosts B-1 bombers at Ellsworth Air Force Base. "While we can expect some bomber retirements as we develop the new Long Range Strike Bomber, it is critical the turnover does not lead to an insufficient number of bombers in our fleet," he added. The bill's original cosponsors include senators from states also hosting bombers: Bill Cassidy (R) from Louisiana, home to B-52s; Heidi Heitkamp (D) and John Hoeven (R) from North Dakota, home to B-52s; and John Cornyn (R) and Ted Cruz (R), home to B-1s. B-2s are based in Missouri.

[BubbleGumTiger]

63--45

[BubbleGumTiger]

Indian Air Chief Visits United States


​Indian Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha left New Delhi on Monday for a four-day visit to the United States, at the invitation of Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh, reported India's New Delhi Television. Raha is scheduled to hold talks with senior US military officials and discuss broadening bilateral defense cooperation. Raha is on tap to visit Nellis AFB, Nev., where he will discuss future participation in Air Force-hosted multilateral exercises like Red Flag. (The Indian Air Force first participated in Red Flag in 2008.) Raha's visit is meant to boost relations between the IAF and Air Force and will foster "greater convergence at the operational level," states the report. It comes as Defense Secretary Ash Carter is set to return to Asia early next month, where he will visit New Delhi for the first time in his current job position, following his participation at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

[BubbleGumTiger]

USAF F-35s, by the Numbers

​The Air Force has mapped out its operational F-35 base deployment plans through 2021, said Air Force F-35 integration director Maj. Gen. Jeff Harrigian, during a May 21 AFA Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event in Arlington, Va. First up is Hill AFB, Utah, which gets its first operational jets in September of this year, leading to initial operational capability in August of 2016. Hill gets all its jets by 2019. Next will be Eielson AFB, Alaska—a "preferred" location—which may get deliveries from July 2019 through November 2020. Eielson would get two squadrons of F-35s. Burlington, Vt., gets its jets from July 2020 through May, 2021, and Lakenheath, England—the first US overseas base—would get its aircraft from June 2021 through September 2022. Other bases yet to be identified will follow. The F-35A is already deployed at Eglin AFB, Fla., which will have 26 aircraft for pilot training, and Luke AFB, Ariz., slated to eventually have 144 jets, shared among the various F-35A partner countries. Small numbers will also be permanent resident at Nellis AFB, Nev., and Edwards AFB, Calif., for tactics and test work, respectively. Harrigian said there will be 651 F-35s of all variants in service worldwide with seven countries by the end of 2020. Some 123 F-35s of all models have been delivered as of last week.

[BubbleGumTiger]

William F. Andrews, 1958-2015

​One of the most decorated airmen of the 1991 Gulf War, retired Col. William F. Andrews, died June 8 of brain cancer. He was 56. Andrews received the Air Force Cross as a Captain for heroism after he was shot down on Feb. 28, 1991. While hanging in the straps of his parachute—and even after breaking a leg on landing and coming under fire from advancing Iraqi ground troops—Andrews continued communicating on his handheld radio, warning two other aircraft to break away and launch flares in response to missiles he saw being fired at them. He was captured, beaten, and held prisoner for eight days, for which he received the POW Medal (See, Call From the Desert from the February 2011 issue of Air Force Magazine). Andrews earned two awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross with "V" for valor in previous Desert Storm actions; one for attacking a heavily defended Scud missile plant and another for providing close air support for a Special Forces team, which was trapped under heavy fire. The team was safely extracted due to his action. In all incidents, Andrews was under continuous fire from missiles, anti-aircraft guns, and small arms. Andrews also received the Legion of Merit as a colonel for managing large-scale rapid deployments of force for operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom, while commander of the 366th Wing Operations Group at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Andrews served on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon from March 2002 to June 2004, and then taught at the National Defense University and Industrial College of the Armed Forces, both at Fort McNair, Washington, D.C., until his retirement in June 2010. In 1998 he wrote the book Airpower Against an Army, chosen for the Chief of Staff's senior officer reading list.

​

[BubbleGumTiger]

Raptors Surge in Hawaii

The Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron and the Active Duty's 19th Fighter Squadron flew a "record-breaking" number of F-22 sorties from JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, last week. Together the Hawaiian Raptors flew 62 sorties with 12 aircraft, surpassing a typical week's worth of 50 sorties and the previous record of 46 sorties with 14 aircraft, states the release. "Morale seemed to be at an all-time high, with pilots literally grinning from ear to ear," said 19th FS Commander Lt. Col. Justin Spears. "Spirits seemed equally high on the maintenance side. When I went out to the ramp I was continually asked by every maintainer I saw, 'What's the sortie count?' and 'How many are we going to get?'" Spears credited the maintainers for quickly turning the jets, fixing broken aircraft, and running hot pit refuels, during which the pilot stays in the running jet while maintainers rapidly refuel, allowing for quick turnaround between sorties. "Our maintainers got 12 aircraft out on the line and got them flying and ... then launched another 12 and another 12 and kept it going until we got 62 sorties," Spears said. "This would not have happened if not for the airmen working on the jets."

[BubbleGumTiger]

Iraqi F-16 Crashes in Arizona

​An Iraqi Air Force F-16 assigned to the Arizona National Guard's 162nd Fighter Wing for foreign pilot training crashed near Douglas, Ariz., on the state's southern border, during a Thursday night training sortie, reported The Arizona Republic. The jet crashed approximately five miles from the small Douglas Municipal Airport on the US-Mexican border at 8 p.m. local time, June 25, according to an ANG release. Emergency responders controlled a brush fire started by the crash, according to the press, but the single pilot's status is unreleased. The downed aircraft was reportedly a Block 52 F-16D—the first delivered to Iraq, according to an F-16.net report. Iraq ordered a total of 36 F-16C/Ds. The cause of the incident is under investigation, and details will be released as they become available, officials stated.

[BubbleGumTiger]

SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Explodes After Liftoff

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying research and supplies to the International Space Station exploded shortly after lifting off from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., on Sunday, according to NASA and company officials. SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell told reporters during a Sunday press briefing that liftoff and first-stage flight were successful, but the rocket experienced an "anomaly" 139 seconds in that "led to the failure of the mission." According to company Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk's Twitter account, "There was an overpressure event in the upper stage liquid oxygen tank," suggesting "counterintuitive cause." Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for the human exploration and operations directorate, said the failure "is a blow to us," noting a "lot of important research and equipment" were lost. However, he said the ISS crew "is fine on orbit." "The SpaceX team and the ISS team did extremely well today. They did everything exactly right. They continued to stay focused, they continued to monitor the asset … and make sure there is no impact to the public or anyone else," he said. Shotwell said the investigation team will study telemetry from 3,000 channels transmitted during the launch. "If there's something there, we're going to find it." The Air Force certified SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket for national security space missions in May after an exhaustive two-year review.

[BubbleGumTiger]

USAF Officials Urge Congress to Allow More RD-180s

Top Air Force space officials on June 26 reaffirmed their support for developing US commercial replacements for the Russian-made RD-180 rocket engine to launch crucial national security payloads. But, during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee's strategic forces panel, the officials also repeated their warning that unless Congress lifts its ban on United Launch Alliance buying additional RD-180s, there will be a multi-year gap in the Defense Department's ability to put some larger satellites into orbit. Assured access to space is crucial to US national security, but it is threatened by the restriction on RD-180s, which Congress imposed after Russia's seizure of Crimea, they said. ULA believes the five RD-180s it already has paid for can support scheduled launches perhaps through 2017, but Air Force Space Command boss Gen. John Hyten said, "my biggest concern is the gap between '18 and '22," which is the earliest he believes a US replacement can be available. Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) noted that the House-passed defense authorization would allow ULA to buy the 14 RD-180s it says it needs to close that gap, but Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) opposed the increase in its authorization. The differences in the authorization are being negotiated.

[BubbleGumTiger]

Pacific Air Forces Exhausts M117 Inventory

​A B-52H bomber dropped the last M117 general-purpose bomb in Pacific Air Forces' inventory during a training mission from Andersen AFB, Guam, announced base officials. The bomber, deployed to Guam from Barksdale AFB, La., as part of the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, released the 750-pound munition on an uninhabited island off the coast of Guam on June 26, states Andersen's release. B-52s, some of them operating from Guam, employed M117s extensively during the Vietnam War. Bomber crews used Andersen's remaining stockpile in live weapons training after B-52s began rotating there regularly in 2004. "Being able to be part of the crew that gets to drop the last weapon out here is not only great training, but it's a part of a cool legacy that we get to share," said 1st Lt. Bryant Curdy, 20th EBS weapons system officer.

[BubbleGumTiger]

Korea Chooses Airbus Tanker over KC-46

Airbus' A330 multi-role tanker transport has beaten Boeing's KC-46 in Korea's first aerial tanker competition, it was announced late June 30. The Korean deal is worth about $1.33 billion, and covers four aircraft—the first of which is to be delivered in 2019—plus support. Korea's defense ministry said Airbus won based on price (the Euro is trading nearly level with the US dollar), performance, and size of the aircraft, which will perform as both a tanker and transport. Korea will join Australia, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates as MRTT users. France is certain to replace its aged KC-135s with the homegrown Airbus, and India has signaled it will buy the MRTT as well. A consortium of The Netherlands, Norway, and Poland has also requested MRTT pricing. Boeing had high hopes for the Korean deal, and a spokesman said that while the company is "disappointed … we remain committed to our partnerships with Korea." Korea operates Boeing's F-15K and a version of the USAF F-15E with significant improvements in radar. This is the second big disappointment for Boeing in Korean military aircraft competitions. Last year, Korea selected the F-35 as its next fighter, having previously settled on a variant of Boeing's F-15S Silent Eagle; however, it re-opened the competition, which the F-35 won.