U.S. Air Force awards Reliable Robotics a multi-year contract for dual-use advanced aircraft automation

Reliable Robotics, announced the award of an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract leveraging the company’s dual-use technology to provide advanced automation to United States Air Force (USAF) airlift and refueling aircraft. The flexible IDIQ contract will span multiple years, and advance the development, production and deployment of Reliable’s autonomous flight system. The contract is also a vehicle for AFWERX and Reliable Robotics to explore partnerships with other branches of the military and combatant commands to scale and transition Reliable’s advanced automation technologies for specific use cases.

In its quest to develop innovative logistics capabilities, with a focus on the Indo-Pacific, the USAF is seeking commercial technologies like Reliable’s autonomous flight system to enable longer duration operations in contested environments while increasing safety and reducing demands for aircrews and lowering procurement costs.

“Aircraft autonomy is a mission critical capability for the Department of the Air Force. This IDIQ contract is driven by demand from Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces and commands that want to employ advanced aircraft automation in their fleets as soon as possible,” said Lt Col Josh Fehd, AFWERX Autonomy Prime Branch Chief.

U.S. Air Force awards Reliable Robotics funding to demonstrate integration of dual-use aircraft autonomy systems

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced the award of competitive funding under the AFWERX Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program for the United States Department of the Air Force (USAF). This TACFI funding is an extension of prior Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) efforts and has opportunities to expand further in the future. The funding will be used to perform additional flights for representative military missions in a UAS (Uncrewed Aircraft System) configuration.

The TACFI funding also includes matching investment from Eclipse Ventures. “Eclipse believes in the dual-market application of aircraft autonomy and we are excited to provide the commercial matching funds to support this TACFI award for Reliable Robotics to further demonstrate autonomous capabilities for the Department of Defense,” said Greg Reichow, Eclipse Partner. “Reliable is leading the industry with the maturity of its autonomous flight technology, and has made unparalleled progress on certification with the Federal Aviation Administration.”

This TACFI award will further both the commercial development of Reliable’s autonomous flight system and operationally relevant UAS military cargo missions, meeting both Department of Defense (DoD) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness standards. The UAS will be equipped with FAA-certifiable conforming hardware and software, including redundant systems and a ground control station for remote piloting.

RF-A 24-3 168th Wing Refuels the Fight

Red Flag-Alaska 24-3, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored exercise with approximately 1,800 service members joining together in unity, ramped up operations at Eielson Air Force Base, Aug. 15-29. The 168th Wing, a crucial part of the operations refueled combat fighters throughout the RF-A 24-3 exercise, enabling the mission to deliver lethal airpower in defense of National Military objectives, reports Senior Master Sgt. Julie Avey.

Red Flag Alaska showcases combat tactics and synchronizes capabilities with U.S. and NATO partners, including the Royal Australian service members.

"Interagency cooperation is essential in everything we do,” said Lt. Col. Dean Thibodeau, 168th Air Refueling Squadron commander. “The exercise allows us to strengthen international partnerships, refine advanced tactics, push limits, and sharpen skills. Red Flag focuses on training for individual skills and intricate and large-scale joint engagements.”

The KC-135 boom operators and pilots fuel the fight, assuring air-combat maneuvering sorties are carried out in a realistic environment over the more than 77,000 square miles of airspace in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, the world's most extensive combat training range.

STEM feature debuts at this year's Sound of Speed Airshow

The upcoming STEM Expo at the 2024 Sound of Speed Airshow and Open House on 14th and 15th September, promises to be an exciting blend of education and entertainment, aiming to inspire the next generation of aviators, engineers, scientists and innovators. Although this is the first time the Sound of Speed Airshow has featured a STEM experience, it is sure to be nothing short of spectacular.

Set against the backdrop of thrilling aerial displays, the expo will feature interactive exhibits and demonstrations that bring the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to life.

The expo will showcase the KC STEM Alliance and the FIRST Robotics display, along with a demonstration of STEM education by the St. Joseph School District. Missouri University of Science and Technology will present a small robotics exhibit. The Air Force will feature a display called the Hangar where guests can use VR to perform an in-flight refuelling mission, test and modulate jet engines, and control the landing gear of a jet. Attendees can also view five Tesla vehicles, including the Cybertruck, and explore a display by the local pilot academy, FlyTech. This is just a sampling of the various STEM displays guests will experience at the show.

Reliable Robotics performs automated cargo deliveries for U.S. Air Force

Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, recently completed a series of automated missions across airfields in California and Nevada for the Department of the Air Force. In conjunction with Air Combat Command, Reliable demonstrated aircraft automation capabilities as part of the Agile Flag 24-3 exercise transporting cargo between military bases and airports, some hundreds of miles apart, on demand over the course of a week. The exercise was designed to be representative of the Indo-Pacific region, demanding agility, readiness and multi-domain operations.

“The Air Force has a unique opportunity to redefine efficiency through autonomous operations, which can enable persistent manoeuvre in contested environments and simultaneous cargo delivery instead of our current sequential system. Autonomy in small platforms reduces risk and opens up the ability to land in more places including damaged runways or unimproved surfaces,” said Colonel Max Bremer, Mobility COE Senior Advisor, Chief of Special Programs Division, Air Mobility Command. “Military exercises like Agile Flag provide a venue for us to more closely evaluate how technologies like autonomous systems operate in real missions.”

Automated flights of a Cessna 208B Caravan included autotaxi, autotakeoff, en-route navigation and autolanding. All flights were managed by Reliable’s remote pilot while an onboard pilot monitored. Reliable deployed a mobile control station onsite at Mojave Air and Space Port, which served as a base of operations for the military exercise. The rapid deployment of Reliable’s mobile control station enabled onsite demonstrations of the remote piloting side of the operation for Air Force and NASA personnel.

Securing the Homeland

Northern Strike 24-2 replicates aerial threats

Story by Tech. Sgt. Tristan Viglianco 

Cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are an emerging challenge our nation’s Air Force will face in the future. Northern Strike (NS) 24-2 is replicating this threat with several unique platforms designed to train various skills such as: detection, identification, destruction, and command and control (C2) in a live-fly environment.

Over the course of exercise, August 3-17, Air National Guard (ANG) F-16 Fighting Falcons, from the 113th Wing, District of Columbia ANG, Joint Base Andrews, Md, and the 180th Fighter Wing (FW), Ohio ANG, Toledo Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Ohio will train against these threats. Pilots will fly sorties out of either their home station, the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center (CRTC) or Oscoda–Wurtsmith Airport in Northern Michigan.

“One of the Air National Guard top priorities is defending the homeland. Additionally, our Airmen expect to face similar challenges in overseas deployments,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Nicholas Smith, Michigan National Guard (MING), deputy J7. “Northern Strike presents unique training opportunities to warfighters, allowing them to train for scenarios they’ll unlikely encounter in their normal day to day readiness training.”

According to Smith, the exercise is spending approximately $1 million to replicate various aerial threats, with ANG F-16s from the 122nd FW, Indiana ANG, Fort Wayne ANGB, Ind., and small microjets.

“In the past, NS has used various electronic warfare capabilities to simulate various surface threats to aircraft,” said Smith. “For the first time, NS is using a combination of ANG aircraft that replicate cruise missile flight characteristics alongside microjets with small radar cross sections to simulate a wide variety of emerging threats, such as adversaries small UAS platforms.”

Merlin kicks off KC-135 in-flight data collection with SNC for the United States Air Force

Merlin, a developer of safe, autonomous flight technology for fixed-wing aircraft, has announced this week that together with its partner, global aerospace and defence leader SNC, it recently conducted the first three test flights in Merlin’s ongoing KC-135 Stratotanker test program at the Pittsburgh Air National Guard Base. 

From 22 July, Merlin and SNC were granted a temporary military flight release by the United States Air Force (USAF). The team conducted real-time data collection and analysis to inform the Merlin Pilot’s integration design and flight control tuning for military aircraft.

The flights support an ongoing agreement with Air Mobility Command (AMC) and Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) to design, integrate, test, and demonstrate aspects of the Merlin Pilot on the KC-135. Merlin engineers also joined USAF pilots on data collection flights at MacDill Air Force Base in May 2024. The flights helped the team better understand crew workload drivers for military use cases. Together, these milestones signify Merlin’s progressive system design and integration work to achieve its goal of an in-flight demonstration of the Merlin Pilot in the next year, as well as support broader product alignment to help inform the planned Next Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS).

“Autonomous capabilities are essential to increasing operational capacity for the USAF and enhancing national security, emphasizing the importance of these data collection flights to properly inform the integration design ahead of flight demonstrations,” said Matt George, CEO and founder, Merlin. “Over the last few months, we’ve achieved important milestones on the KC-135 that allow us to strengthen the relationship between the pilot and the aircraft as well as enhance safety and operational efficiency aboard a vital military aircraft. These are foundational and critical steps that get us closer to advancing and scaling autonomous capabilities across the USAF’s fleet.”

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U.S. Air Force brother and U.S. Army sister deliver medical transport in joint mission

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Sarah Krieger, Tripler Army Medical Center nurse, was coordinating an air medical transport operation for a patient when she realized her brother, U.S. Air Force Capt. Zackary Krieger, 21st Airlift Squadron C-17 Globemaster III pilot, would be piloting the C-17 coming to transport them, reports Story by Airman 1st Class Robert Nichols.

Zackary was flying a routine training mission when he received a tasking for medical transport, the operation resulting in a surprise family reunion with his younger sister, Sarah.

Sarah’s patient needed transportation first to Travis AFB, then to a medical facility in Tampa, Florida. After more than a month of waiting, she joked with the patient, U.S. Navy Lt. Anthony Cristofari, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard nuclear power limited duty officer, from time-to-time that she would “just call her brother”, an Air Force pilot stationed at Travis, to fly him there.

Zackary and Sarah grew up in Buffalo, New York. From an entirely Army family, Zackary chose a different path and joined the Air Force.

"They told me if I want quality of life, join the Air Force,” said Zackary.

Zackary commissioned in 2019 and went to undergraduate pilot training to be trained as a C-17 pilot. His sister chose to carry on the family tradition and joined the Army as a nurse.

BAE Systems delivers advanced radar warning receivers to protect U.S. Air Force Aircraft

BAE Systems is delivering AN/ALR-56M Advanced Radar Warning Receivers to the U.S. Air Force to help protect C-130J Super Hercules aircraft missions under contracts worth $133 million with the Defense Logistics Agency. The company has delivered more than 1,700 radar warning receivers for F-16 Fighting Falcons and C-130Js over three decades, providing situational awareness and self-defense capabilities that have proven themselves in combat by saving lives and enhancing mission success.

“The AN/ALR-56M has shown what it can bring to the fight, and it is keeping these critical aircraft relevant against evolving threats in contested battlespaces,” said Lindsay Gallagher, Tactical Aircraft Electronic Warfare Systems director at BAE Systems. “56M is a critical part of the fleet’s electromagnetic warfare capabilities. As a global leader in defence electronics, we are working hard to keep the F-16 and C-130J survivable and relevant for decades to come.”

The AN/ALR-56M provides broad-spectrum, long-range threat detection, and adaptive filtering to isolate threat signals in dense signal environments. The system provides timely warning about modern search, acquisition, and tracking radars, and reliable threat response capabilities – allowing pilots to engage or evade threats and enabling freedom of maneuver in the battlespace.

Archer Receives First U.S. Air Force Payment

Archer Aviation Inc. a leader in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, announced this week that the U.S. Air Force has provided the company with its first installment of nearly $1M on their recently announced contracts valued at up to $142 million. The initial payment is expected to be the first of many payments made to Archer by the U.S. Air Force and signals the ongoing advancement of the partnership from signature to execution as the AFWERX Agility Prime program works diligently with Archer to assess the transformational potential of the vertical flight market and eVTOL technologies for DoD purposes.

The initial payment is related to a contracted deliverable for a mobile flight simulator which the U.S. Air Force and Archer will use together to train pilots, assess flight controls and improve U.S. Air Force personnel’s understanding of the operational capabilities of Archer’s civilian use eVTOL aircraft platform and potential future development of aircraft for Air Force use. The simulator will also be deployed to key public and industry events to increase public awareness and engagement with eVTOL technology.

Several more of Archer’s deliverables are already underway with the U.S. Air Force as part of the contracts, which include the sharing of wind tunnel testing reports, project specific certification plans (PSCP’s) and Subject Specific Certification Plans (SSCP’s).

“Archer’s eVTOL technology can help maintain the United States’ position as a global leader in aviation. To see our historic contract with the U.S. Air Force move from signature to execution at a rapid pace is a reflection of the strong commitment that the U.S. Department of Defense has made to securing our country's future by investing in transformational technology,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s CEO and founder.

With its vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, target payload of approximately 1,000lbs, proprietary electric powertrain system, and low noise profile, Archer’s Midnight aircraft represents a potential paradigm shift in military aviation and operations. These aircraft hold the promise of enhancing rapid response, agility, and operational effectiveness across a wide range of mission profiles, from personnel transport and logistics support to rescue operations and more. Archer’s Midnight aircraft are expected to provide a much safer and quieter alternative to helicopters while being more cost-effective for the U.S. military to transport, operate and maintain in the field.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

Three Generations of Breaking Barriers: T-7A Red Hawk Soars with U.S. Air Force Test Pilot

Maj. Bryce Turner, a test pilot from the 416th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, California, has achieved a historic feat by becoming the first Air Force pilot to fly the T-7A Red Hawk. On June 28, the aircraft lifted off at 11:51 a.m. Central Standard Time during a test flight at the Boeing aircraft delivery centre in St. Louis, Missouri.

The T-7A is a brand-new, state-of-the-art pilot training system created specifically for the Air Force, with the purpose of training future fighter and bomber pilots. The aircraft is the first digitally designed tactical aircraft, finessed using model-based systems engineering and 3D design tools. The aircraft will replace the 1950’s era T-38 Talon, providing the next generation of warfighters the training capability needed to face current and emerging threats. The T-7A is affectionally crimsoned ‘Red Hawk’ as a homage to the iconic Tuskegee Airmen.

The accomplishment of flying this unique aircraft adds another chapter to the Turner family's rich legacy of aviation firsts. As a third-generation Air Force fighter pilot, Turner follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Alexander Parker Turner, one of the first African American jet pilots in 1956, and his father, Col. (Ret.) Bryan Turner, the first African American F-22 pilot. His callsign, affectionally known as “Triple”, reflects these three generations of Airmen.

Turner's journey is a testament to his exceptional aptitude for aviation and unwavering determination. From an early age, his passion for flying was ignited as he watched his father perform with the Viper Demo Team at Misawa Air Base, Japan. With a strong affinity for problem-solving and mathematics, Turner pursued engineering studies at the University of Virginia, ultimately earning a degree in Aerospace Engineering while participating in the Reserve Officer Training Corps.

Boeing CEO knocks planemaker's deal with Trump on Air Force One....

Boeing said Wednesday it recorded a $660 million charge in its development of Air Force One as its chief executive questioned the planemaker's U.S. presidential aircraft deal, reports Reuters.

In December 2016, then U.S. President-elect Donald Trump extracted a promise from then Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg that the cost of replacing Air Force One would not exceed $4 billion. Trump had earlier urged the government to cancel purchase of Boeing's new Air Force One saying it was "ridiculous" and too expensive.

Boeing on Wednesday recorded a $660-million charge on the Air Force One program, "primarily driven by higher supplier costs, higher costs to finalize technical requirements and schedule delays." It recorded a $318-million charge in April 2021 on the program "largely due to COVID-19 impacts and performance issues at a key supplier."

"Air Force One -- I'm just going to call a very unique moment, a very unique negotiation, a very unique set of risks that Boeing probably shouldn't have taken," Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun told investors. "But we are where we are, and we're going to deliver great aeroplanes. And we're going to recognize the costs associated with it."

The Boeing 747-8s are designed to be an airborne White House able to fly in worst-case security scenarios, such as nuclear war, and are modified with military avionics, advanced communications and a self-defence system.

Boeing received a $3.9 billion contract in 2018 for two 747-8 aircraft to be delivered around 2024. The Pentagon said this month the planes are not likely to be delivered until 2026.

Reporting by David Shepardson and Eric M. Johnson

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AMC Museum receives USAF’s first KC-10A Extender

The very first KC-10A Extender ever produced for the U.S. Air Force was retired from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, to its new home at the Air Mobility Command Museum on Dover AFB, Delaware, April 26, 2022, writes Roland Balik.

Tail number 79-0433 was the first of 60 KC-10A aircraft produced for the Air Force by McDonnell-Douglas and used primarily for aerial refuelling with the capabilities of carrying up to 27 pallets of cargo or performing aeromedical evacuation missions.

The aircraft made its first flight July 12, 1980, and entered service Oct. 1, 1981, with the 32nd Air Refueling Squadron at JBMDL. On Sept. 2, 1994, the Extender was transferred to the 305th Air Mobility Wing at JBMDL.

“This KC-10A was the first KC-10 built and flown as a demonstrator aircraft, and was essentially the prototype for testing both aircraft and air refuelling system on just about every aircraft in the USAF inventory,” said John Taylor, AMC Museum director. “The AMC Museum is a prime location for such an aircraft, and would enable the museum to exhibit in its entirety over 60 years of strategic and tactical air refueling history alongside a KB-50, KC-97 and KC-135.”

During a brief ceremony, Col. Shanon Anderson, 436th Airlift Wing vice commander, reflected on his time flying this particular KC-10.

“I flew this aircraft the first time 21 years ago on Nov. 24, 2001, two months after 9/11 on a combat mission as a copilot,” said Anderson. “I flew my last mission four years later on my 104th combat mission; as an [instructor pilot].”

The KC-10 became the 36th aircraft added to the museum’s inventory.

“The process of retiring the KC-10 started about two years ago, said Stuart Lockhart, 305th AMW historian. “On the July 13, 2020, tail number 86-0036 took off from McGuire [AFB] for that long flight out to the boneyard. And to many of the old hands present, that date is going to sound very familiar; it was exactly 40 years and one day to the date of the first flight of the KC-10 on July 12, 1980. Of course, the aircraft that took that first flight is the one we honor here today.”

According to Taylor, the KC-10 is scheduled to be on static display during the 2022 Thunder Over Dover airshow, May 21-22, and will eventually be parked at the museum after repositioning current display aircraft, and preparing a parking spot.

Story by Roland Balik

For additional information about the KC-10 at the museum, visit https://amcmuseum.org.

U.S. Air Force’s first E-4B simulator is up and running

Photo by Kendra Williams

E-4B pilots and flight engineers have a new way to accomplish training thanks to the delivery of a new E-4B-specific simulator. The milestone was commemorated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a facility in La Vista, Nebraska on the 14th of April.

“The acquisition of the E-4B simulator is the culmination of hard work between Kallita Air, CymStar and the Air Force to bring a dedicated E-4B training capability to the warfighter at their home station,” said Maj. Gen. Andrew Gebara, 8th Air Force commander and ceremony officiator.

Prior to the local trainer, 595th Command and Control Group operators and maintainers were required to train in a 747 simulator with various contractors in locations across the U.S. The recent acquisition of the E-4B simulator is a first for the Air Force.

In September 2020, an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract valued at approximately $9.5 million was awarded to CymStar for the build and delivery of an E-4B training system in order to meet the training needs of Air Force Global Strike Command.

30 years of combat air power - US Air Combat Command.

On June 1, 1992, the U.S. Air Force’s Tactical Air Command and Strategic Air Command major commands combined to form Air Combat Command.

The establishment of ACC followed the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and marked a post-Cold War shift from preparing for large-scale peer conflict to readying forces for smaller-scale regional conflicts and humanitarian operations. Upon activating, ACC assumed control of all fighter units based in the continental United States to also include all bomber aircraft, reconnaissance platforms, battle management resources, and intercontinental ballistic missiles.

ACC focused in on its newly streamlined objectives, creating a culture of inclusivity and diversity, and laid the foundations, from past to present, for success and a legacy of Airmen-led innovation.

Video by Staff Sgt. Crystal Housman

ACC’s beginnings:

The establishment of ACC in 1992 was entrusted to retired Gen. John M. Loh, the final commander of TAC, who set his sights on defining an inclusive culture for the new command.

Loh did not consider himself to be a pioneer, he was just fortunate and humbled enough to be named the first commander of Air Combat Command, and to set the stage and operating style of the command. According to Loh, this wasn’t the old SAC or the old TAC, but a new command that required a new and different culture.

He made communicating his intent for the new command a critical part of his leadership strategy.

When he went out to the field he ensured all Airmen knew they were vitally important to the success of ACC’s mission.

ACC’s future:

ACC leaders are always looking to the future. The creation of a fighter roadmap, assuming the role of lead command for cyber, and other major efforts like standing up the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing, developing cyber mission defence teams, and establishing a Diversity and Inclusion office create more opportunities for ACC Airmen to grow.

To improve readiness the command is instituting the Combat Air Force Force Generation model. ACC is evolving its organizational structures, warfighting concept of operations, force presentation and generation, and how it prepares its Airmen to ensure they are ready strategic competition.

Milestones:

July 1, 1993 – ACC’s ICBM mission, along with the Twentieth Air Force and F.E. Warren AFB transferred to Air Force Space Command.

July 27, 1993 – The first female fighter pilot, 2nd Lt. Jeannie Flynn, began her F-15E course flight training at Luke AFB.

Aug. 11-13, 1993 – Two B-1Bs from the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB circumnavigated the globe for the first time and in a record-breaking 24.4 hours non-stop.

Dec. 11, 1993 – ACC officially accepted ACC-1 (the “Spirit of Missouri), it’s first B-2 aircraft.

June 3, 1995 – Two 7th Bomb Wing B-1Bs landed after completing a historic 36-hour, 13 minute, 20,100 mile, non-stop around-the-world flight.

Aug. 25, 1995 – A 2nd Bomb Wing B-52H Stratofortress and it’s five-member crew set an aviation world record from Edwards AFB, flying 5,400 nautical miles, unrefueled, with a payload of 11,000 pounds – in 11 hours, 23 minutes with an average speed of 556 mph.

Aug. 31, 1995 – ACC’s first SR-71 Blackbird aircrew became fully mission qualified, with the second crew being qualified Nov. 21, 1995.

June 11, 1996 – The first production E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft was formally accepted by ACC and the 93d Air Control Wing at Robins AFB.

April 9, 1997 – The first production F-22 was unveiled and named “Spirit of America.”

Sept. 11, 2001 – As one of the earliest response unit F-15 Eagles from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB were scrambled in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Dec. 30, 2002 – ACC accepted its first F-22 Raptor.

Jan. 22, 2006 – The 27th Fighter Squadron from Langley AFB flew the first F-22 operational sorties in support of Operation NOBLE EAGLE.

Feb. 7, 2008 – The first overseas operational deployment of the 12 F-22 Raptors from the 27th Fighter Squadron supporting the U.S. Pacific Command’s Theater Security Package in the Western Pacific.

March 6, 2013 – ACC’s first F-35s were delivered to Nellis and Edwards AFBs.

May 3, 2013 – ACC declared Initial Operation Capability for the F-35A.

Oct. 1, 2015 – ACC officially transferred the B-1B lancers of the 7th and 28th Bomb Wings and the Long-Range Strike-Bomber Program to Air Force Global Strike Command, placing all strategic command bomber assets under a single MAJCOM.

Sept. 1, 2017 – As the first operational F-35 unit, the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill AFB received its twenty-sixth and final block 3F F-35A.

June 7, 2018 – Air Force officials announced the service’s cyber responsibilities will realign to ACC from AFSPC.

April 15, 2019 – ACC F-35A Lightning II’s deployed into combat for the first time from the 4th Fighter Squadron at Hill AFB.

April 30, 2019 – Two U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II’s conducted the first combat airstrikes of that platform in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.

Oct. 11, 2019 – ACC activates Sixteenth Air Force at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, integrating Twenty-Fourth Air Force along with Air Force Cyber, and Twenty-Fifth Air Force into a single headquarters to provide global intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber, electronic warfare and information operations.

Aug. 20, 2020 – ACC activates Fifteenth Air Force, integrating wings and direct reporting units from the Twelfth Air Force and Ninth Air Force to form the 15th AF, responsible for generating and presenting ACC’s conventional forces.

Oct. 29, 2020 – The first iteration of AGILE FLAG ended. The experiment was a stepping stone to the ability to deploy into theatre as Lead Wings.

Nov. 5, 2020 – The 23rd Wing and 347th Rescue Group leadership received the Air Force’s first two HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters at Moody AFB.

April 20, 2021 – ACC’s receives its first F-15EX Eagle II designated EX-2 at Eglin AFB, Florida.

 by Staff Sgt. Dana Tourtellotte

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B-1B Lancer Undergoes Electronic Warfare Testing in the BAF

 Photo by Giancarlo Casem

A B-1B Lancer was rolled into the Benefield Anechoic Facility (BAF) at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on May 20. The aircraft will undergo testing of a portion of the B-1B Defensive Software suite, Pre-processor Flight Software (PFS) 6.42.

“We’re going to look at the AN/ALQ-161A and its response to various threat signals,” said Capt. Shawn Whitney, who serves as the B-1B PFS 6.42 project test lead for the Global Power Bomber (GPB) Combined Test Force (CTF).

The aircraft used for the test is a B-1B Lancer from the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron, 53rd Wing, out of Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. It will be in the BAF for approximately two weeks Whitney said.

“PFS 6.42 is the latest block-cycle upgrade in the B-1B’s defensive system suite of software that utilizes the AN/ALQ-161A to protect the B-1 and aircrew. It employs approximately 108 line-replaceable units in an integrated architecture to automatically detect, identify, prioritize, and jam hostile radars in a dense electromagnetic environment,” Whitney explained.

Reaching across flights in the pursuit of safety

In 2020, the Air Force Medical Readiness Agency began investigating whether there was possible exposure to carcinogens for personnel working with fighter jets, specifically to hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen created out of regular chromium.

As a consulting agency for all of the Pacific Air Force, the Theatre Prevention Medicine Flight out of the 18th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, were tasked to assist with the research. They then turned to the Human Performance Optimization Flight and the Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight — their brother flights from the OMRS — to collect the samples needed for analyzing.

Regular chromium is often used in anti-corrosion paint, which is used by General Electric on some of the aircraft parts they provide to Kadena Air Base, explained 1st Lt. Madeleine Kallerud, the occupational health element chief for the Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight.

“Once it gets oxidized and reacts with calcium and magnesium that come from the engine, it creates this more hazardous part of hexavalent chromium, which is the concern,” she said. “Hexavalent chromium has been identified by the Occupational Safety Health Administration as being a potential carcinogen. There’s a potential contact and inhalation hazard over the course of eight hours.”

GDC Technics lays off 223 people after losing Air Force One job

Photo Boeing

GDC Technics confirmed on Friday that it was being forced to lay off 223 jobs after Boeing gave the subcontractor the sack from working on the new VC-25B aircraft, commonly known as Air Force One when the President is on board. 

GDC Technics CEO Brad Foreman said it anticipated most operations at its Fort Worth headquarters would cease. It also would close its San Antonio facility where the Air Force One work was done.

Boeing had taken legal action against GDC, which it said was running into financial problems and had missed deadlines, causing millions in damages to Boeing and jeopardizing work critically important to the U.S. Air Force and the president.

KC-135 Stratotankers; fuelling the fight as Red Flag 21-1 integrates space, cyberspace for joint all-domain operations training

Photo by Airman 1st Class Dwane Young

Red Flag 21-1 is well underway. Pilots, crew members and maintainers look to find their stride within the frenetic pace of day and night missions. Those who look to the skies over Nellis AFB can bear witness to the revolving door of aircrafts constantly taking off and landing.

Tasked with refueling these aircraft is an integrated team from the 906th Air Refueling Squadron (ARS), Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, and the 91st ARS, MacDill AFB, Florida, and their KC-135 Stratotankers.

The KC-135 Stratotanker has provided aerial refueling for the United States Air Force, joint partners and allied nation aircraft for more than 50 years.

“This is my first Red Flag, and it’s amazing,” said Senior Airman Edwin Mensah, 906th ARS boom operator. “I’ve been refueling aircraft for five years now, but you really don’t get to do it at this level unless you deploy.”

Red Flag provides essential training for its participants, but for Capt. Titan Miller, 906th ARS KC-135 pilot, it also serves as a benchmark of accomplishment.

Miller participated in Red Flag ten years ago as a Boom Operator and now returns as a KC-135 pilot.

“This moment for me is a dream realized,” said Miller. “Red Flag is designed to give you critical experience and no matter the job you perform, after you leave here, you leave better.”

Photo by Airman 1st Class Dwane Young

Firebirds training in southwestern US highlights C-17 capabilities

Photo Photo by Airman 1st Class Faith Schaefer

On the morning of Jan. 8, 2021, 13 U.S. Airmen, all assigned to the 517th Airlift Squadron, boarded a C-17A Globemaster III aircraft and flew from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to March Air Reserve Base, California. Their mission: to train and prepare for global operations in a deployed environment, reports Samuel Colvin.

The crew brought computers, printers, projectors and other supplies with them to set up a mobile mission-planning cell (MMPC) to plan airlift operations in a simulated austere environment. An MMPC kit can be set up anywhere in the world to plan airlift operations in locations where a well-established network may not be available.

The week of training focused on Agile Combat Employment (ACE), an operational concept designed to develop Airmen to become multi-functional and operate from smaller, tactical-level forces to increase combat capability.