Below: A New York Air National Guard parares- cue airman works on a simulated patient using Battlefield Air Targeting Man-Aided kNowledge (BATMAN) equipment during a casualty drill at Francis S. Gabreski ANGB, N.Y. BATMAN wear- able technology includes lightweight sensors and comms gear for battlefield airmen. Right: Second Lt. Krystin Shanklin demonstrates “leap- ahead” technologies that will help USAF gain the dominant edge.

20 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2016

By John A. Tirpak, Editorial Director

USAF will embrace leap-ahead “Third Offset” technologies to sustain its position of dominance.

to maintain the stealth, and space-enabled capabili- “The demands on the force,” she Air Force’s technology edge, ties, among many others, adversary said, are so intense that “I believe more service leaders at AFA’s Air militaries are “developing technolo- than 317,000 is likely to be prudent.” Warfare Symposium said they’ve gies and strategies to counter this The increase would come through a closely aligned their Fiscal 2017 advantage.” combination of recruiting and reten- budget request with the Defense In her keynote address, James said, tion of those with vital skills, she said. Department’s “Third Offset” strat- “No one knows exactly what that The entire Air Force, Welsh said, is egy, intended to develop leap-ahead next Third Offset will entail,” but a “low-density, high-demand” asset, capabilities. Technology-driven since she promised that USAF and airmen using a term that came into vogue in its origins, USAF plans to lead the “will lead the way by turning theory the 1990s to describe an often-utilized Third Offset charge. into reality.” capability that never has enough ca- Speaking in Orlando, Fla., Air Force Welsh noted in his speech that USAF pacity to go around. Secretary Deborah Lee James and is short of airmen, particularly in ar- “Everybody wants more airpower,” Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh eas such as remotely piloted aircraft he said, describing the insatiable de- III said they’ve substantially boosted operators and maintainers. Though mand from regional commanders for USAF’s latest funding requests for the Air Force requested a slight boost intelligence, surveillance, and recon- research and development, structur- in airmen for Fiscal 2017, James said naissance, mobility, command and con- ing new programs to evolve and adapt she may use executive measures to trol, strike, contracting,“everything.” rapidly as competitors acquire the very temporarily increase end strength to If there’s insufficient capacity in all capabilities that have given USAF cope with missions in high demand these areas when the next major con- decades of air and space dominance. but that don’t have enough people. tingency erupts, he warned, “you will Over the last 25 years, James said, Though USAF is authorized 311,000 lose.” The lack of depth in USAF’s “the world has been watching us,” and airmen, James said under the law she capacity should be “an important having seen the benefits of precision, can increase that by two percent. discussion as we get into planning for

USAF photos by Richard Eldridge

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2016 21 future contingency operations,” Welsh asserted, saying he believes it’s time past due for a national debate on sizing and modernizing the service. In fact, Welsh said, both moderniza- tion and readiness have been hammered so long in the Air Force—because of 25 years of nonstop combat operations— that its ability to do what it’s asked to do may be in question. “If somebody asks you, is the Air Force ready?” Welsh asked rhetorically, the answer would have to be another question: “To do what?” If the service is only required to perform close air support in the current Middle East fight, then “Yep, we’re 100 percent ready. Send us,” Welsh said. But if the mission is a major theater war in Europe or the Pacific, “against a well-trained, well- equipped enemy, the answer is, ‘We’re not very ready for that.’ And it’s going to be ugly.” Throughout the conference, USAF leaders talked about these new capabili- ties largely in the abstract, reluctant to discuss many specific efforts that may already be underway in the classified world. However, some technology ar- USAF photo by SSgt. Corey Hook eas are almost certain to play a role. USAF photo by TSgt. Robert J. Horstman These include hypersonics; autonomy and artificial intelligence; “swarming” unmanned platforms; “arsenal planes” and stealth unmanned escort aircraft; smarter, faster, and longer-ranged muni- tions, directed energy; cyber weapons; and man-machine interfaces that will help speed up decision-making. All are supposed to defeat the same capabilities that gave the US such a lopsided victory in 1991’s Operation Desert Storm and in nearly a dozen other conflicts since—those described as the “Second Offset” to superior numbers in the old Soviet military in the 1970s and ’80s.

22 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2016 B-2, and the aircraft’s overall shape with each other to find targets if the is a winged diamond—similar to the communications or sensor links to the B-2 but lacking two of its “sawtooth” launching aircraft are lost. trailing edges. The exhaust area was Just before the Fiscal 2017 budget not depicted, and it’s not possible from was rolled out, Defense Secretary the image to determine the aircraft’s Ashton B. Carter gave a speech in size or true wing angle of sweep. which he said the US military might Along with USAF’s other fifth look to “arsenal planes” as one way generation platforms, the F-22 and to marry legacy technologies—exist- F-35, the B-21 “will give our country ing aircraft—with large magazines of a networked sensor-shooter capability long-range, stealthy standoff muni- enabling us to hold targets at risk in a tions. way the world—and our adversaries— “Let’s say we had something stealthy have never, ever seen,” James said. that was unmanned, that carried 16 She declined to provide any fur- missiles and was semi-autonomous,” ther details, telling reporters that the said Air Combat Command boss Gen. aircraft remains classified and that Herbert J. “Hawk” Carlisle. It would withholding some program and visual be able to penetrate “with the Raptor” information “is all part and parcel of and use the F-22’s sensors “through protecting the critical capabilities of a ‘combat cloud’ ” network to select the aircraft.” targets and shoot at them. The F-22 James said the B-21 program’s pilot could first expend all the escort’s unique organization suggests how weapons and then remain in the bat- other new high-tech projects may tlespace with a full internal combat advance. The B-21 has been managed load, he explained. The effort has from the outset by USAF’s Rapid been referred to as “loyal wingman.” Capabilities Office, which so far has Such “manned/unmanned pairing” no analogy among the other services. concepts are being explored by “na- The small, secret RCO has been tional labs—Lawrence Livermore working “hand in hand with the Life [and] MIT Lincoln Lab”—and Air Left: A B-52H on static display with weap- ons that demonstrate the broad capa- Cycle Management Center” to create Force Research Lab, in conjunction bilities of the veteran bomber. Above: A an open architecture for the bomber with ACC, Carlisle said. Hawaii-based F-22 Raptor flies over the that will not only closely manage James told reporters that “there has Arabian Sea during a mission for Opera- tion Inherent Resolve. The F-22 is a can- operating costs but frequently insert been no decision per se on the type of didate for manned/unmanned pairing with new technologies, keeping the B-21 aircraft that would become” the arsenal autonomous wingman aircraft. ahead of world anti-access, area-denial plane, but it’s an example of “some systems, she said. of the creative thinking” going into The “First Offset” was relying on Work has outlined five “building Third Offset strategies. Welsh added nuclear weapons in the 1950s to address blocks” for the Third Offset, James that a case could be made for arsenal the Soviet numerical advantage. explained. They are: “autonomous plane-like platforms “in near-space Deputy Defense Secretary Robert O. learning systems,” which are ma- … [or] behind the battle lines. … It Work coined the term “Third Offset” chines that can learn and adapt over just depends on what you’re trying last year. time; “human-machine collabora- to do.” Whether it becomes a “Coke Emblematic of USAF’s effort to lead tions,” wherein machines help humans machine” that dispenses the type of the new technology push will be the process vast amounts of information, munition requested at will remains B-21 bomber, previously called the as the F-35’s helmet does; “assisted to be seen. Long-Range Strike Bomber. James human operations,” translated by Carlisle said numbers have become revealed the aircraft’s designation— James as “wearable technology,” such almost as important as high technol- which she chose to evoke the notion as lightweight sensors and communi- ogy in air combat, and arsenal planes of a “21st century” system—as well cations gear for battlefield airmen; might help restore some of USAF’s as an “altered” artist’s conception. “human-machine combat teaming,” lost numerical capacity. He also said The image strongly resembles the where a manned system, such as an ACC is working with technologists earliest publicly released picture of the aircraft, would partner with an un- on miniature munitions with the same B-2 bomber, unveiled in 1988. Like manned platform that would provide or greater “range and kill capacity” the B-2, the B-21 is a flying wing, sensor information, communications, as today’s munitions, so that more but one with flatter, more angular or extra munitions; and “network-en- could be carried internally on stealth air intakes than the B-2’s rounded, abled semi-autonomous technology.” fighters. Because of improvements in scalloped intakes. The cockpit is James said this fifth building block adversary aircraft, the probability of a positioned similarly to that on the would allow weapons to communicate kill with today’s AMRAAM requires

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2016 23 SSgt. William Raydon receives mild elec- tronic brain stimulation as part of a study performed by AFRL, while Andy McKinley monitors the progress of the experiment. Stimulating targeted areas of the brain can USAF photos improve visual targeting and attention span, lessen the effects of fatigue, and improve energy levels and mood. have dramatically advanced hyperson- to make room for new ones will have ics knowledge at a comparatively low to be done “very, very prudently” to that pilots take two shots to be sure cost. “Something we didn’t do,” he make sure combat commanders have of destroying an enemy, “so that, by observed, was to “take that configura- the combat capability they need while definition, cuts your payload in half,” tion and keep building on it.” the B-21 matures, Rand said. Carlisle noted. Air Force Global Strike Command Welsh told reporters the Bomber chief Gen. Robin Rand reported he Roadmap is a “living document” that GET HYPER would present an updated Bomber is routinely updated and shouldn’t be One likely payload for a large Roadmap to Welsh in March. It would, viewed as a new initiative. arsenal plane would be hypersonic for the first time, take into account While Global Strike command- missiles. The Air Force has touted the new B-21 bomber—now that the ers have made a heavy push for re- hypersonics as one of the transforma- contract has been awarded and the engining the B-52 in recent years, tive technologies that will propel the protest resolved—as well as other “we haven’t figured out a way to service into the future. The technology projects like the Long-Range Standoff put it in the budget,” said Air Force offers very high-speed and long-range Missile, or LRSO. The plan will refine Materiel Command chief Gen. Ellen strike capabilities that are hard to “where we want to be in 2025 and M. Pawlikowski. defend against. Such missiles could out,” he told reporters. Rand would A re-engining would extend the restore the relevance of some older not say whether the LRSO is planned B-52’s range, improve its speed to al- platforms that increasingly must op- to be hypersonic—there have been titude, and sharply reduce maintenance erate well outside enemy air defense suggestions that it will be—but did costs, but the projected savings would regions. say that he doesn’t think the B-21 take too long to pay back the initial in- Hypersonics may not be getting the will be “additive” to the bomber fleet. vestment, Pawlikowski said. Likewise, necessary level of support, though, “As we get closer” to fielding the “a number” of novel and “third party” according to Mark J. Lewis, head of B-21, he said, USAF will decide “if financing schemes were looked at, but the Institute for Defense Analyses’ we’re going to do further moderniza- “the business case wouldn’t close” on Science and Technology Policy In- tion on the B-1, the B-2, and B-52.” any of them, she said. The precipitous stitute. A former chief scientist of If the decision is to keep all of them, drop in the price of fuel was not the the Air Force, Lewis said funding efforts will have to be made now to only reason the idea didn’t pan out. for hypersonics is relatively small ensure there will be enough aircrews Re-engining, though, is definitely given the potential payoff. The X-51 and maintainers for them, but he on the mind of Air Mobility Command Waverider project, he said, was a huge believes it would be “very difficult” chief Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II, success but wasn’t properly followed to afford yet another logistics train. who is looking at such programs for up, and additional test flights could Phasing out some existing bombers his C-17 and C-130 fleets.

24 AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2016 Information System (ALIS) and the Generation III helmet.

Boeing photo Boeing The Air Force must still go through a process of defining tightly just what electronic warfare/electronic attack is, and who has responsibility for it. For- mer Chief of Staff retired Gen. Larry D. Welch chided the service, saying, “We don’t know who owns it, where it fits. It’s not cyber.” He doesn’t be- lieve USAF should necessarily create a new warfighting “domain” for EW/ EA, “but I do know the Air Force has been particularly remiss in not doing enough electronic warfare.” USAF’s shortcomings are particularly evident given the gains in EW/EA by Russia, China, and the US Navy, Welch said. Though he did not respond directly to his predecessor’s remarks, Welsh suggested that the F-35 has strong electronic attack capability and said it has EA equipment “built into” it, while the Navy EA-18G Growler has had to have external equipment purpose-built A ground crew makes the final checks on the X-51A Waverider scramjet before its sec- for the mission. ond test flight in 2011. Former Air Force Chief Scientist Mark Lewis said the Waverid­ er was a huge success that wasn’t built on. Additional test flights could have yielded a Welsh also noted that there has been great deal of hypersonics knowledge for little cost. a defensewide look at EW/EA for over a year, but that a clear definition still “Fuel efficiency is big to me,” he get an omnibus improvement called eludes USAF. “A single broad term … said in his Orlando speech. As aircraft the Combat Avionics Programmed actually confuses things,” he asserted age, efficiency will be a big driver of Extension Suite (CAPES), but only in a press conference. “So we’re trying whether to pursue re-engining, he said. pieces of it are still in the budget. to clearly define the mission area, the The Air Force recently took delivery Some 52 aircraft will get an active requirements within it, and who should of its last F117 engine for the C-17 electronically scanned array (AESA) have the lead for each of those things.” fleet, which is considered to be at radar to meet an “urgent operation middle age. Everhart said AMC will need” from US Northern Command STRATEGIC DETERRENT host an industry day soon to explore to meet air defense requirements, but The Air Force needs a new Ground- the possibilities, and “everything’s “there are more things that I’d like to Based Strategic Deterrence by 2030 on the table.” do” to the venerable Falcon, he said. because the existing Minuteman III The C-5M is a poster child for Meanwhile, Carlisle said he will fleet of ICBMs has reached the end of re-engining, he said. The upgraded “continue to push” to build 80 F-35s its useful service life, Rand said. The aircraft take off more reliably, require a year. Air Force needs the B-21, LRSO, and less repair, get to altitude faster, can Lockheed Martin F-35 program GBSD to meet its nuclear deterrence operate off shorter runways, and re- manager Jeff A. Babione told reporters obligations. quire fewer air refuelings to get where in Orlando the company expects to While the Navy has won a special they’re going. provide USAF with everything it needs set-aside account for replacement of the “We can take off from Dover [AFB, to declare initial operational capabil- Ohio-class nuclear missile submarine, Del.] … and go all the way to Incirlik, ity with the strike fighter in time for James has requested but not gotten simi- Turkey,” with a max load. “It’s pretty its target of August-December. Seven lar status for USAF’s legs of the nuclear remarkable,” he said. of the 12 minimum aircraft required triad. In fact, Carter said at an AFA The Air Force has struggled for are already at Hill AFB, Utah, and conference that “you can’t create new years with how to pay for new F-35s Lockheed Martin should deliver “five money by relabeling it.” Nevertheless, while simultaneously upgrading exist- or six more” by August. Declaring the James said “we’re still in discussions” ing fourth generation fighters. Carlisle aircraft ready for combat operations about a set-aside account that would said 1,763 stealthy F-35s remains “the will rest with Carlisle. USAF still not compete with USAF’s massive con- right number,” but F-16s “are going needs “a few things from us” before ventional system modernization effort. to be around a long time” and will IOC, Babione said. Those include a “I think we’re making progress; need an upgrade. The F-16 was to more mature Autonomic Logistics we’re not there, yet,” she said. J

AIR FORCE Magazine / April 2016 25