Air Force World By Aaron M. U. Church, Associate Editor

Welsh Nominated as Chief of Staff support, opening the additional option President Obama nominated Gen. of purchasing 38 more F-35s, according Mark A. Welsh III, now serving as com- to the Defense Security Cooperation screenshot mander, US Air Forces in Europe, to Agency. succeed Gen. Norton A. Schwartz as “Japan is one of the major political the USAF’s next Chief of Staff. and economic powers in East Asia and Pending Senate approval, Welsh the Western Pacific and a key ally of the would become the Air Force’s 20th in ensuring the peace and

Chief of Staff. Defense Secretary Leon stability of this region,” DSCA stated in USAF photo by A1C Ashlee Galloway E. Panetta in a May 10 press briefing an announcement May 1. announced the nomination. “The proposed sale of aircraft and “If confirmed, I’ll do everything in my support will augment Japan’s opera- power to live up to the example set by tional aircraft inventory and enhance its [General Schwartz and the other] great air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defense officers who have led our service so capability,” the agency said. well throughout its remarkable history,” Japan selected the F-35 as its next said Welsh. generation fighter last December to be- Prior to leading USAFE, Welsh worked gin replacing the Japan Air Self-Defense for Panetta at the CIA; Welsh was the Force’s aged F-4J Phantom fleet. associate director for military affairs Meanwhile, Australia has decided when Panetta was director of the agency. to delay purchasing its 12 initial F-35s “Over the course of our time working by two years as a budgetary measure, together, I developed a deep appreciation Business Week reported three days for his wisdom and his counsel,” Panetta after Congress was apprised of the said in his statement. Japan sale. Before the CIA job, Welsh was vice commander at Air Education and Training Lightning Plan B, Again Command. He graduated from the Air Britain has abandoned fitting its new Force Academy in 1976 and has logged class of aircraft carriers with catapults more than 3,400 flight hours, mostly in and arresting gear to accommodate the fighters and training aircraft. F-35C strike fighter, opting instead to return to the F-35B short takeoff and Senior Leaders Shift vertical landing variant. Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Philip M. Defense Minister Philip Hammond Breedlove has been tapped to command said the UK government’s 2010 deci- US Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein sion to abandon the F-35B in favor of AB, Germany, Pentagon officials an- the longer range, carrier-optimized nounced May 11. F-35C “was right at the time, but the Breedlove has served as vice chief facts have changed and therefore so, since January 2011 and was confirmed too, must our approach.” May 24 for his new position. He will re- Hammond said cost estimates for place Gen. Mark A. Welsh III at USAFE’s building Britain’s two Queen Elizabeth helm. II-class carriers with electromagnetic Also on May 24, Lt. Gen. Larry O. catapults had doubled since 2010, as- Spencer received confirmation for a serting that the cost outweighed the fourth star. He will replace Breedlove strategic benefits of a more capable as vice chief of staff. and interoperable carrier. Spencer has served as Joint Staff’s The F-35C “no longer represents the director of force structure, resources, best way ... and I am not prepared to and assessment since April 2010. tolerate a three-year further delay to reintroducing our carrier strike capabil- Proposed F-35 Sale To Japan ity,” he said in justifying his decision to The Pentagon notified Congress of a Parliament May 10. potential foreign military sale of F-35A Britain’s first F-35B is scheduled to strike fighters to Japan earlier this year. enter service this summer, beginning The $10 billion deal would supply carrier trials aboard HMS Queen Eliza- Japan four aircraft along with parts and beth II in 2018, according to Hammond.

12 AIR FORCE Magazine / July 2012 Get Ready To Sandbag In presidentially declared emergen- The law also permits reserve mobili- Air Force Reservists can now be ac- cies, state governors can now request zations for extended periods to support tivated to respond to a natural disaster reserve assistance from every service deployed theater security missions. or civil emergency, according to a new branch, for up to 120 days, according measure included in the Fiscal 2012 to AFRC officials. NATO Missile Shield Operational defense authorization act. Since it is under the control of the NATO has an operational interim “We mobilize Reservists to handle states during peacetime, the National ballistic missile defense, shielding the contingencies overseas, so it makes Guard has traditionally filled this role. The European mainland, the Alliance an- sense that we do that to take care of Reserve force is under federal control, nounced at its summit in Chicago, May 21. our own country,” said Lt. Gen. Charles but as a result of the new law, both the The interim system comprises a E. Stenner Jr., Air Force Reserve Com- Guard and Reserve may now be called command and control hub at Allied Air mand boss, in a news release May 20. upon to provide state aid. Command headquarters, Ramstein AB,

During a moment of downtime, Maj. Pete Reddan works on a song while he and his 06.13.2012 guitar lean against the tire of a C-17 Globemaster III at JB Charleston, S.C. Reddan, a pilot, wrote “Off to War,” which was recently recorded by country and western recording artist Brad Anderson.

AIR FORCE Magazine / July 2012 13 Air Force World

Senior Staff Changes orbit-raising activity,” said Col. Michael Sarchet, AEHF program manager. The RETIREMENTS: Lt. Gen. Marc E. Rogers, Maj. Gen. Kathleen D. Close, Maj. Gen. Richard crucial boost also “raised the satellite T. Devereaux, Maj. Gen. Howard N. Thompson, Maj. Gen. Mark R. Zamzow, Brig. Gen. above the Van Allen radiation belts and Gregory L. Brundidge. region of space with the densest space NOMINATIONS: To be General: Paul J. Selva, Larry O. Spencer. To be Lieutenant Gen- debris,” he said. eral: Darren McDew, Noel T. Jones, Thomas W. Travis. To be Major General: Timothy Controllers then began firing the M. Ray. To be Brigadier General: David B. Been, Bobby V. Page. To be ANG Lieutenant satellite’s Hall Current Thruster, to General: Michael D. Dubie, Joseph L. Lengyel. To be ANG Brigadier General: Russ A. gradually dampen AEHF-2’s elliptical Walz, Donald S. Wenke, Wayne A. Zimmet. orbit onto a more circular trajectory until the satellite achieves its intended CHANGES: Brig. Gen. Dwyer L. Dennis, from Dir., Intel., Surveillance, Recon, & Rqmts., geosynchronous rotation. AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to PEO, Fighters & Bombers, AF Life Cycle Mgmt. AEHF-2 blasted off atop a United Center, AFMC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio ... Maj. Gen. Sharon K. Dunbar, from Dir., Force Mgmt. Policy, DCS, Manpower, Personnel, & Svcs., USAF, Pentagon, to Cmdr., AF District Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from of Washington, JB Andrews, Md. ... Brig. Gen. Mark A. Ediger, Cmdr., AF Medical Ops. Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., May 4. Agency, Office of the Surgeon General, San Antonio, to Dep. Surgeon General, Office of The first AEHF satellite finished the Surgeon General, USAF, Pentagon ... Brig. Gen. Edward A. Fienga, from Exec. Officer on-orbit testing earlier this year. The to the Cmdr., AFSPC, Peterson AFB, Colo., to the Dep. Dir., Prgms., Office of the DCS, complete constellation is intended to Strat. Plans & Prgms., USAF, Pentagon ... Brig. Gen. Gina M. Grosso, from Dir., Manpower, replace the military’s current Milstar Orgn. & Resources, DCS, Manpower, Personnel, & Svcs., USAF, Pentagon, to Dir., Force communications satellites. Mgmt. Policy, DCS, Manpower, Personnel, & Svcs., USAF, Pentagon ... Brig. Gen. Francis L. from Cmdr., Army & AF Exchange Svc., Dallas, to the Spec. Asst. to the DCS, Hendricks, RPA Pilots Finish ANG FTU Manpower, Personnel, & Svcs., USAF, Pentagon ... Brig. Gen. Richard A. Klumpp Jr., from Dir., US Forces-Afghanistan Liaison to the US Embassy, CENTCOM, Kabul, Afghanistan, The first four Active Duty aircrew to Dir., Strat. Planning, DCS, Strat. Plans & Prgms., USAF, Pentagon ... Brig. Gen. Mark M. members graduated from the New York McLeod, from Dir., Log., PACAF, JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, to Dir., Log., Engineer, & ’s MQ-9 Reaper Security Assistance, PACOM, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii ... Maj. Gen. Kenneth D. Merchant, formal training unit at Syracuse in May, from Cmdr., Air Armament Center, AFMC, Eglin AFB, Fla., to PEO, Weapons, AF Life Cycle according to wing officials. Mgmt. Center, AFMC, Eglin AFB, Fla. ... Maj. Gen. Craig S. Olson, from PEO, Business & The 174th Fighter Wing schoolhouse Enterprise Sys., ESC, AFMC, Maxwell AFB-Gunter Annex, Ala., to PEO, Command, Con- is the first ANG Reaper unit and is trol, & Comm. Info. & Networks, AF Life Cycle Mgmt. Center, AFMC, Hanscom AFB, Mass. tasked with training Active Duty, ANG, ... Maj. Gen. Darryl L. Roberson, from Dir., Strat. Planning, DCS, Strat. Plans & Prgms., Air Force Reserve, and foreign military USAF, Pentagon, to the Vice Dir., Jt. Staff, Pentagon ... Gen. (sel.) Larry O. Spencer, from Dir., Force Structure, Resources, & Assessments, Jt. Staff, Pentagon, to Vice C/S, USAF, MQ-9 pilots. Pentagon ... Maj. Gen. Margaret H. Woodward, from Spec. Asst. to the DCS, Ops., Plans, Half the 45-day course, to upgrade & Rqmts., USAF, Pentagon, to AF Chief, Safety, USAF, Pentagon. n from the MQ-1 Predator to the MQ-9 Reaper, is done at Syracuse, while Germany, linking various nations’ missile solar array to begin onboard power the other half is spent flying Reapers interceptors and sensors spread across generation, AFSPC said May 17. This over a military range near Watertown, the continent. step marked the “completion of ap- N.Y., or Creech AFB, Nev., according “Our system will link together missile proximately 60 percent of AEHF-2’s total to the wing. defense assets from different allies—sat- ellites, ships, radars, and interceptors— under NATO command and control,” said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

“It will allow us to defend against USAF video image threats from outside the Euro-Atlantic area,” he noted, including Iran and North Korea. The first stage anti-ballistic missile system includes US Aegis radar ships equipped with interceptor missiles as well as US ground-based radars stationed in Kurecik, Turkey, US officials said. Full operational capability of the Al- liance’s BMD is expected “around the end of the current decade or early next decade,” according to NATO.

AEHF-2 Easing Into Position The Air Force and Lockheed Martin recently completed the first stage of raising the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite into an opera- tional orbit, Air Force Space Command Not a Space Vacuum: The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-2), USAF’s unmanned, announced. reusable spaceplane, lands at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., June 16. OTV-2 launched from The satellite completed its liquid Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., in March 2011. It conducted secret on-orbit experiments for apogee burn and deployment of its 469 days.

14 AIR FORCE Magazine / July 2012 Francis Gary Powers Awarded Silver Star

Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz on June 15 presented “met the eligibility criteria for the Silver Star,” according to an a Silver Star medal to Francis Gary Powers, posthumously Air Force statement. honoring the Cold War U-2 pilot for gallantry and sustained Further, “based on the precedent of the award to two other courage during 21 months of captivity in the Soviet Union. officers similarly shot down and held prisoner in the USSR,” Grandchildren of Powers accepted the Silver Star on behalf it found that awarding Powers the Silver Star “would be ap- of their grandfather, who died in August 1977 at age 47. The propriate.” Consequently, the board directed that Powers decoration came more than 50 years after Powers returned receive the medal. from Soviet captivity. The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decora- A Russian SA-2 surface-to-air tion awarded to a member of any missile downed Powers’ U-2 airplane US military branch for valor in the during a top-secret CIA-run recon- face of the enemy.

naissance mission over the Soviet USAF photo When Powers, then a first lieuten- Union on May 1, 1960. The Soviet ant on Active Duty, joined the CIA’s Union held him in solitary confine- Aquatone overhead reconnaissance ment in Lubyanka prison in Moscow program in 1956 to fly the U-2, he until his release in a US-Soviet spy ostensibly became a civilian, like the swap on Feb. 10, 1962. other U-2 pilots of that time. “For almost 107 days” during this “The national security interests period, “Powers was interrogated, of the United States required that harassed, and endured unmention- [Powers] be publically presented able hardships on a continuous basis as a civilian contractor,” accord- by numerous top Soviet secret police ing to the Air Force’s statement. interrogating teams,” reads his Silver However, “in reality, he was a Star award citation. commissioned officer on Active “Although greatly weakened Duty until March 1, 1963,” reads physically by the lack of food, denial the statement. of sleep, and the mental rigors of The AFBCMR on Feb. 15, 2000, constant interrogation, Captain Pow- corrected Powers’ records to ac- ers steadfastly refused all attempts knowledge his Active Duty status to give sensitive defense informa- throughout the Aquatone program tion or be exploited for propaganda up until his discharge as a cap- Powers (r) with U-2 designer Kelly Johnson in 1966. purposes,” states the citation. tain. It also recognized him as a It continues: “As a result of his prisoner in the Soviet Union, for indomitable spirit, exceptional loyalty, and continuous heroic which he posthumously received the Prisoner of War Medal. actions, Russian intelligence gained no vital information from Prior to Powers’ fateful mission, U-2s had operated for him.” several years with impunity in Soviet airspace, but US Power’s shootdown and capture was one of the Cold War’s intelligence knew that the Soviets were fielding missiles most memorable incidents. It heightened tension between that could reach the high-flying reconnaissance aircraft. the two superpowers and delivered Soviet Premier Nikita Powers took off from Pakistan on a course meant to Khrushchev a propaganda coup. take him across Afghanistan and over the Soviet Union Despite faithfully serving his country and helping to gather until exiting Soviet airspace near Murmansk and eventu- invaluable intelligence on Soviet military activity for the Eisen- ally landing in Norway. However, about four hours into his hower Administration during his secret U-2 flights over Soviet flight, the SA-2 detonated near Powers’ U-2, blowing off territory starting in 1956, the aircraft’s tail. the nation never treated Powers bailed out and Powers as a hero until after was quickly captured. The his death. Soviets staged a show Powers was in part a vic- trial that sentenced him tim of Cold War secrecy, with to prison for espionage. decades passing before the After his return to the US government declassified United States, Powers details of his service. Cold USAF photo by Scott AshM. worked for Lockheed for War politics also caused seven years and then the government that should became a helicopter pi- have embraced him to shun lot broadcasting traffic him upon his return. updates in Los Angeles. Slowly, the veil lifted and He died in a helicopter the truth has emerged. The crash. Air Force Board for the Cor- Powers has also post- rection of Military Records humously received the (AFBCMR) decided on Dec. Distinguished Flying 8, 2011—after Powers’ son, Cross, National De- Francis Gary Powers Jr., Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, presents Pow- fense Service Medal, petitioned the board in March ers’ Silver Star to his grandchildren, Francis Gary Powers III and and, from the CIA, the of last year—that Powers Lindsey Berry. Director’s Medal. n

AIR FORCE Magazine / July 2012 15 Air Force World

“The Syracuse FTU has been top notch from Day 1—easily the best learn- KC-46A Moves Ahead ing environment I’ve experienced in the Air Force,” said one of the first trainees Boeing’s KC-46A tanker passed its USAF preliminary design review in May, to graduate. demonstrating the aircraft “meets system requirements and establishes the basis for proceeding with detailed design,” the company stated. Falcon Targets Debut “Working closely with our Air Force teammates, we’ve made tremendous A QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target progress in the past 14 months and have the foundation in place to enter flew for the first time—albeit in manned the detailed design phase,” Maureen Dougherty, Boeing KC-46 program configuration—on a flight from Naval Air manager, said on May 8. Station Cecil Field near Jacksonville, Boeing says it remains on course to deliver the initial 18 mission-ready Fla., May 4. KC-46As as promised by 2017. “With this successful first flight of the “I’m happy with Boeing’s performance. They’re maintaining a very tight QF-16, the Air Force, Boeing, and our sup- focus on meeting commitments and staying on or ahead of schedule,” said plier partners have laid the groundwork for Maj. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan, KC-46 program executive officer, review- the program to enter low-rate production ing the design this spring. in 2013,” said Torbjorn Sjogren, Boeing’s Boeing and USAF are now aiming at the next program hurdle: next sum- upgrades vice president in a company mer’s critical design review, which will certify the design is mature enough news release following the flight. for the factory floor. The optionally manned QF-16 drones USAF also announced on May 14 its basing criteria for a KC-46A formal are converted from retired early model training site and two main operating bases—one Active Duty and one Air F-16s pulled from the Davis-Monthan National Guard. Once selected, the FTU and Active Duty sites would take AFB, Ariz., “Boneyard.” USAF plans delivery of their first aircraft in 2016, followed by the ANG location in 2018. to purchase as many as 126 FSATs to Primary factors in the Air Force’s final decision on operational sites will be gradually replace its inventory of QF-4 their proximity to receiver aircraft, ramp space, capacity, and cost. Air Mobil- Phantoms in the aerial test and practice ity Command plans to release a list of preferred alternatives this December. target role. The first six QF-16s will go to Tyndall AFB, Fla., for testing over the Gulf Coast Crashing the Fighter Party Max Thunder deployed commander Col. target range in October, and the first Two B-52s flew from Andersen AFB, Patrick Matthews. production QF-16 is slated for delivery Guam, and tangled with US and South in 2014, the company said. Korean aircraft for the first time during a Texan Targets The Air Force awarded Boeing first Max Thunder exercise at Gwangju AB, Turboprop T-6A Texan II trainers re- phase of the QF-16 modification contract South Korea, earlier this year. cently began flying “aggressor” sorties in 2010. The twice-yearly drill has traditionally simulating slow-moving, low-altitude been a fighter-only air-to-air combat threats at the Air Force Weapons School Laser Lancer exercise and Max Thunder 12-1 marked at Nellis AFB, Nev. B-1B bombers from Ellsworth AFB, the first time heavy bombers of any type “It is difficult for fighter aircraft to S.D., recently dropped the first in-service have taken part, according to officials simulate low and slow targets, so the T-6 500-pound GBU-54 laser guided Joint at nearby . Texan II fills that void,” said Lt. Col. Daniel Direct Attack Munitions during a Combat “Bringing the B-52 to Max Thunder Garoutte, 33rd Flying Training Hammer weapon evaluation in Utah is really great training for everyone,” operations director from Vance AFB, this spring. said Capt. Seth Spidahl, B-52 pilot and Okla., in a Nellis press release May 15. Aircrews from the 34th Bomb Squadron exercise liaison. “A lot of the time we “We add another dimension to [the and 37th Bomb Squadron successfully don’t get to integrate with other fighter weapons school students’] decision- dropped six GBU-54s against moving aircraft.” making, and we increase the numbers targets on the Utah Test and Training During the two-week exercise, the of the opposing forces” that they face in Range near Hill AFB, Utah, during ex- B-52s delivered 40 percent of the weap- the training drills, he said. ercises May 14-16. onry, hitting 85 percent of the exercise’s Paired with F-15 and F-16 aggressor “It was gratifying to be part of the first planned ground targets, according to aircraft from Nellis, the Vance T-6s force operational release” from the B-1, said the release. the students to “prioritize their intercept Capt. Charles Armstrong, a 37th BS “This exercise has been a series of decisions based on the type of threat weapon systems operator and a mission firsts and this has been an excellent they were facing,” explained Maj. Jason leader for Combat Hammer. addition to show our capabilities,” said Zumwalt, adversary integration boss with the USAF Warfare Center. Debuting in the weapons instructor Index to Advertisers course this May, the Texan IIs add a Boeing...... Cover IV “unique intercept challenge against an General Dynamics...... 11 asymmetric threat,” he said. Hawker Beechcraft...... 5 Lockheed Martin...... 3 Weapons School Holds Mobility Drill Panasonic ...... 9 Nearly 70 aircraft—mostly C-17s and Sikorsky...... Cover II C-130s—dropped paratroopers in a USAA...... Cover III forced-entry airborne invasion exercise AFA Airpower Industry Guide...... 68 over the Nevada Test and Training Range AFA Air Warfare Symposia...... 51 during the Air Force Weapons School’s AFA Member Benefits...... 72 biannual Mobility Forces Exercise this AFA Spotlight On...... 74 spring.

16 AIR FORCE Magazine / July 2012 German Air Force F-4s completed a NATO Greenlights Global Hawk Buy stint at Keflavik earlier this spring and departed several weeks before the 48th NATO allies have signed a $1.7 billion contract to purchase five RQ-4 Fighter Wing aircraft arrived May 12. Global Hawk Block 40 remotely piloted surveillance aircraft. The deal was The F-15s completed their mission and inked at a NATO summit in Chicago this spring. returned to Lakenheath, June 7. “The signature of the procurement contract for the AGS [Alliance Ground Surveillance] system is an important step towards the delivery of this key Hill F-16 Crashes capability to the Alliance,” said NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander An F-16 fighter assigned to the 388th R. Vershbow, addressing Defense Ministers at the signing ceremony May 20. Fighter Wing at Hill AFB, Utah, crashed Thirteen NATO members, including the United States, signed the initial during a training mission over the Utah Alliance Ground Surveillance contract, which includes initial operation and Test and Training Range May 4, wing maintenance costs, as well as the purchase of the actual Global Hawk fleet. officials said. The allies will use the Global Hawks to protect ground forces in Afghani- The pilot successfully ejected without stan, provide maritime security, and support counterterrorism, peacekeeping, injury and was taken to nearby hospi- and disaster relief. tal as a medical precaution, Ogden’s The fleet will carry Northrop Grumman’s advanced MP-RTIP ground sur- Standard-Examiner reported, citing veillance radar, according to the company. Several European suppliers will wing officials. work with Northrop Grumman to provide the system mobile, remote, and The Air Force is investigating the transportable ground stations. cause of the accident. “Northrop Grumman and our entire trans-Atlantic industry team are proud to be bringing this strategic capability to NATO and its member nations,” said Spartans Triumph Down Under Wesley G. Bush, the company’s chairman, CEO, and president. The Air Force awarded L-3 Commu- “The decision to move ahead with the Alliance Ground Surveillance pro- nications a $321 million foreign military gram in today’s difficult economic climate sends a powerful message,” added sales contract to build 10 C-27J Spartan Vershbow. The Alliance plans to fully field AGS by 2017. airlifters for the Royal Australian Air Force in May, the Pentagon announced.

Orchestrated from Nellis AFB, Nev., the participating aircraft came from bases

around the world and were synchronized USAF photo to arrive over the range as a combined force. MAFEX focused on the tactics needed to defeat air defenses and insert troops into a defended enemy country, accord- ing to Nellis officials, and is part of the weapons school’s six-month weapons instructor course. The C-130s and C-17s delivered more than 100 paratroopers and supporting equipment in airdrops and landings on an unimproved landing strip.

Iceland’s Anytime Wingmen F-15Cs from RAF Lakenheath, UK, temporarily deployed to Iceland on a NATO aerospace control alert to Keflavik Airport this May. “In this NATO mission, we identify and escort unauthorized aircraft before they reach Iceland’s sovereign airspace,” said 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Michael Casey. Air Force Eagles provided continuous quick-reaction alert under a bilateral agreement with Iceland until 2006. NATO fighters now intermittently rotate for sev- eral weeks at a time to defend Iceland’s skies, at the request of the Icelandic government. “We practice scramble launches and when we receive an alert, the F-15s can be in the air within 15 minutes,” added Casey, detailing the squadron’s rotational mission. KC-135s from RAF Mildenhall, UK, and Whoa, That’s Heavy, Man: A C-17 Globemaster III drops heavy equipment sup- C-130Js from Ramstein AB, Germany, plies on Fort Bragg, N.C., June 4 during Joint Operations Access Exercise 2012. deployed with the alert package to pro- JOAX is a two-week mobility and ground combat exercise designed to prepare Air vide aerial refueling and rescue support. Force and Army personnel to respond to worldwide crises and contingencies.

AIR FORCE Magazine / July 2012 17 Air Force World USAF photo by SrA. Brett Clashman

Australia’s Defense Ministry an- The Hypersonic International Flight Let Me Show You Around: A C-17 nounced the overall $1.4 billion pur- Research Experimentation Program moves to take on fuel during a media chase of aircraft, equipment, and spares vehicle boosted to Mach 6.5 on a demonstration of aerial refueling ca- pabilities over Kyrgyzstan on June 8. in early May, shortly followed by the three-stage sounding rocket, then ac- Kyrgyz media were invited on the dem- USAF contract May 31. celerated away from the rocket, using onstration flight, which provided an Australia is buying the C-27 to fill a its scramjet to reach Mach 8. orientation to the journalists who may short-field airlift gap left by the retire- HiFIRE maintained Mach 8 flight for report on the US presence at Manas ment of the RAAF’s 14-strong DHC-4 12 seconds yielding “unique scientific Transit Center in Kyrgyzstan. Caribou fleet several years ago, as well data about scramjets transitioning from as the planned phase-out of the RAAF’s subsonic to supersonic combustion,” Hunsberger, Boeing’s AWACS program 12 legacy C-130Hs. said NASA project scientist Ken Rock manager, announcing the deal May 23. “The C-27J has the capacity to carry in an AFRL news release May 8. Boeing will upgrade two aircraft under significant load and still access small, AFRL has launched a total of four the initial contract phase, one NATO and soft, narrow runways that are too short vehicles in collaboration with NASA and one US, with five panel glass cockpit for the C-130J,” while complementing Australia’s Defense Science and Tech- displays and digital avionics for the the RAAF’s existing C-130 and C-17 nology Organization, but the recent purpose of flight testing. fleets, said defense officials discussing shot was “the first time we have flight- Boeing plans to upgrade NATO’s first the deal May 10. tested a hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet E-3 Sentry next year, followed by a USAF They said the Spartan “best met all accelerating ... to Mach 8,” said Rock. AWACS in 2014, completing both aircraft the essential capability requirements The three program partners are by the end of 2015. and provides the best value for money,” studying flight dynamics beyond super- The initial phase reviewed aircraft beating Airbus Military’s C-295 transport sonic and into the hypersonic speed subsystem requirements and wrapped in a competitive bidding process. The range above Mach 5. up in March, according to Boeing, and Australian fleet is scheduled for deliv- Though AFRL officials declined to the engineering, manufacturing, and ery and beddown at RAAF Richmond divulge the fourth test flight’s date, they development contract is the second near Sydney in 2015, according to the said the agency plans to launch as many phase of the company’s AWACS upgrade Defense Ministry. as six additional hypersonic test vehicles. program. Australia’s purchase comes just as the US Air Force is attempting to divest its AWACS Cockpit Remodel LAIRCM Upgrade own fleet of C-27Js, asking to retire the The Air Force awarded Boeing a $368 USAF approved full-up production of type in its Fiscal 2013 budget request. million development contract to design Northrop Grumman’s NexGen infrared and build a modernized prototype flight missile warning system to equip its C-5, Beyond Supersonic deck for the E-3 AWACS. C-17, and C-130 fleets, the manufacturer An experimental supersonic-com- “This move from analog systems announced May 14. bustion ramjet successfully accelerated to a digital flight deck will enable the The missile-detection system aug- to Mach 8 from atop a rocket launched US and NATO AWACS fleets to meet ments the company’s Large Aircraft at the Pacific Missile Range Facility current and identified future air traffic Infrared Countermeasures already on- in Hawaii, according to the Air Force management requirements for fly- board many USAF airlifters, improving Research Lab. ing in worldwide airspace,” said Jon their ability to counter the man-portable

18 AIR FORCE Magazine / July 2012 The War on Terrorism Red Tails Stand Down Air Forces Central deactivated the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing in South- west Asia this spring. Operation Enduring Freedom “As the largest combat wing in the Air Force for most of its timeframe, this Casualties wing served with distinction,” said Maj. By June 21, a total of 2,006 Americans had died in Operation Enduring Gen. James J. Jones, Air Forces Central Freedom. The total includes 2,003 troops and three Department of Defense deputy commander, retiring the wing civilians. Of these deaths, 1,581 were killed in action with the enemy while colors May 8. 425 died in noncombat incidents. The unit began operations as the There have been 16,526 troops wounded in action during OEF. 332nd Air Expeditionary Group at Ahmed Al Jaber AB, Kuwait, in 1998, quickly NATO Affirms Post-2014 Mission to Afghanistan becoming one of USAF’s busiest com- At a summit in May, NATO members agreed to an Alliance-led advisory bat wings. mission in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 end of its combat role there. “In the nearly 10 years since the wing The follow-on mission “will focus on training, advising, and assisting flag was reinstated, the Red Tails have Afghan forces” once they assume full security responsibility for the country been the very backbone of AFCENT from the International Security Assistance Force, according to NATO of- forces engaged in Operation Southern ficials in Chicago, May 21. Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and “Let me be clear: This will not be ISAF under a different name,” said NATO Operation New Dawn,” said Jones. Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, outlining the plan during the At the height of operations, the wing second day of NATO’s two-day summit in Chicago. “It will be a new mission, boasted nine groups at JB Balad, Iraq, with a new role for NATO,” he said. and at four geographically separate Afghanistan’s government welcomed NATO assistance, and member groups, as well as several detachments countries also agreed to begin handing the lead combat role over to Afghan scattered throughout the theater. forces by the middle of next year, stated the release. The wing relocated from Balad last President Obama said the handover “will mark a major step” toward the November to fly top cover for the US goal of “completing the transition to Afghan lead for security by the end of troop withdrawal from Iraq the following 2014 so that Afghans can take responsibility for their own country and so month. It traces its lineage to the 332nd our troops can come home.” Fighter Group—World War II’s famed Tuskegee Airmen. Kandahar Opens Expanded Aerial Port Engineers recently expanded the aerial port at Kandahar Airfield, NATO’s Whiteman Association Takes Shape busiest airfield in-country, according to the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing, More than 100 Active Duty joined which is in charge of the base. Air Force Reserve Command’s 442nd The project added more than 15,000 square meters of additional space Fighter Wing, standing up a new active for handling inbound and outbound aerial cargo shipments. association at Whiteman AFB, Mo., as Before the new ramp was built, “in a lot of ways, we were limited by our part of an ongoing initiative to associate surroundings,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Browning, 451st Expeditionary Logis- every reserve component fighter unit. tics Readiness Squadron commander. “This new ramp will make us ready “There is a synergy with this setup: for whatever the mission demands,” he said. The 451st ELRS airmen “are We get full-time manpower, which will able to handle a lot of passengers and cargo,” he said in the wing’s May help with our high operations tempo 22 press release. and deployments,” said Col. Gregory The Army Corps of Engineers also upgraded the airfield’s safety and A. Eckfeld, 442nd Fighter Wing vice security infrastructure adding several new features, such as enhanced commander. lighting and airfield fencing. “The Active Duty airmen get the benefit of our experienced Reservists, who will Terre Haute to Afghan Heights help train and season their pilots and Joint terminal attack controllers of the Indiana Air National Guard’s 113th maintainers.” Air Support Operations Squadron deployed for the first time as a unit to The Air Force announced its plan to Afghanistan, May 14, according to wing officials. stand up active associations at every Air Teamed with the Army National Guard’s 37th Infantry Brigade Combat National Guard and AFRC fighter unit Team, the JTACs are part of an all-Guard presence mentoring Afghan forces last November, and the 442nd is one of in Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan. On the ground, the ANG teams several units receiving an injection of will directly support the security force assistance coordinating air support Active Duty manpower this year. for the Ohio and Michigan Army Guard units. Under the active association concept, Each of the unit’s deployed JTACs and air liaison officers, who are as- the ANG or AFRC unit owns the aircraft— signed to Hulman Field near Terre Haute, volunteered for the assignment. in this case the 442nd Fighter Wing’s The 113th ASOS’ parent 181st Intelligence Wing stood up in 2008, train- A-10 Thunderbolt IIs—and Active Duty ing and equipping battlefield airmen over the last few years to bring the air pilots and maintainers from Air Combat support squadron up to deployment readiness. Command assist in daily operations. The Active Duty commander will take day-to-day operational direction from air defense threat, said Col. Shawn alarms,” added Carl Smith, Northrop 442nd boss, Brig. Gen. Eric S. Overturf, Shanley, LAIRCM acquisition leader. Grumman IR countermeasures vice wing officials said May 22. “This latest milestone decision will president. ensure the Air Force has the most The Air Force originally selected the Cyber Split advanced missile warning system with company’s NexGen MWS in January Air Force Space Command officials longer detection range and reduced false 2009. recently announced plans to restructure

AIR FORCE Magazine / July 2012 19 Air Force World

test pilot master’s program at Edwards AFB, Calif. “This is the first course of its kind that includes a disciplined, yet flexible approach to testing cyber intensive systems,” said Col. Noel Zamot, TPS commandant, explaining the course in May. USAF photo by SrA. JarvieWallace Z. “Whether it’s testing ... the Joint Strike Fighter, the radar signal proces- sor of a Global Hawk, or even a laser targeting pod for the B-1 or F-15 Strike Eagle, ... students will look at systems in a disciplined fashion,” he added. TPS instructors taught the CSTC several times thus far this year, in- cluding during the school’s inaugural Enlisted Flight Test Course in April, said school officials. The school plans to expand cyber No Spa Mud Bath: A member of the 39th Security Forces Squadron jumps into the instruction from the current four-hour mud pit after a tug-of-war competition during Sports Day at Incirlik AB, Turkey. The class, to anywhere from six hours to 39th SFS won the event. Other competitions included squadron-vs-squadron volley- a week, TPS faculty said. ball, softball, basketball, and dodgeball. Hawaiian Active-Associate Deal the Air Force Network Integration Center As a result, “these candidate bases will The Active Duty recently at Scott AFB, Ill., divesting many of its be analyzed to determine which location signed a memorandum of understand- operational functions to several new will best host this mission,” said Air Force ing formally defining the command squadrons. installations chief Kathleen I. Ferguson. structure of its association with the Instead of serving as the service’s The service leadership has given Air Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Wing cyberspace lead command, AFNIC will Education and Training Command the at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. now concentrate exclusively on maintain- nod to begin site surveys at Keesler and “Maintaining unity of effort can be ing and securing the Air Force’s internal San Antonio-Lackland. Based on AETC’s a challenge due to separate chains of networks. feedback, leaders are expected to select command ... and even different work “These changes will allow AFNIC to a preferred base this summer. rules,” said Brig. Gen. Braden Sakai, focus on its core mission and ultimately The final decision will be made fol- 154th Wing commander, in a May 8 make AFNIC the premier Air Force or- lowing a full environmental impact study, release. ganization providing network integration according to officials. “By signing this MOU, we are giv- and engineering services for the Air ing our officers, [noncommissioned Force,” said Lt. Gen. Michael J. Basla, Pushing Bytes officers], and civilians the structure AFSPC vice commander. The Air Force Test Pilot School and tools they need to ensure unity AFNIC’s cyber-related staff functions, launched a Cyber Systems Test Course of effort in their integrated workforce,” such as training and requirements sup- as the newest part of its intense year-long he added. port, will go to AFSPC’s new Cyberspace Support Squadron, activated at Scott, May 14. Oversight of AFNIC’s former operation and maintenance functions transfers over to the 92nd Information Operations Squadron and 38th Cyber Readiness USAF photo by Don Peek Squadron. The units stood up at Scott in April in preparation for the reshuffle, under 24th Air Force, the command’s cyber operations arm headquartered at JBSA- Lackland, Tex.

New Home for Battlefield Airmen Keesler AFB, Miss., and JBSA-Lack- land, Tex., are the Air Force’s candidate locations to host a relocated tactical air control party and air liaison officer schoolhouse. Due to the demand for tactical air What I Do With My Time Off: Reservists from the 94th Civil Engineer Squadron control in theater, the TACP/ALO train- Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight, Dobbins ARB, Ga., maneuver a remote control ing pipeline has outgrown the current robot for a demonstration during an Employer Appreciation Day at the base. Civilian facilities at , Fla., service employers of Dobbins Reservists were given an extensive orientation tour of base officials said in a news release May 15. operations as thanks for their support.

20 AIR FORCE Magazine / July 2012 Thanks, Bud: Capt. Matt Mansell (l), a pilot with the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, shakes the hand of SrA. Timothy McMahon before a C-130H mis- sion at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. McMahon is an aerospace maintenance journeyman deployed to the 455th Ex- peditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squad- ron. Flying safely is a tricky proposition at Bagram because of harsh conditions, USAF photo by Capt. Raymond Geoffroy and pilots appreciate the work maintain- ers do to keep their aircraft in the air.

joining 436 Transport Squadron the same week it was accepted.

Legendary Lightning Ace Dies Bill Harris, a World War II triple ace, died at age 96 in Midland, Ore., May 23, reported neighboring Klamath Falls’ Herald and News. Harris, who enlisted in the Navy in 1936 joined the Army Air Corps shortly after the war broke out, scored 16 confirmed aerial victories flying a P-38 Lightning against the Japanese. During the war Harris rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel but returned to civilian life, working as a rancher and entrepreneur after the end of hostilities. “What people don’t know about Bill is that, more so than what he did in the war, he was just a fine man,” said Col. Curtis Waite, president of the Air Force Association’s chapter in southern Oregon named in honor of Harris. In his later years Harris continued to influence airmen, often speaking and offering advice to the Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing at Klamath Falls Arpt./Kingsley Field, according to the newspaper.

Airmen Excel in Warrior Games Airmen brought home 18 medals from the 2012 Warrior Games held at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo—the team’s best performance in three years. “I think we exceeded all expectations,” said team coach Maj. James Bales. “The goal for the team was just to come out The new structure empowers func- at home in Canada,” said RCAF Lt. Col. here and perform at the best of their tional supervisors—whether Active Colin Keiver, 436 Transport Squadron ability, and they did that,” he said. or Guard, to direct the day-to-day commander, accepting the new air- The Warrior Games bring together ill, activities of the airmen under their frame May 8. injured, or wounded athletes across the direction. “This authority is crucial ... “Our partners at Lockheed Martin US and British militaries to compete in to effectively employ all of the airmen have delivered us an aircraft that more paralympic sports. working in their shops,” said Lt. Col. than lives up to the motto of 436 Squad- USAF athletes medaled for the first Stanley Springer, 15th Maintenance ron: ... ‘We Carry the Load,’ ” he said. time in seated volleyball and wheelchair Group deputy commander. Canada signed a $1.4 billion contract basketball, earning a bronze medal in with Lockheed Martin for the 17 Super both. They brought home a gold medal Canadian Herks Complete Herks and associated support services and two silver medals in swimming; Lockheed Martin delivered the last of in December 2007. two silver medals and a bronze medal 17 Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130J-30 The company delivered Canada’s in cycling; and two gold medals, three Super Hercules—the “stretched” ver- first aircraft—designated CC-130J in silver medals, and four bronze medals sion—in a ceremony at the company’s RCAF service—in June 2010. It com- in track and field. Marietta plant in Georgia this spring. pleted delivery of the fleet ahead of The Marine Corps team won the “The aircraft [type] has already proven schedule this year. trophy for the most cumulative medal its worth around the world in places like Canada’s final Super Herk flew to its points during the competition at the Afghanistan and Libya, as well as here new assigned base at Trenton, Ontario, academy April 30 to May 5. n

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