386! Go On Air Force. Say it Loud. Now!
The Air Force is too small for what it is being asked to do. Here's what it needs to do to grow.
Air Force 386 Squadron Plan: Hallucination Or Negotiating Tactic
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson announced “the Air Force we need”, a significant expansion of the Air Force from 312 operational squadrons to 386. One thing is clear. It will be really expensive. The annual additional cost would be about $37 billion at a time when budget projections show no increase, and up to 94,000 additional personnel, active and reserve.
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How warfighters communicate when their missions are beyond visual line of sight
Standoff capability means warfighters stay connected and remain remotely located in a safer environment while making it harder for adversaries to target them.
Dial-A-Blast For Smart Bombs: AFRL Weapons Adjust Yield To Target
AFA: The Air Force is developing smart bombs that detonate differently depending on the target. These “Dialable Effects Munitions” could turn up the blast to devastate an enemy camp or turn it down to kill a single terrorist without hurting nearby civilians. In the extreme case, said Col. Garry Haase, the director of munitions at […]
CSIS Expert Calls Out USAF: 386 Squadrons & $13B Space Force Are Guesswork
CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: The Air Force threw out two big numbers this week, but one of Washington’s leading budget analysts doesn’t think either of them is credible. One is the service’s unsolicited estimate that President Trump’s plan to create an independent Space Force – largely carved out of the Air Force – […]
Amazon’s Bezos To Air Force: Don’t Overthink It (But….)
What did Amazon founder, Washington Post owner and space entrepreneur Jeff Bezos tell the Air Force Association? Don't overthink it. Don't sweat the small stuff, but it's not all small stuff. On low stakes decisions, you should go fast, experiment, try and fail and try again; but on the big stuff -- the irreversible decisions -- for God's sake, take your time.
Pentagon’s No. 2 Says Internal Battles Over Space Force Are Healthy
After an Air Force memo pushing back on some of Deputy Secretary of Defense Partrick Shanahan's early plans for the Space Force hit the streets this week, Shanahan sought to smooth things over.
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Keeping sensitive information safe in a new AI era
Why edge and endpoint security can’t be an afterthought.
Air Force Busts Out Credit Cards To Buy High Tech Gear
The Air Force can be an “angel investor” for some startups, said Will Roper, the service’s top acquisition official.
What Will New Bomber Squadrons Mean For Air Force? 75 More B-21s?
So reporters kept pressing Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of Staff David Goldfein for answers to the reasonable question: How will the Air Force afford 74 more squadrons with all the people, planes, satellites, and infrastructure needed to make them useful?
How Air Force Tankers, Transports Can Survive In High-Tech War
“We’re looking at airframes of the future that will have common cockpits, advanced propulsion systems, (and) signature management," Miller said. The goal “really is understanding (how) to modify or build an airplane that allows us to operate through that threat environment."
Trump Eases Cyber Ops, But Safeguards Remain: Joint Staff
Fast doesn’t meant out of control. Brig. Gen. Grynkewich took pains to emphasize that civilian oversight remains intact and the Pentagon’s role will be rigorously defined under the new National Security Presidential Memorandum NSPM-13.
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Faster propulsion R&D for modern airpower
As aircraft shrink, threats expand, and technology accelerates, aircraft engines must iterate along with the threats.
Space Force & Command To Cost $13B For First Five Years: SecAF Memo
The scope of the Space Force appears to be growing, with a new Air Force memo spelling out all of the offices that will fall under the proposed new command.
Wilson Presses For 40K More Airmen, 74 More Squadrons
It won't be cheap. Todd Harrison, defense budget guru at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, tweeted that the larger service could cost an additional $13 billion per year.
SecAF Wilson Takes Charge, Calls For 24% Boost In Squadrons
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson laid down what will probably be the signature marker of her term as head of the Air Force, calling today at the Air Force Association conference for 74 new operational squadrons, including five more bomber squadrons, seven more special operations squadrons, 14 more tanker squadrons, seven more fighter squadrons, and 22 more Command and Control Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance squadrons. But, she noted of the larger Air Force she says the nation needs: "It's not just larger; the way we fight will be different." Dave Deptula, head of AFA's Mitchell Institute, analyzes Wilson's commitment. Read on! The Editor.