Category: Military

Source: United States Air Force

ROME, N.Y. (AFNS) —  

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall and leaders from the North American Aerospace Defense Command, U.S. Northern Command, Joint Staff, Royal Canadian Air Force and Office of the Secretary of Defense were recently in attendance at NOARAD’s Eastern Air Defense Sector in Rome to underscore the Air Force’s commitment to modernizing its air defense capabilities.

The event marked a pivotal milestone in the service’s modernization of tactical command and control capabilities as part of the Advanced Battle Management System portfolio of efforts.

The NORAD’s EADS performed the initial operating capability rollout of the ABMS’ Cloud-Based Command and Control system, or CBC2, a platform that will provide greater decision space for decision makers and end users.

CBC2 incorporates a large number of tactically relevant data feeds as well as artificial intelligence and machine learning to assist decision makers with maintaining detailed situational awareness of the battlespace. The platform uses this data to develop courses of action from which leaders can make higher quality and faster decisions that improve operational outcomes.

During his remarks, Kendall recognized the extraordinary progress achieved by the CBC2 team, highlighting their dedication and technical expertise

“The successful deployment of the CBC2 system is a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of our Airmen,” he said. “Their dedication to advancing our command-and-control capabilities is instrumental in achieving the department’s second operational imperative — achieving operationally optimized Advanced Battle Management Systems — while maintaining technological superiority in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.”

CBC2 is being developed through the USAF’s agile software development methodology, which enables software developers to work with end users throughout the development process, in a collaborative approach encouraging adaptive planning, evolutionary development, continuous delivery and continual improvement.

NORAD’s and USNORTHCOM’s participation in combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control through CBC2 helps to eliminate stovepipes of information and data, and ensures operational users take part in developing future C2 systems essential to homeland defense.

EADS is the first NORAD and USNORTHCOM Air Defense Sector to launch the platform in what will be a continuous and iterative approach that consistently provides new capability in response to user-generated feedback. As CBC2 transitions into its next phase of development, the program will focus on delivering the next release of capability to Canadian Air Defense Sector, or CADS. Both EADS and CADS should have the new system in place by mid-2024. Future releases are planned to take place at Air Defense Sectors in Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington throughout 2024.

EADS Commander Col. Joseph Roos said the new system could enhance the ability of operators to defend North America.

“The capabilities that the CBC2 platform could bring to our operators ensures they will have the most advanced and effective technologies to find, fix, track and target airborne threats,” Roos said.

EADS is permanently assigned to NORAD and reports directly to Continental U.S. NORAD Region, located at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. The bi-national sector, comprised of New York Air National Guard members and a Canadian Forces detachment, is responsible for the aerospace defense of the eastern United States to include the National Capital Region around Washington, D.C., and supports NORAD’s Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment and Northern Command’s homeland defense missions.

Source: United States Air Force

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) —  

Roughly 120 service members and five KC-46A Pegasus tankers assigned to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, participated in JB MDL’s first certification event for the KC-46A during Neptune Series exercise at Travis Air Force Base, Oct. 21-Nov. 2.

Throughout the two-week exercise, 305th Air Mobility Wing Airmen certified the KC-46 Mission Generation Force Element in preparation for the upcoming Air Force Force Generation deployment cycle. Evaluations on the ability to successfully accomplish Air Mobility Command competencies, maximize joint air interoperability, and strengthen global warfighting capabilities, were priorities during the exercise.

“Our team did not disappoint. [The Neptune Series] accomplished the first AFFORGEN model proof of concept in the KC-46 enterprise and set the framework for future certification events on this airframe,” said 1st Lt. Britton Beasley, KC-46 Aircraft Maintenance officer in charge during the exercise. “We showed that we’re capable of executing an entirely organic large force movement to a deployed location. We proved that we can generate, recover and perform up to intermediate-level maintenance on deployed aircraft for the 2nd ARS to execute their certification in the air.”

The joint air interoperability exercise was composed of multiple JB MDL squadrons, including the 605th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, 305th MS, 305th Operations Support Squadron, 2nd Air Refueling Squadron, and 87th Logistics Readiness Squadron.

Jointly, these squadrons sharpened their skills to generate, fly and deliver airpower superiority. Airmen implemented agile combat employment concepts in simulated deployed scenarios, testing their proactive and reactive responses with limited personnel and equipment.

“The most challenging part of this exercise is being away from home station without home-station support,” said Staff. Sgt. Daniel Myers, 605th AMXS KC-46A crew chief. “This Neptune Series, for maintenance, has proved that we can all be muti-capable Airmen in the generation of this aircraft.”

Flexibility, adaptability and endurance were vital to mission success. JB MDL Airmen increased proficiency by applying cross-functional training to scale down the number of participants while also preserving high-end readiness essential for training to win today and tomorrow.

“Our Airmen and our aircraft are ready,” said Lt. Col. Joshua Crockett, 2nd ARS commander and MGFE commander. “This experience tested and validated our ability to rapidly project global airpower from home station anywhere at any time. Throughout this certification event I’ve witnessed the team’s ability to deliver with high levels of precision, consistently and over an extended duration. Without a doubt, our MGFE will fuel the joint force mission and maneuver at the tempo required to win.”

Multiple aspects of real-life deployment scenarios were incorporated to simulate a realistic atmosphere for the exercise, aiding in crew preparation for future missions. This training opportunity strengthened warfighter capabilities and successfully integrated AMC priorities.

“My primary role as intel was to integrate with the mission planning cell and provide knowledge of potential threats to our tankers, ensuring the safety and success of the mission,” said Airman 1st Class Antonio Ramirez, 305th OSS KC-46 Intelligence Support. “We contributed to this certification by providing a threat picture, which allowed our tankers to conduct strategic maneuvers to avoid said threats while conducting air refueling.”

The Neptune Series of events invested in readiness and strengthening global warfighting capabilities. This joint air interoperability exercise ushers JB MDL into a new era of rapid air mobility.

Source: United States Air Force

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

Newly appointed Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin released his first letter to Airmen.

In the letter, Allvin expresses humility, pride, and a sense of urgency in assuming the role and lays out the need for follow-through on key readiness and innovation initiatives while also acknowledging the challenges faced by the Air Force.

The letter serves as a rallying call for Airmen to continue their exceptional service and adapt to the evolving demands of national security.

To read the full letter, click here.

Source: United States Air Force

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —  

On Nov. 8 from 1-3 p.m. EST in the Pentagon Courtyard in Arlington, Virginia, a joint National American Indian Heritage Month celebration is scheduled to take place.

The event is organized by the Indigenous Nations Equality Team, or INET, and is one of the seven Department of the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Group teams, the Air Force Protection Agency and the Department of the Army hosting the event.

National American Indian Heritage Month is observed Nov. 1-30 annually. The observance month recognizes the rich and diverse cultures, traditions and histories of American Indians and Alaskan Natives and honors their many distinct and important contributions to the United States.

American Indians and Alaskan Natives have served with valor in the nation’s conflicts since its inception. This includes Native women who served in the armed forces as members of the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, Women Army Corps and the Army Nurse Corps.

NAIHM’s origin began when Cherokee American Indian, J.C. Elliott-High Eagle, authored the legislation for American Indian Awareness Week. It was signed in 1976, making Oct. 10-16 the first official week of national recognition for the American Indians. This set a precedent which was followed by later public laws expanding the observance to what is now known as National American Indian Heritage Month.

There are over nine million American Indian and Alaskan Natives living in the United States, across 574 federally recognized tribes, and more than 100 state-recognized tribes. Each tribe has their own unique native history, beliefs and governance structure.