Clinton Cuts Gulf Force
The United States announced May 26 that it will keep
about 20,000 US troops in the Persian Gulf region, returning
to a force level that it maintained before the early 1998 "crisis"
buildup aimed at Iraq.
The move will significantly cut the force of 37,000 kept in
the region for several months. The Pentagon plans to shift out
of the area an aircraft carrier battle group, dozens of warplanes,
and thousands of soldiers.
According to Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon, DoD plans called
for the reductions to take place in early summer. "Iraq
has been complying with the UN mandates to allow inspectors to
do their jobs," he said.
"We've made it very clear in the past that we're willing
to respond to provocative action by Iraq," Bacon said. "That
policy has not changed."
One aircraft carrier--USS Stennis--and about 1,200 Army troops
will remain in Kuwait. Some Air Force warplanes also are expected
to remain, since they help patrol and monitor the skies over
southern Iraq.
Bacon said dozens of Air Force aircraft in Bahrain are expected
to leave in early June. He declined to specify, but the F-117
stealth fighters and B-52 bombers in the area were expected to
return home in the coming weeks.
Saudis Find No Foreign Role in Blast
Saudi Arabian authorities concluded
no foreigners were involved in the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing
that killed 19 USAF servicemen, according to a top Saudi official.
Prince Nayef, the powerful Saudi interior minister, told a Kuwaiti
newspaper that the terrorist bombing was carried out "by
Saudi hands."
Nayef's statements were the first officially indicating Saudi
complicity in the deaths. Earlier, Saudi Arabian officials had
suggested privately that Iran was behind the bombing.
However, in the recent interview, the prince was quoted as
stating, "No foreign party had any role in it." Iran
has long denied taking any part in the operation.
Nayef's statement could give credence to opposition claims
that Sunni Muslim dissidents were behind the attack.
Secrecy has cloaked much of the investigation. American officials
charged several times that the Saudis were delaying the conclusion
of the investigation and that they have refused to share information.
The bombing touched off several congressional and military
probes in Washington to fix blame for the blast.
Tricare Coverage Nears Completion
On June 1, the Department of Defense completed the
establishment of Tricare managed health care system coverage
to all regions of the United States.
The latest Tricare contract went into effect for the National
Capital Area Region, which includes a large portion of the mid-Atlantic
states. The program is already in place in other US regions.
Air Force officials said Tricare brings with it all of the
old Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services
benefits plus new options for thorough family medical care.
Access Seen as Key to AEF
Access to areas around the world will be the key
to successful implementation of the Air Expeditionary Force concept,
according to Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, Air Force vice chief of
staff.
Strong, friendly relations with allies-and the use of their
bases and airspace-will be necessary for all kinds of future
Air Force deployments, from combat operations to humanitarian
responses. Recent experiences, from Desert Storm to the Air Force
response to the tragic crash of a Korean airliner on Guam, have
shown that to be the case, he said.
"We must build new relationships, nourish our friendships,
build trust, and instill confidence through formal and informal
agreements with other nations," said Eberhart during a recent
visit to Hickam AFB, Hawaii.
Because of the "tyranny of distance," access is
doubly important in the Pacific region, according to the vice
chief. So far, most AEFs have deployed from bases in the continental
US. In the future, PACAF is likely to deploy AEFs, as well.
"We could take forces from one base or from several bases
in the Pacific and move them forward to support an operation,"
said Eberhart. "We also plan to use bases like Andersen
[Guam] for bedding AEFs down and launching their operations."
Carrier Goes Down--For Now
The United States Navy has decided to stick with
what it knows and likes best-the giant 100,000-ton aircraft carrier-rather
than rapidly pursue a newer and possibly smaller carrier concept.
The newer carrier, dubbed CVX, was to follow the next Nimitz-class
deck, CVN-77, slated to be the last of the line. However, the
service in May decided to substantially slow the CVX project
for the time being. It said that a lack of funding--the project
would cost $7 billion--compelled it to recast the project but
that the Navy would try out some new technologies on the next
carrier.
Rear Adm. Dennis V. McGinn, Navy director of air warfare,
told reporters June 2 that the CVX is not dead but that the Navy
will achieve total CVX goals "over two to three hulls, rather
than in a single leap" from the last Nimitz carrier, CVN-77.
USACOM to Shepherd Joint Experiments
The Pentagon announced May 21 that it had designated
the commander in chief of US Atlantic Command, Adm. Harold W.
Gehman Jr., to be executive agent for joint warfighting experimentation
within the Defense Department.
The designation becomes effective Oct. 1, 1998.
In his new capacity, Gehman and his command will explore,
demonstrate, and evaluate joint warfighting concepts and capabilities
required to implement Joint Vision 2010, the joint warfighting
concept formulated by Army Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, the former
JCS Chairman.
Army Gen. Henry H. Shelton, Shalikashvili's successor, said
he recognized the importance of joint warfighting experimentation
and that USACOM's work "will focus our efforts to implement
our future warfare vision."
The individual services had expressed concern about the step,
fearing that the command would take over their traditional powers
to train and equip the forces.
Shelton observed, "The services have individually made
great strides in modeling and simulation and other new techniques
[concerning joint warfare]. Our challenge now is to integrate
those efforts," which he evidently sees as the role of USACOM.
The command's role is defined by a Joint Warfighting Experimentation
Charter approved by Defense Secretary William S. Cohen on May
15. According to Cohen, joint warfighting experimentation will
facilitate the development of doctrine, organizations, training
and education, materiel, people, and leadership to improve joint
operations.
By July 15, CINCUSACOM will submit to the JCS Chairman a plan
of implementation that specifies resources required to assume
these new responsibilities.
AMC Gets More Flying Crew Chiefs
Gen. Michael E. Ryan, USAF Chief of Staff, approved
an Air Mobility Command request to authorize two flying crew
chiefs for each AMC aircraft.
Command NCOs said the move, made April 1, is not a manpower
increase. Instead, it will have the practical effect of boosting
compensation for more sergeants who would have been flying out
on the AMC airplanes anyway, by making them eligible for $110
a month in Special Duty Assignment Pay.
"Individuals who have done this type of work are very
deserving of this compensation," said SMSgt. Sue Norwood,
AMC's flying crew chief program manager. "The increase will
benefit people who have been flying but have not been receiving
the pay."
Flying crew chiefs are normally staff or technical sergeants.
They accompany their airplanes worldwide to provide maintenance,
inspection, and servicing in places where no such capabilities
exist. They are trained on such specific tasks as engine runs,
door and ramp operations, fueling supervision, and powered and
nonpowered ground equipment operations.
The authorization increases the number of AMC's flying crew
chiefs from 657 to 1,192. To qualify for special duty pay, these
chiefs must fly at least three missions per quarter to off-line
locations where no maintenance capability exists for their aircraft.
Two Space Squadrons Merge
The 2d and 4th Space Launch squadrons at Vandenberg
AFB, Calif., merged May 18.
The new unit--which keeps the 2d Space Launch Squadron's name--will
be responsible for overseeing orbital launch operations at Vandenberg.
The reason for the merger was that the two units performed
similar missions for their assigned families of missiles. The
old 2d handled Atlas rockets, while the 4th dealt with Titans.
The 45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., will soon follow
Vandenberg's lead and conduct similar mergers. At Patrick, the
1st, 3d, and 5th Space Launch squadrons plan to consolidate into
a new 1st Space Launch Squadron over the next two years.
Boeing Wins NMD Contract
On April 30, the Pentagon selected Boeing to oversee
development, integration, testing, and possible deployment of
a national system to defend all 50 states against a limited ballistic
missile attack. The contract could be worth upwards of $5.2 billion
and might continue for as long as seven years.
Pentagon officials said Boeing was a clear winner in the National
Missile Defense race. Its bid was lower than that of its competition,
a joint venture of Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and TRW, and was
also strong technically.
Boeing officials suggested additional flight tests, for instance--something
US officials saw as a good way to help lower program risk.
"Boeing's approach was very comprehensive," Army
Brig. Gen. Joseph M. Cosumano Jr., NMD program manager, told
reporters.
Some in Congress accuse the Clinton Administration of being
a less-than-strong backer of the NMD concept. Secretary of Defense
William S. Cohen rejected that charge, saying that Clinton officials
remain committed to a 3+3 strategy that calls for three years
of research and development, then a go or no-go decision, followed
by deployment three years later.
"I believe it's a challenge that we can, in fact, measure
up to," Cohen said.
Still to come are DoD decisions about whether to use Minuteman
III boosters, or a commercial alternative, for NMD's ground-based
interceptor and a contract award for the kill vehicle that will
mount on the interceptor's nose.
UCAV Program Advances
The US Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency are forging ahead with an Unmanned Combat Aerial
Vehicle advanced technology demonstration program. Four contractors--Lockheed
Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Boeing--received $4 million
each for a preliminary design effort on April 16.
The goal of the DARPAUSAF program is to demonstrate the
feasibility of using unmanned aircraft to suppress enemy air
defenses and conduct strike missions. If the 10-month preliminary
design phase goes well, the Pentagon will pick one of the four
competing firms to build and flight test two vehicles in a 42-month,
$110 million second phase.
Meanwhile, the Air Force is planning to test nonlethal Suppression
of Enemy Air Defenses via UAV on its own. If all goes as scheduled,
early next year service officials will outfit a UAV with an electronics
warfare suite which will allow it to loiter over a target, identify
adversary emitters, and then switch to a jamming mode when manned
strike aircraft arrive.
Location of the test has yet to be determined, though Mountain
Home AFB, Idaho, is one possible site.
THAAD System Fails Again
On May 12, the Army's Theater High Altitude Area
Defense missile failed to hit an incoming target for the fifth
time in a row. It was an embarrassing failure for a system which
is one of the Pentagon's top development priorities.
Neither defense officials nor contractors were able to immediately
explain why the THAAD booster misfired seconds after launch,
necessitating its destruction. The missile's previous four miscues
had been due to four different problems, and prime contractor
Lockheed Martin had thought all program glitches were finally
fixed.
THAAD is intended to protect concentrations of US troops from
tactical ballistic missiles, such as the Scuds they faced during
the Gulf War. It is based on the so-called "bullet-to-bullet"
concept, meaning it races into the sky and knocks incoming missiles
aside, as if it were a bullet hitting a bullet.
The same basic concept is the core of the ambitious National
Missile Defense system currently under development by Boeing.
"We will continue to test the program until we get it
right," vowed Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon.
Upgraded AWACS Ready to Go
On May 8, the 552d Air Control Wing, Tinker AFB,
Okla., declared that the latest E-3 Sentry upgrade has reached
initial operational capability.
The new Block 30/35 modification package contains four important
improvements, said Lt. Col. Melvin Fitzpatrick, chief of operational
requirements for the 552d ACW: the Global Positioning System,
upgraded computers, new electronic support measures system, and
the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System Class 2H terminal.
The GPS upgrade incorporates space-based precision location
information into the E-3's navigation and mission crew computers,
allowing crews to more accurately figure out where they are and
where their targets are. The new computer gives the airplane
the microchip horsepower needed to run its new systems. The electronic
support measures upgrade passively detects signals from all kinds
of electronic emitters, augmenting current onboard sensors. The
Class 2H JTIDS terminal allows secure communications with everything
from USAF fighters to ground-based units.
The 552d now has 10 airplanes equipped with these modifications.
"The Block 30/35 upgrade is the cornerstone of the E-3
modernization program," said Brig. Gen. James W. Morehouse,
552d ACW commander.
Guard and Reserve Get JCS Posts
The chief of the Air Force Reserve, Maj. Gen. Robert
A. McIntosh, was named the first Reserve assistant to the Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Plans called for him to assume
his new duties last month.
Replacing McIntosh, who had served as Reserve chief since
1994, is Maj. Gen. James E. Sherrard III, who was 22d Air Force
commander. Sherrard was to assume command pending confirmation
by the Senate.
Maj. Gen. Michael W. Davidson of the Army National Guard was
named the first Guard JCS advisor. Both JCS positions were created
by the Fiscal 1998 National Defense Authorization Act in an attempt
by lawmakers to increase the clout of part-time soldiers, sailors,
and airmen.
Vance Modifies Syllabus
Vance AFB, Okla., recently became the first pilot
training base to modify its Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training,
Phase 1, in anticipation of the arrival of the Joint Primary
Aircraft Training System.
The Air Force and Navy will both use JPATS starting after
the turn of the century, and a number of things have been added
to Vance's syllabus, and some things discarded, in order to "dovetail"
the two services' training efforts, said Capt. Thomas Kublie,
preflight officer at the 8th Flying Training Squadron.
The biggest change is the addition of swimming training and
a swimming survival test. The test is a rigorous one, consisting
of a mile-long swim in flight gear, in no more than 80 minutes,
and then 25 yards of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and
sidestroke.
Preflight courseware has also been changed to more closely
mirror the Navy's way of doing things. That means less T-37-specific
information and more general aerodynamics and general engine
systems information at the beginning of flight school.
All aerospace physiology training, including parasail training,
is now given at the beginning of Phase 1. That way, no students
fly ejection-seat aircraft without parasail experience.
A day of officer development has been dropped from the syllabus.
Still, the schedule is now much busier. The first four weeks
of training are solid 10- to 12-hour days.
The added workload is not such a bad thing, said Kublie.
"Before, Phase 1 students only worked seven- or eight-hour
days," he said. "When they hit the flight line (for
Phase 2 training), with its solid 12-hour days, it was somewhat
of a shock to them. So now when they hit the flight line, it
won't be such a big transition."
GPS, JDAM Upgrade Ready for B-1B
Two modification kits that give the B-1B bomber the
ability to carry Global Positioning Systemdirected Joint
Direct Attack Munitions have been delivered to Tinker AFB, Okla.,
for installation. Current plans now call for Air Combat Command
to have seven JDAMcapable Lancers by January 1999--18 months
ahead of schedule.
The B-1B upgrade program is intended to configure the airplane
to carry out its role as the primary Air Force heavy bomber for
conventional warfare. JDAM-capable B-1Bs will be able to carry
up to 24 of the accurate guided munitions at once, with eight
loaded in each of its three weapon bays.
Ongoing B-1B JDAM flight tests continue to produce better
than expected accuracy, say Air Force officials. "B-1 JDAM
development test scores are the best to date for horizontal targets,
like low bunkers and aircraft on the ground, and are tied for
first place for vertical targets, like tall buildings,"
said Lou Cerrato, chief of the weapons development team, JDAM
Joint Program Office in the B-1B System Program Office.
Instead, Air Force officials would like to add wings to the
guided munition to increase its range from about 15 nautical
miles to 40-60 nautical miles. Such an extension could make it
easier for all JDAM-capable aircraft, not just the B-1B, to use
it for attack missions.
Making such a wing reliable and affordable enough to marry
to JDAM is a key to the upgrade, officials said.
Guard Pilots Return Medals
In a protest against what they claim was Pentagon
retribution for flunking an unqualified female pilot, a group
of New York Air National Guard pilots came to Washington in May
and returned their medals to Congress.
The F-16 pilots seek a new review of what they called a bungled
military investigation that grounded their unit and careers after
Maj. Jacquelyn Parker complained of sexual discrimination. They
said she was not qualified.
Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-Md.) offered an amendment to the
defense authorization bill calling for a new investigation by
the Pentagon inspector general. Additionally, Reps. Henry Hyde
(R-Ill.) and Gerald Solomon (R-N.Y.) have asked Defense Secretary
William S. Cohen to review the case.
It dates from 1995 when New York Guard officials concluded
that members of the 174th Fighter Wing, Syracuse Hancock IAP,
N.Y., had delayed Parker's F-16 training and that of a second
woman, Capt. Sue Hart Lilly. Parker resigned from the 174th.
Lilly completed her training and remains with the unit.
There have been two investigations of various allegations,
including sexual improprieties on both sides of the issue. A
two-year investigation by the New York inspector general did
find flaws in the Guard investigation but upheld the basic finding
that the Parker's training was unduly drawn out. In all, 12 pilots
were fired or transferred.
