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Il y a une dizaine de jours, les équipes de MBDA ont réalisé le dernier tir de qualification du missile antinavire Sea Venom/ANL sur le site d'essai DGA de l'Ile du Levant. Le missile Sea Venom/ANL qualifié Réalisé le 17 novembre dernier, cet ultime tir de qualification du missile Sea Venom/ANL de MBDA avait pour but de valider les performances du missile en termes "de discrimination de cible en environnement naval dense et complexe". "Les essais précédents avaient permis de tester le domaine de séparation et de tir, le vol rasant à basse altitude, ainsi que les modes d'engagement du missile, tels que l'accrochage après tir (LOAL), l'accrochage avant tir (LOBL), l'opérateur dans la boucle ou encore la sélection du point d'impact", rappelle MBDA. Premiers essais sur hélicoptère Lynx Les premiers essais avaient commencé en 2017 sur un hélicoptère Lynx Mk 8 de la Royal Navy. Des essais d'embarquement et de largage du Sea Venom/ANL. Puis en avril 2018, avait suivi un tir depuis un hélicoptère Airbus Panther "avec vol du missile à très basse altitude et accrochage de la cible en milieu de course ». "La conduite de ce tir anti-navires a permis de mettre en lumière la capacité du missile à naviguer « au raz de l'eau (sea-skiming) et le bon fonctionnement de la liaison de données entre le missile et l'hélicoptère », avait alors précisé le Ministère des Armées. Puis, en fin d'année 2018, s'était déroulé un nouveau tir d'essai qui avait permis "de confirmer la capacité d'accrochage avant tir du Sea Venom-ANL, l'opérateur utilisant les images provenant de l'autodirecteur à infrarouge du missile pour désigner la cible avant le tir". L'essai s'est déroulé au centre d'essai de l'Ile du Levant depuis un hélicoptère d'essai Dauphin de la DGA. Premier tir de qualif. en février dernier Le premier tir de qualification du missile sur l'Ile du Levant au centre d'essais de missiles de la Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) a été effectué en février 2020. "Le missile a été tiré depuis un hélicoptère Dauphin de DGA Essais en vol progressant à une altitude proche de la hauteur minimale nécessaire au lancement du missile, ce dernier atteignant sa vitesse de croisière alors qu'il effectuait un vol rasant (sea-skimming). Pendant la dernière phase du vol, l'opérateur a utilisé les images provenant de l'autodirecteur à infrarouge –transmises par la liaison de données- du missile pour ajuster le point d'accrochage sur la cible. Le missile a ensuite suivi le point désigné jusqu'à atteindre la cible avec une précision extrême", indiquait alors MBDA. Le missile antinavire Sea Venom/ANL, qui équipera bientôt les hélicoptères Wildcat AW159 de la Royal Navy et H160M Guépard de la Marine Nationale, est un programme en coopération réalisé dans le cadre du traité de Lancaster House, conclu entre la France et le Royaume-Uni, il y a eu dix ans ce mois-ci. Le Sea Venom/ANL est également le premier programme à bénéficier pleinement des centres d'excellence franco-britanniques spécialisés dans les technologies des missiles, qui ont été mis en place par le traité de Lancaster House. https://www.air-cosmos.com/article/missile-mbda-sea-venom-les-tirs-de-qualif-sont-achevs-23912

PARIS (Reuters) - Le groupe français d'électronique de défense Thales a annoncé jeudi qu'il allait fournir à la Royal Navy britannique et à la Marine nationale française le premier système au monde autonome de lutte anti-mines entièrement intégré. La livraison de ces systèmes, qui ont été testés en conditions réelles en France et en Grande-Bretagne, est prévue à partir de 2022, a indiqué le groupe dans un communiqué, sans préciser le montant de ce contrat. Thales et le britannique BAE Systems ont remporté en 2015 le contrat du programme franco-britannique de lutte contre les mines marines, baptisé MMCM (Maritime Mine Counter Measures). (Claude Chendjou, édité par Jean-Michel Bélot) https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/thales-va-fournir-a-paris-et-londres-un-systeme-autonome-de-lutte-anti-mines.N1033454

November 26, 2020 Imaginé par l'Onera, Polytechnique, la SATT Saclay et l'accélérateur Starburst, ce programme ambitionne d'accompagner 20 start-up par an. Blast. Explosion, en anglais. C'est aussi l'acronyme de « Boost and Leverage Aerospace and defence Technologies », le nom d'un nouveau programme français d'accélération, spécifiquement destiné aux start-up de l'aéronautique, du spatial et de la défense dont les idées, innovations et briques technologiques intéressent ces industries de souveraineté. À lire aussi :L'armée française sécurise une pépite de la tech convoitée par la CIA À l'origine de cette initiative, un constat en forme de paradoxe. La France ne manque ni d'ingénieurs, ni de laboratoires, ni d'universités, ni de centres de recherche au meilleur niveau mondial, et pourtant cette force de frappe peine à engendrer des start-up en grand nombre. De même, la France dispose d'une industrie aéronautique, spatiale et militaire de classe mondiale mais qui n'a pas toujours la ligne directe pour se connecter au monde des start-up. Et il n'existe pas de programme spécifique pour faire grandir les jeunes pousses du «deep-tech», les innovations de rupture utilisant des technologies avancées, dans ces trois domaines. Lire à partir de la source.... https://thereadersplanet.fr/startup-news/166937/lancement-de-blast-un-programme-dedie-aux-start-up-de-la-defense-et-de-laerospatial/

DEFENSE Garantir l'indépendance de la BITD, enjeu essentiel pour la souveraineté A l'occasion du Paris Air Forum, Françoise Dumas, Présidente de la commission de Défense nationale et des forces armées de l'Assemblée Nationale, Antoine Bouvier, Directeur de la stratégie, des fusions acquisitions et des affaires publiques chez Airbus, Thomas Courbe, Directeur général des entreprises, et François Mestre, chef du Service des Affaires industrielles et de l'Intelligence économique à la DGA, ont participé à une table-ronde consacrée aux enjeux de la préservation de la Base Industrielle et Technologique de Défense (BITD) française. L'importance de l'autonomie industrielle a été soulignée : la BITD française est la seule en Europe à être capable de répondre à tous les besoins des armées. L'État doit garantir les moyens d'assurer la course technologique et éviter la captation des entreprises ou des données par d'autres puissances. Il est également fondamental de préserver dans le pays les compétences : très longues à acquérir, elles disparaissent très rapidement, et ne peuvent plus être retrouvées, explique Françoise Dumas. Le soutien à l'apprentissage est également essentiel, et les investissements consentis par l'État, autant en R&D que par la commande publique, sont des leviers très importants, sans oublier les fonds mis à la disposition, notamment, des PME. Antoine Bouvier a souligné la grande cohérence de la filière en France, qui va des donneurs d'ordre aux PME capables de produire des composants. La Tribune du 25 novembre

DEFENSE Spatial militaire : «Nous avons les moyens de nos ambitions», selon le général Friedling (CDE) Dans le cadre du Paris Air Forum, le général Michel Friedling, Commandant du CDE (Commandement de l'Espace) au sein de l'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace, Emmanuel Chiva, directeur de l'Agence de l'innovation de défense, Franck Poirrier, PDG de Sodern, représentant des équipementiers au Cospace, et Philippe Gautier, président d'Hemeria, ont échangé au sujet de la stratégie spatiale de défense française. «L'espace joue un rôle essentiel et est au cœur d'une compétition sans précédent. C'est un thé'tre de confrontation avec ses enjeux propres», rappelle le général Michel Friedling. «Nous avons les moyens de nos ambitions, et nous avons déjà des résultats. Nous avons signé les premiers contrats de service pour la surveillance de l'espace. Nous avons formé nos premiers opérateurs spatiaux. Nous aurons nos premières infrastructures à Toulouse en 2023 et premier centre de commandement en 2025», relève-t-il. L'industrie travaille à mettre au point des démonstrateurs pour la capacité d'intervention en orbite, qui devraient voler dès 2023 et 2024. Sodern travaille ainsi sur des «capteurs d'intrus», qui détecteront les objets approchant des satellites Syracuse 4, basés sur sa technologie de viseurs d'étoiles, tandis que Hemeria étudie des petits satellites patrouilleurs Yoda, pour la protection rapprochée des grands satellites géostationnaires, à partir de son expérience sur le nanosatellite Angels. Franck Poirrier, PDG de Sodern, souligne : «l'industrie est là pour servir la souveraineté et c'est pour cela qu'il faut inclure la politique industrielle dans notre réflexion autour de la maîtrise de l'espace». Un «plan équipementier» a déjà été avalisé par Airbus Defence & Space, Thales Alenia Space et les trois ministères de tutelle : le ministère de l'Économie, des Finances et de la Relance, le ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche et le ministère des Armées. L'Agence de l'innovation de défense (AID) joue un rôle majeur : «Nous sommes une usine à accélérer les projets, avec un budget d'environ 1 milliard d'euros», explique Emmanuel Chiva. «Nous sommes là pour piloter et orienter l'innovation de défense, mais également pour capter dans le civil les innovations pertinentes, car le monde spatial est éminemment dual». La Tribune du 26 novembre

AIR FORCE Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, has been awarded a $4,800,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Global Hawk development, modernization, retrofit and sustainment activities for all Air Force Global Hawk variants. This contract provides for management, including program, business and technical areas; engineering efforts, including configuration management, data management, reliability, availability and maintainability, and related areas of concern such as technical refresh, diminishing manufacturing sources, etc.; studies and analyses; design, development, integration, test and evaluation; contract/production line closeout/shutdown; training; sparing; overseas contingency operations support; fielding; cyber security/information assurance; interoperability support; facilities modifications/renovation; integrated logistics support; requirements management specification management; and quality assurance. Additional, and more specific, guidance will be included within each individual delivery order/task order statement of work and performance work statement regarding these and other tasks. This contract provides flexibility to accommodate the broad enterprise of activities associated with the Global Hawk program. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2030. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Multiple fiscal years and types of funds will be used for this contract. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the primary contracting activity (FA8690-21-D-1009). Raytheon Technologies Corp., East Hartford, Connecticut, has been awarded a $453,057,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the aircraft engine Component Improvement Program. This contract provides for the following work: the Component Improvement Program establishes prioritized list of projects each calendar year to include developing engineering changes to the engines, developing organizational, intermediate and depot level repairs as needed, and designing modifications to existing support equipment as well as initiating new support equipment designs as required by engine driven changes. The program also provides support to resolve service-revealed deficiencies and maintain or extend the life limits of aircraft engines. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2029. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $557,347 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8626-21-D-0001). The Boeing Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been awarded Option Five to its indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract FA8106-16-D-0002 under order FA8134-21-F-0001, in the estimated amount of $196,477,863. The Option Five exercise will provide E4B program management, field service representatives, system integration laboratory support, emergency support, spare procurement, spare repair and overhaul, engine sustainment and scheduled and unscheduled depot maintenance. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; and San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to be completed Nov. 30, 2021. This contract is a sole-source order. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $75,677,863 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control, Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a $42,100,000 undefinitized modification (P00016) to contract FA8682-18-C-0009 for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) group one development. This contract modification supports the Global Positioning System receiver development and the development of the missile control unit gigabit cables. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2020 procurement; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,774,932 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $214,912,654. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY The Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, California, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $188,572,655 modification (P00010) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPRPA1-17-D-009U) with four one-year option periods for performance-based logistics and engineering support for the V-22 platform. This is a firm-fixed-price requirements contract. Locations of performance are Maryland, Texas and Pennsylvania, with a Nov. 30, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and military services in Japan. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 (Air Force, Navy, Special Operations Command and Foreign Military Sales) appropriated funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. SupplyCore Inc.,* Rockford, Illinois (SPE8E3-21-D-0001, $90,000,000); and Noble Supply and Logistics,* Rockland, Massachusetts (SPE8E3-21-D-0002, $90,000,000) have each been awarded a firm-fixed-price contract under solicitation SPE8EG-13-R-0002 for facilities maintenance, repair and operations. These were sole-source acquisitions using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. They are 365-day bridge contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, with a Nov. 28, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded an estimated $16,881,210 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to add pricing for the repair of modular receiver exciters and common radar processor components and other depot-level reparable items. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a three-year base contract with one five-year option period. Location of performance is Maryland, with a Sept. 9, 2023, ordering period end date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2023 Air Force operation and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma (SPRTA1-21-D-0001). Creighton AB Inc., Reidsville, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $7,788,263 modification (P00002) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-20-D-1213) with four one-year option periods for men's broadfall trousers. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are New York and North Carolina, with a Nov. 24, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NAVY Adept Process Services Inc. (APS Marine), National City, California (N55236-21-D-0001); Amee Bay LLC, Hanahan, South Carolina (N55236-21-D-0002); Delphinus Engineering Inc., Eddystone, Pennsylvania (N55236-21-D-0003); Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc., San Diego, California (N55236-21-D-0004); Integrated Marine Services Inc., Chula Vista, California (N55236-21-D-0005); Marine Group Boat Works LLC, Chula Vista, California (N55236-21-D-0006); Q.E.D. Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N55236-21-D-0007); and Willard Marine Inc., Anaheim, California (N55235-21-D-0008), are awarded an overall maximum ceiling value of $64,349,360 in firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contracts with a five base year ordering period to provide marine boatyard services (Lot 1) including specific modifications, upgrades, service life extension and repairs to non-commissioned boats, craft, and lighterage/service crafts that can be transported via roadway by a trailer that is less than 15 meters or 50 feet in length. It includes their associated systems (i.e., hull, mechanical, electrical and electronic systems; trailers; transporters; deployment systems; slings and hoisting systems; launch and retrieval systems, etc.) and periodic maintenance. These eight companies will have an opportunity to compete for individual delivery orders. Work will be performed within the San Diego-Los Angeles County areas. These contracts have a five-year base ordering period and work is expected to be completed by November 2025. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $80,000 ($10,000 for minimum guarantee per contract) will be obligated under each contract's initial delivery order and funding will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured via the beta.sam.gov website; nine offers were received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Barnhart-Reese Construction Inc.,* San Diego, California, is awarded firm-fixed-price task order N62473-21-F-4139 at $15,814,642 under a multiple award construction contract for design-build repair to Bachelors Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) Building 210905 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The scope of work includes repairs to building subsurface slab and waste line; interior walls, doors, floors, shower enclosures and restroom fixtures; exterior doors and hardware, downspouts, gutters, cracks on walls and balconies, paint walls and rails; electrical lines and walkways; provides an air-cooled chiller, pumps, controls and associated appurtenances; and any incidental related work. Work will be performed in Oceanside, California, and is expected to be completed by June 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $15,814,642 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-17-D-4629). Innovative Defense Technologies,* Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $14,071,754 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for automated test and analysis capability supporting Navy surface combatant combat system development. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (50%); and Mount Laurel, New Jersey (50%), and is expected to be completed by November 2021. This contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $90,490,587 and be completed in November 2025. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $500,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(5). This award is the result of a Small Business Innovative Research Phase III sole-source acquisition. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-21-C-5100). Perspecta Engineering Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, is awarded a $9,731,342 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides engineering services in support of test and evaluation and systems engineering activities related to AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense on behalf of the Missile Defense Agency. Work will be performed in Kauai, Hawaii (90%); Oahu, Hawaii (4%); Santa Clara, California (3%); Point Mugu, California (2%); and Chantilly, Virginia (1%). Work is expected to be completed in November 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award and funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity (N68936-21-D-0007). Bristol Engineering Services Co. LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska, is awarded firm-fixed-price task order N62473-21-F-4135 at $8,257,745 under a multiple award construction contract for construction and repair of natural gas lines at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California. The work to be performed provides for construction and repair of high pressure natural gas systems' main and laterals lines. This project repairs approximately 108,000 linear feet of underground high pressure (400 psi) main piping, medium pressure piping, and low pressure (45 to 20 psi) branch natural gas piping system. Work will be performed in Twentynine Palms, California, and is expected to be completed by February 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $8,257,745 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-20-D-2221). ARMY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded an $11,538,508 modification (P00014) to contract W911S0-18-C-0004 to provide mission support for planning, coordination and execution of exercises conducted by the Army's Mission Command Training Program. Work will be performed in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 14, 2024. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $11,538,508 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2428368/source/GovDelivery/

Mark Pomerleau WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army's office for procuring sensors, electronic warfare systems, intelligence programs and cyber tools recently created an integration office designed to better align the various elements of its portfolio across the larger Army, joint force and commercial industry. As the military looks to link sensors and information to shooters in a new concept it is calling Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control, standardizing data and systems will be critical. The new integration directorate within Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors — established in April — is aligned under three offices, according to its director, Christian Keller, who virtually briefed members of industry Nov. 24. The three offices are: Architectures, which is focused on system-of-systems engineering and common standards for interfacing with other programs. Futures, which is focused on understanding threat analysis and conducting science and technology transitions from groups across the Army. It is also looking at how to better integrate demonstrations and experimentation efforts such as Project Convergence, Multi-Domain Operations Live and the Defender series. The last group is looking at interfacing the program executive office with other elements of the Army such as Futures Command and its cross-functional teams, the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force, and the various centers of excellence within Training and Doctrine Command. “We have [a] very complex system-of-systems environment we're dealing with,” Keller said. “We have various sensor capabilities out there, which have to interface to ground stations and may have to interface to various users, both maneuver wise and fires wise and everything like that.” One of the main efforts the group is undertaking involves various stakeholders working to wrangle what systems — to include a variety of forthcoming systems such as Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node, the Army's next-generation ground station; the Terrestrial Layer System, the Army's first integrated signals intelligence, electronic warfare and cyber platform; and the Multi-Domain Sensing System, a high altitude ISR platform — along with existing systems to ensure data is provided seamlessly and effectively from sensors and nodes all the way to commanders and shooters. “What we're trying to do within the group is work on understanding what systems are interfacing with what, understand what the data is going back-and-forth between those systems, how to do that effectively, and how to do that in somewhat of a seamless manner, although nothing is that easy,” Keller said. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2020/11/24/us-army-creates-new-office-for-integrating-data-and-sensors/

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — Less than a day after the General Services Administration opened the doors for the landing team from the Biden-Harris campaign to arrive at the Pentagon, members have already had two conversations with current defense officials, with more to come. But while the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 lays out clear directives on how one administration helps usher in the next — it literally comes with a handbook on best practices — this transition, like so much else in 2020, may require some flexibility thanks to COVID-19. The GSA's move — which came after growing criticisms from Democrats who felt the agency was slow-rolling the start of the transition for political purposes — freed up funds, office space and, critically for the Pentagon transition, allowed the sharing of sensitive information with the incoming team. However, the transition is kicking off just as the Pentagon upped its level of COVID preparedness. As a result, maximum occupancy has dropped to 40 percent, with extra temperature checks. According to Washington Headquarters Services Director Thomas Muir, the agency transition director, that won't stop the transition, but it may require the team to rely more on video teleconferencing than previous groups. The incoming team “is willing and certainly able to abide by the COVID restrictions here in the Pentagon. They agreed with the protection measures we're doing for our families, our employees, ourselves, our colleagues, our comrades here in the Pentagon.” Muir said at a press conference Tuesday, adding that “Some will work in the building, some will be virtual.” Kash Patel, the newly installed chief of staff for newly installed Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, will be leading the transition for the current administration. But Muir will manage the day-to-day work, according to chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman. “I spoke with the chief of staff today, and he is assured me that Tom here is the lead on this and that he is going to be working with Tom, and Tom is going to be the one working with the team today,” Hoffman said, adding that Patel's role is mainly “to be the touch point for the secretary, to ensure the secretary has insight into what's going on and to make sure the transition is successful.” Patel also reached out to transition lead Kathleen Hicks in order to share his contact information in case she had any questions. Muir said his team has been preparing for six months in case a transition was needed, and believes the current set up will allow the Biden-Harris team to work as safely as possible. Included in that setup: office space at the Pentagon that allows for social distancing, and which comes equipped with both secure and unsecure VTC capabilities. With the GSA certification, the FBI and Department of Justice can begin giving security clearances to the transition team, allowing access to classified information needed to give an up-to-date situation report to the president-elect and his advisers. Informing the transition is a group of “transition assistance coordinators,” largely general officers or senior executive service civilians, drawn from key offices around the military agencies, combatant commands, joint staff and OSD. That group, which meets weekly, will provide information as needed to the transition team and help set up interviews with key officials. Muir noted he expects daily conversations with the Biden-Harris group, adding “They're looking forward to participating in discussions in the Pentagon. I'm providing a small tour on Monday next week.” https://www.defensenews.com/smr/transition/2020/11/24/pentagon-transition-begins-with-a-covid-19-twist/

By: Douglas Birkey In 2018, then-Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson sounded the alarm regarding the size of her service: “The Air Force is too small for what the nation expects of us.” Her response was direct: The service needed to grow from 312 to 386 operational squadrons. Given the concurrent demands presented by China and Russia at the high end of the threat spectrum, Iran and North Korea in the middle, and the continued danger posed by nonstate actors at the lower threat tier, this imperative for growth was grounded in clear requirements. However, instead of marking a positive turning point for the service, subsequent years saw the Air Force grow smaller, older and more fragile. The burgeoning security environment demands that this downward spiral end now. This is exactly why the Senate's version of the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act includes specific aircraft inventory floors for the Air Force. With positive intentions having fallen short year after year, it is time for legislation to stop the bleeding. No form of power projection is possible without the capabilities afforded by the Air Force. Ships at sea, forces on land and rear echelon operating locations will not survive long if not defended from aerial attack. Long-range strike affords the unique ability to hit critical targets deep behind enemy lines. Air mobility empowers joint force operations. Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance was the most in-demand mission area over the past two decades, and remains so today. Added to this, the Air Force also provides two-thirds of the nuclear triad. Despite the value provided by these missions, the Air Force has struggled to earn its fair share of the defense budget. It absorbed the largest fiscal cuts out of all the services in the years after the Cold War. Between 1989 and 2001, the Air Force saw procurement funding drop by over 52 percent — nearly 20 percent more than the other services. FY13 saw aircraft procurement funding hit the lowest levels in Air Force history. To add insult to injury, the Air Force also sees nearly 20 percent of its top-line budget diverted to the intelligence community — enough money to buy over 400 F-35 fighter jets a year. No other service gets hit like this. With budget pressures a perennial problem, the Air Force has continually sought to divest aircraft to free up cash. The problem is that the demand for Air Force missions never went away. Quite the opposite, it increased. In 1990, the Air Force had 2,893 fighters; today it has around 1,800. This same period saw bombers drop from 327 to 157. Combat operations have been unending since 1991, which means a smaller number of aircraft and crews simply get spun harder to meet demand. This is an unsustainable pattern, with the B-1B bomber standing as a cautionary tale. It has been flying combat missions on a nonstop basis since the 9/11 attacks. The Air Force retired a third of the B-1B inventory in the 2000s to save money that could be reinvested in the remaining aircraft. Budget pressures in subsequent years saw these savings evaporate, maintenance dollars run too thin and the aircraft pressed to the limit. They hit the breaking point last year, with less than 10 percent of the Air Force's B-1Bs mission-capable. With nearly every mission area in the Air Force inventory labeled as “high demand, low density,” expect to see similar challenges proliferate. These stresses are also a major driver behind the pilot crisis. Shrinking the Air Force in the hopes that expected savings could fund modernization has served as a continual mirage for Air Force planners. Indeed, the Air Force's answer to funding the Advanced Battle Management System and other priorities in the FY21 budget submission was to retire more aircraft. Better networks are of little use without the ability to complete the kill chain, and that takes aircraft. Presumed areas of growth hang precariously years into the future. There's little chance that cash will remain protected given COVID-19 budget pressures. The problem is that even when divestiture plans appear plausible on internal spreadsheets, service officials are not the ultimate arbiters of their resources. The broader Department of Defense, Office of Management and Budget, and Congress each have a vote on how funds are managed. This pattern clearly has not worked for the Air Force for the past 30 years. Playing this losing hand again will break the force at fundamental levels. That is why the Senate's proposed aircraft floor is not just a good idea — it is a necessity. A prudent negotiator does not enter a meeting with a high-risk position as the starting point, but that is exactly what the Air Force has done for far too long. The time has come to openly articulate what is required to meet national security requirements. That is what the 386 operational squadron goal is all about. It comes down to acknowledging what airmen will need to fly into harm's way, get the job done and come home safe. This takes both capability and capacity. It is time to rebuild the Air Force we need. Douglas Birkey is the executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, where he researches issues relating to the future of aerospace and national security. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/11/25/stop-the-budgetary-bleeding-to-get-the-air-force-we-need/