The Air & Space Brief: Hypersonic test; Supply weak link; B-2 mishap; and more… - Defense One

December 13, 2022 04:55 PM ET

• The Air & Space Brief
• Air Force
• Space Force

Welcome to the Defense One Air and Space newsletter. Here are our apical stories this week:  

Hypersonic test. The U.S. Air Force successfully fired its hypersonic Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon connected Dec. 9 from a B-52 bomber—the “first motorboat of a afloat prototyle operational missile,” according to a press release. The limb “reached hypersonic speeds greater than 5 times the velocity of sound” during the test, the Air Force said. 

Rocket centrifugal struggles. Aerojet Rocketdyne is having occupation delivering prime rocket motors and Raytheon Technologies’ CEO says it’s present “the anemic link” successful the proviso chain, Defense One’s Marcus Weisgerber reports. Greg Hayes told Weisgerber that Raythoen’s proviso concatenation “has astatine slightest stabilized with the objection of our rocket-motor supplier,” adding that Aerojet Rocketdyne “is the lone supplier that's getting worse…from a show standpoint, arsenic opposed to better.” Read on, here.

The menace within. The Air Force successful fiscal 2021 recorded the highest fig of intersexual assaults since the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response programme began, but respective caller programs are underway to code the issue, Defense One’s Jennifer Hlad reports successful a three-part bid connected intersexual battle successful the military. And determination is inactive “a lot” to travel connected prevention, Andrea Bryant, lawman manager of the Department of the Air Force’s Integrated Resilience Office, said successful an interview. 

“We’re liable for cultivating a civilization of dignity and respect, wherever each consciousness invited and supported, and wherever those corrosive behaviors aren't tolerated. And erstwhile you person intersexual battle occur, it breaks that down. How bash you consciousness similar you're successful a civilization of dignity and respect erstwhile an battle oregon harassment is occurring successful the unit?” Bryant said.

B-2 accident. The runway astatine Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, is inactive closed aft a B-2 bomber had to marque an exigency landing determination Saturday, The War Zone reports. All 20 of the U.S. Air Force’s B-2s are housed astatine the base. No 1 was wounded successful the mishap, which progressive a occurrence aft landing. 

Sign up to get The Air & Space Brief each Tuesday from Defense One. On Dec. 13, 1951, during the Korean War, Maj. George Davis, Jr., changeable down 4 force aircraft. He yet changeable down 14 force planes during that warfare and posthumously received the Medal of Honor.

From Defense One

Aerojet Rocketdyne Struggling to Deliver Rocket Motors, Raytheon CEO Says // Marcus Weisgerber

The complaint comes aft the Aerojet CEO questioned whether Raytheon has problems of its own.

Defense Business Brief: Startup dies successful crypto collapse; Highest-paid defence CEOs; Hypersonic success; and more... // Marcus Weisgerber

The Physical Obstacles to the Pentagon's Connect-Everything Vision // Patrick Tucker

Jets, destroyers, and soldiers are precise antithetic information customers, but the Pentagon wants to service them each equally.

For DOD, 2023 Is All About Proving It Can Build A Tactical Cloud // Lauren C. Williams

The program is to make and deploy a prototype, perchance successful the Pacific region, successful the adjacent six months. The recently awarded Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability volition help.

Cyber, Speed, and UFOs: A Tour of Tech Provisions successful the 2023 NDAA // Lauren C. Williams

The defence argumentation measure besides prods the quality assemblage to travel different defence agencies' emerging-tech efforts.

After a Spike successful Sexual Assaults connected Troops, Is Real Change connected the Way? // Jennifer Hlad

The 2023 defence argumentation measure volition adjacent a prosecutorial loophole that advocates accidental has been preventing justness for victims of rape, harassment, and different crimes.

It'll Be 'Years' Before the Pentagon Fully Implements Changes to Handling Sexual Assaults // Jennifer Hlad

Congress has directed respective large changes to the mode the subject handles intersexual assault. Officials accidental afloat implementation remains respective years away.

'Broken Culture' Keeps Troops astatine Risk of Sexual Assault, Advocates Say // Jennifer Hlad

They wonderment whether existent alteration is imaginable earlier today's leaders property retired and leave.