The new head of Air Mobility Command is focusing on four key areas to improve the survivability of mobility aircraft and gain persistence over the battlefield.

Gen. Maryanne Miller, who took the controls Sept. 7 when Gen. Carlton Everhart retired, told reporters at the Air Force Association’s annual Air, Space and Cyber Conference that the Illinois-based command is looking at four categories of survivability improvements:

• Situational awareness of the battlefield
• New countermeasures to operate in a combat environment
• Self-defense systems
• Disciplined signature management

“Looking at each one of these categories will help advance the survivability for our platforms in the threat environment,” Miller said Tuesday.

Miller is carrying forward work that was done under her predecessor. Early this year, AMC completed an assessment about how to improve the survivability of aircraft in contested environments. The “High Value Airborne Asset” study recommended improvements to communications, situational awareness and self-protection systems.

There are many different technologies to consider and develop for self-protection. including light armor, signature management tech and high-energy lasers. Former AMC commander Gen. Carlton Everhart often talked about his desire to put lasers on mobility aircraft, beginning with the KC-135, and the command has also been working to improve secure communications, notably on the C-17.

The service needs integrated situational awareness capabilities that provide all aspects of pertinent battlefield information.

New sensors will help the command better understand everything that’s happening within the battlefield. As Air Mobility Command looks at how best to build that situational awareness, it could mean building sensors onto the aircraft or new air frames to meet those requirements.

“Given the threat environment, it’s probably a little bit of both,” Miller said.

With signature management, or detection avoidance, Miller said AMC is looking at new air frames that will have common cockpits, advanced propulsion systems, payload, offload, range, speed and fuel efficiency.

Miller said the command is figuring out if modifications can be made on current air frames or if new ones need to be built.

“We’re really trying to take advantage of signature management properties associated with each air frame itself,” she said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Transportation Command and the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation organization within the Office of the Secretary of Defense have been assessing the number of tanker aircraft, airlift aircraft and sealift ships needed to meet future combatant commander requirements.

The study, known as the Mobility Capabilities and Requirements Study, is expected to be completed this fall.

“America’s air refueling fleet is the most stressed of our air mobility forces,” Gen. Darren McDew, then-commander of USTRANSCOM, told the House Armed Services Committee earlier this year. “The combination of an aging fleet, increasing demand, and global tanker distribution puts a significant strain on this scarce national resource.”

“Our ability to deploy decisive force is foundational to the National Defense Strategy. The size and lethality of the force is of little consequence if we can’t get it where it needs to go when we want it there,” said McDew.

The rate of change in technology requires quick innovation to overcome threats, Miller said.

The force needs aircraft that are “able to survive, integrate and operate in DoD forces in current and future threat environments.”

Miller said the key is understanding the threats of the future and modifying or building a plane that allows the Air Force to operate through that threat environment.

The failure caused the C-5 to land on its nose, skidding about three-quarters of the way down the 11,500-foot runway at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, before coming to a stop, according to Maj. Timothy Wade, a spokesman for the 433rd Airlift Wing.

There were 11 personnel on board, but no injuries were reported.

“Any damage to the aircraft or the runway will not be known until it is thoroughly investigated and assessed by the investigation board,” Wade told Air Force Times via email.

The cause of the nose landing gear failure is under investigation, he said.

“The Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland first responders did an amazing job in assisting the aircrew and securing the immediate area,” Wade said.

The 433rd Airlift Wing began receiving the C-5Ms in June 2016, he said. Before that, the Reserve wing flew the C-5A Galaxy model.

This incident is the first of its kind within the wing, Wade said.

In July, the head of Air Mobility Command ordered a fleet-wide maintenance assessment of its C-5 aircraft after two landing gear malfunctions occurred.

Gen. Carlton Everhart temporarily halted flying operations for the 18 C-5s stationed at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware after the nose landing gear malfunctioned on two of the base’s C-5s in a 60-day period. Both malfunctions occurred when the planes were at Naval Station Rota, Spain.

The next day, Everhart ordered an assessment of the command’s 56 C-5s.

During the assessment, maintainers found that the ball-screw drive assembly was causing issues with the extension and retraction of the nose landing gear.

They replaced the ball-screw assembly for all C-5s in the fleet, including the aircraft involved in Thursday’s incident, according to AMC spokesman Col. Chris Karns.

Initial information suggests this incident is an isolated event, Karns told Air Force Times.

The Fourth Air Force is leading the investigation, with AMC providing assistance as required, he said.

The Director of Operational Test and Evaluation said the KC-46 refueling tanker may not have met the office’s standards for electromagnetic pulse testing because not all of the systems were online during the tests.

The goal was to assess whether the aircraft could safely operate when confronted by electromagnetic fields generated by equipment like radar.

The test showed that the tanker’s flight-critical and boom-refueling systems could withstand a 6-decibel electromagnetic pulse, but certain systems were uninstalled or deactivated before testing, according to the report.

“The configuration of the KC-46A used for EMP testing was intended to test the mission-critical functions of the aircraft to ensure it can continue to operate in an EMP environment,” Air Force Materiel Command officials told Air Force Times.

The mission-critical functions include safe taxi, takeoff, flight, landing, control of the aircraft, life support, refueling operations (using the boom and centerline drogue system only), and voice communications.

“The systems that were uninstalled or deactivated were not flight critical or required for aerial refueling operations,” the command said.

After the KC-46 was exposed to electromagnetic pulses, the results showed that these critical systems retained their functionality, according to AFMC.

“During a post-test functional flight, the boom operated successfully throughout its operating range (full telescope and movement) while the pumps filled the boom with fuel,” the command said. “The [refueling system] was also successfully trailed to full trail, filled with fuel, and fully rewound. The wing-mounted refueling pods were installed on the aircraft during the EMP test but were not tested during the post-test functional flight.”

The electromagnetic testing took place in July at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, and Edwards Air Force Base, California.

AFMC said that as of now, there are no additional EMP tests scheduled for the KC-46.

One of the next steps is to assess how the tanker performs during nuclear threat-related tests. This includes an inherent hardness assessment and base escape study.

The inherent hardness assessment considers the KC-46’s inherent hardness to nuclear weapon effects, AFMC said. A test of the aircraft’s thermal curtains, which protect aircrew from some of these effects, will be assessed.

The base escape study is an analysis of the time required for a KC-46 to launch and fly a safe distance from a simulated nuclear attack.

The IHA and BES tests are scheduled for the second half of fiscal 2018.

Gen. Carlton Everhart, head of Air Mobility Command, told Air Force Times in January that the KC-46 is almost done with tests needed for the tanker’s second — and final — Federal Aviation Administration certification.

In December, the FAA certified the 767-2C, which is the modified 767 commercial plane that forms the basis of the KC-46.

This Amended Type Certificate verifies that the fundamental design of the tanker is safe, and it’s one of two FAA certifications required for the tanker program. The Supplemental Type Certificate focuses on the military-specific equipment that’s installed on the 767-2C aircraft to make it a tanker.

In addition to the two FAA certifications, the KC-46 requires an Air Force-issued Military Type Certification that validates the airworthiness and safety of the military systems and equipment installed on the new tanker, AMC officials said.

The Air Force plans to buy 179 of the aircraft, and Boeing is contractually obligated to deliver the first 18 certified tankers by October.

McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas and Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma will be the first to receive the KC-46, which will replace the KC-135 Stratotankers.

The U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps are joining the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Royal Australian Air Force to enhance multilateral air operations between the nations, according to an Air Force news release.

The exercise runs through March 2 at Andersen Air Force Base.

The U.S. will train alongside more than 800 Japanese and Australian troops, flying more than 100 aircraft from 21 units.

Troops will practice humanitarian assistance and disaster relief with aerial and force employment events focused on increasing readiness among the three nations, the release said.

The exercise, which began in 1978, used to be held at Misawa Air Base in Japan. In 1999, it moved to Guam.

Andersen Air Force Base hosts the United States’ continuous bomber presence mission, with Air Force bombers — including the B-1B Lancer, B-52 Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit — rotating to Guam.

For a few days in January, all three types of bombers flew together for the second time in history. The first time was in August 2016 as part of an historic integrated bomber operation.

Six B-52s and about 300 airmen from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana deployed to Andersen AFB to replace six B-1s from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.

Three B-2 stealth bombers and about 200 airmen from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri were deployed to Guam as part of the bomber assurance and deterrence mission.

The continuous bomber presence mission has been conducted since 2004 to reassure the United States’ allies in the region and show strength against potential adversaries, including North Korea and China.

The Air Force plans to retire the B-1 and B-2 bomber fleets once the B-21 Raider bomber — which can fly both conventional and nuclear-capable missions — is ready in the mid-2020s.

Gen. Carlton Everhart visited Boeing in Washington state to get a hands-on look at the Air Force’s new refueling tanker.

“If everything stays on track and the weather holds, I think [Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration] can probably get everything done in the next 60 to 70 days, hopefully less,” Everhart told Air Force Times on Wednesday after flying on the KC-46 for the first time.

The four-star general, who has more than 4,500 flight hours, said he performed the takeoff and approached the landing under the guidance of test pilots.

“We get a lot of PowerPoint-deep presentations,” he said. “Every now and then, you’ve got to get out and smell the jet, look at the jet and understand what the test points are.”

In December, the FAA certified the 767-2C, which is the modified 767 commercial plane that forms the basis of the KC-46.

This Amended Type Certificate verifies that the fundamental design of the tanker is safe, and it’s one of two FAA certifications required for the tanker program. The Supplemental Type Certificate focuses on the military-specific equipment that’s installed on the 767-2C aircraft to make it a tanker.

In addition to the two FAA certifications, the KC-46 requires an Air Force-issued Military Type Certification that validates the airworthiness and safety of the military systems and equipment installed on the new tanker, AMC officials said.

Everhart estimates it will take about a month or so for Boeing to complete the testing required for the Supplemental Type Certificate. Then Boeing will turn the data over to the FAA, which should take about another month to give it the stamp of approval.

One purpose of Everhart’s visit focused on assessing the flying quality and performance of the tanker, which Everhart praised.

“I have flown airplanes that were older than I was when I came into military service,” said Everhart, whose flying experience includes the C-17 and C-130 transport planes.

The modernized airframe and responsiveness of the KC-46 impressed Everhart, who said it has game-changing technology, including more automation so pilots can focus on the mission. The tanker also has the potential to add new technology as it continues to develop, he said.

Everhart also wanted to check out the Remote Visual System, which allows the boom operator to sit near the front of the KC-46 and remotely operate the boom during mid-air refueling. The system was linked to one of the deficiencies discovered during testing.

This deficiency involved reports of the tanker’s boom scraping the receiving aircraft during mid-air refueling. The boom, which extends into a receptacle on the receiving aircraft, in some cases was making contact outside of the receptacle and scratching the other plane.

This could damage the receiving aircraft, especially if the KC-46 is refueling stealth jets like the F-22 and F-35 that are covered in a special coating.

During testing, some of the boom contacts made outside of the receptacle were not detected by the boom operators through the visual system, AMC spokesman Col. Chris Karns said.

Boeing’s software engineers are working to enhance the Remote Visual System so boom operators can prevent these contacts, Everhart said, adding that sometimes the camera view is washed out because of the sun.

“[The engineers] are changing the contrast of how the visuals work with the camera to facilitate a view of the boom and receptacle,” Everhart said.

Part of it could also be an issue of making sure boom operators are properly trained on the Remote Visual System.

“Because you’re not lying back there [where you can actually see the boom],” Everhart said. “You’re looking through a camera.”

Another of the deficiencies involved an “uncommanded boom extension,” where the boom has unexpectedly extended after refueling is stopped.

A software fix is expected to resolve this deficiency by the spring, Karns said.

The third open deficiency deals with ensuring that the high-frequency radio remains off during refueling, and options are being developed to address this, he said.

“A lot of energy is being put towards this program by Boeing and the Air Force to deliver the aircraft this year,” Karns said.

Boeing had originally planned on delivering the first KC-46 to the Air Force by the end of 2017, but now the plan is to deliver the first tanker by late spring.

The Air Force plans to buy 179 of the aircraft, and Boeing is contractually obligated to deliver the first 18 certified tankers by October.

McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas and Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma will be the first to receive the KC-46, which will replace the KC-135 Stratotankers.

The KC-135 fleet is on average 55 years old, Karns said, adding that maintaining America’s military advantage over adversaries requires modern tankers.

In November, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation rolled out an upgraded tanker designed to replace its legacy aircraft.

“The new Russian tanker will have increased fuel capacity,” Karns said. “Russia and China recognize the strategic benefits of extending their reach and are prioritizing fielding enhanced aerial tanker capability.”

After Everhart’s visit to Boeing, he said he believes they’re still on track to deliver the first tanker by this spring.

He’s asked Maj. Gen. John Wood, Air Mobility Command’s director of strategic plans, requirements and programs, to go back out to Boeing at some point.

“I need the more people I can to see the airplane,” Everhart said. “It will bring tremendous capability to our joint war fighter.”

About 100 troops from the Fort Riley, Kansas-based division will replace the 4th Infantry Division and be responsible for mission command of U.S. troops deployed in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, the news release said.

The 4th ID formed the first Atlantic Resolve mission command element three years ago in response to increased regional tensions.

The Fort Carson, Colorado-based 4th ID served as the intermediate headquarters between U.S. Army Europe and U.S. forces deployed throughout the eight Atlantic Resolve countries of Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

The mission command element is based in Poznan, Poland, and provides command and control for more than 6,000 U.S. service members, the release said. These troops conduct bilateral training and multinational exercises with forces from allied host nations to deter aggression and support stability in the region.

“I am very pleased that the Big Red One was selected to replace the 4th Infantry Division for this critical mission,” Maj. Gen. Joseph Martin, the 1st ID and Fort Riley commanding general, said in the release. “We are constantly building readiness so that we can support missions like this and many others across the globe. We look forward to building upon the successes of the mighty 4th ID.”

Brig. Gen. Richard Coffman, the 1st ID and Fort Riley deputy commanding general for maneuver, will lead the mission in Poland.

The 1st ID, which is the Army’s first and longest-serving division, has a history in the European theater, the release said.

In 1918, the division won the Battle of Cantigny in France, which was the first American victory in World War I.

It was also the first U.S. division to return to Europe in World War II. The division was then based in Germany from 1996 to 2006, deploying throughout Europe in support of peacekeeping missions.

During the week of Nov. 27, two A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots at the Arizona base said they experienced hypoxia-like symptoms, where an oxygen deficiency can cause impairment and loss of consciousness.

In both cases, the A-10’s backup oxygen supply system worked, and the pilots followed the correct procedures to safely land, Davis-Monthan spokesman Capt. Josh Benedetti told Air Force Times. The incidents were first reported by Aviation Week.

“The Air Force takes these physiological incidents seriously, and our focus is on the safety and well-being of our pilots,” Benedetti said via email Tuesday.

This was at least the third case of Air Force aircraft being grounded last year because of reported physiological incidents.

In June, the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, grounded its F-35A Lightning II aircraft for 11 days after five incidents. And in December, the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, grounded its T-6A Texas training flights. In that instance, four instructor pilots and one student pilot in four different flights experienced hypoxia-like symptoms.

At Davis-Monthan, one of the A-10s was using an Onboard Oxygen Generation System, or OBOGS, and the other A-10 was equipped with a Liquid Oxygen System, or LOX.

“We quickly determined the issue with the LOX-equipped aircraft was related to a malfunction with the cabin pressure and oxygen regulator,” Benedetti said. “Those issues were fixed immediately.”

During the same week that pilots experienced issues while flying, a third pilot reported an issue with his A-10 while it was still on the ground, Benedetti said.

The pilot ran his pre-flight checklist and saw the OBOGS system had an error, so he didn’t take off.

The base, near Tucson, decided to ground the 28 A-10s equipped with OBOGS for about a week so experts could thoroughly inspect the system, he said.

“At this point, we have not determined a root cause,” Benedetti said Tuesday.

However, he said they have identified how to better maintain the system by cleaning the water separator drain and associated piping with pressurized air, which might help prevent corrosion that was found in some of the piping.

“This information has also been shared, and will continue to be shared, with other A-10 units and units equipped with OBOGS aircraft so that they can keep pilots and maintainers informed and take appropriate precautions,” he said.

There are 85 A-10s assigned to Davis-Monthan, so 57 of the aircraft were still able to fly while the other 28 were grounded, Benedetti said.

“We were able to execute our entire mission with our LOX-equipped aircraft while we inspected the OBOGS aircraft,” he said. “We resumed flying with all LOX and OBOGS aircraft less than a week later, and there have been no incidents since.”

The 355th Fighter Wing, based out of Davis-Monthan, trains and deploys A-10 pilots.

Airmen have flown the Predator for the past 21 years, but the Reaper can fly faster and carry more munitions, according to the Defense Department.

In the past, RPAs were mostly used for intelligence gathering and reconnaissance, but current threats require more precise close-air support. The Predator wasn’t originally designed to carry weapons, which resulted in a 200-pound payload. The Reaper, however, boasts a nearly 4,000-pound payload.

In June, the latest version of the Reaper flew its first successful combat mission. The Block 5 variant of the unmanned aerial vehicle flew a sortie of more than 16 hours in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, according to the Air Force.

The Reaper flew with a full payload of weapons ranging from Joint Direct Attack Munitions to Hellfire missiles.

The MQ-9 Reaper has been used for the past 10 years, but this latest variant offers improved electrical and communications systems.

By retiring the Predator, the Air Force will also save money on training and equipment because everything will be specific to the Reaper.

The United States has deployed aircraft to Argentina to help search for ARA San Juan, an Argentine navy submarine that went missing in the South Atlantic Ocean almost a week ago.

Six C-17 Globemasters and three C-5M Super Galaxies flew 26 sorties, transporting 81 passengers — including sailors assigned to Undersea Rescue Command out of San Diego — and 830,000 pounds of equipment, according to Air Mobility Command.

The first of the aircraft, three C-17s and one C-5, arrived in Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, on Sunday. One of the C-17s carried a tow bar, a Tunner 60K Aircraft Cargo Loader and three members of the 437th Aerial Port Squadron from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. The team conducted runway assessments before other equipment arrived in Argentina.

One of the C-5s, from Travis Air Force Base in California, stopped at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to pick up a Submarine Rescue Chamber (SRC) and an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), according to a news release from AMC.

A second rescue system, the Pressurized Rescue Module, was scheduled to arrive in Argentina on Monday.

The SRC is a rescue chamber designed during World War II. It can rescue six people at a time and reach a bottomed submarine at depths of 850 feet. The PRM, by comparison, can recover 16 people at a time at a depth of 2,000 feet.

Both assets are operated by a crew of two and mate with the submarine by sealing over the submarine’s hatch, allowing sailors to safely transition to the rescue chamber.

Aircraft and airmen from the 436th Airlift Wing at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware; the 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; and the 176th Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, also deployed to support the rescue effort.

“Helping others is in Air Mobility Command’s DNA,” Gen. Carlton Everhart, AMC’s commander, said in the release. “Our airmen recognize the critical nature of the mission and as requirements expanded we moved to expedite delivery of increased capability to the U.S. Navy and our Argentine friends.”

The Navy has deployed unmanned underwater vehicles to join in the search, according to a Navy news release.

This includes a Bluefin 12D (Deep) UUV and three Iver 580 UUVS from the Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Squadron 1 out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The UUVs can deploy quickly and search wide areas of the ocean using Side Scan Sonar, which creates an image of larger areas of the sea floor.

A Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft joined a NASA P-3 Orion research aircraft to search for the missing submarine over its last known location.

The U.S. government is supporting a request from the government of Argentina for international assistance in the search for the missing submarine, as well as possible rescue opportunities once the submarine and crew are located, according to U.S. Southern Command.

The ARA San Juan submarine and its 44 crew members were last heard from on Wednesday as it journeyed from the southern port of Ushuaia to the coastal city of Mar del Plata.

Gen. Carlton Everhart said he’s exploring how the command could move some of its mobility mission into outer space.

“I truly believe we can use mobility to take personnel and supplies through this medium,” he told Air Force Times on Thursday.

Everhart said he’ll be brainstorming with representatives from industry and NASA, to see what’s possible in terms of the quickest, most efficient way to transport materiel to various places around the world.

Mobility forces and a company like SpaceX, United Launch Alliance or Orbital ATK could potentially work together is using a rocket-propelled vehicle to transport cargo from one side of the globe to another.

“If you use space as a medium, you can literally go into orbit and come out on the other side of the world in, say, 12 minutes, where it would normally take hours,” Everhart said.

If the cost of could be brought down to approximate the cost of flying a C-5 around the globe, but 10 to 20 times faster, “that’s a win,” he said, noting that SpaceX has been using autonomy to drive down costs.

As for transporting people, Air Force officials would have to look into what kind of training would be needed for airmen going into space for the first time, he said.

“You’re not [in space] that long,” he said. “And you’re not very high up — maybe 60 miles or so.”

Everhart is eager to take advantage of the intellectual power within industry and at places like the Air Force Research Laboratory to see how quickly they could come up with a framework for moving forward.

If it doesn’t seem possible to come up with a viable, cost-effective concept in the next three to five years, Everhart said, he’ll try another route.

“But right now I’m taking direction from [Chief of Staff] Gen. Dave Goldfein: Embrace space, understand space,” he said.