Space Force

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) --  A prototype F-16 Fighting Falcon cockpit collapsible ladder for agile combat employment and contingency operations emerged as the 2024 Spark Tank winner following presentation and judging at the Pentagon, Oct. 30.Spark Tank is the flagship competition in which innovators from across the Department of the Air Force pitch their ideas to a panel of top leadership and industry experts in pursuit of sponsorship to realize their idea.The Spark Tank judging panel included Under Secretary of the Air Force Melissa Dalton; Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Jim Slife; Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Mike Guetlein; Chief Master Sgt. Christopher Coleman with the Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Office Futures Task Fo...

BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) --  Buckley Space Force Base is home to one of the Defense Department's only two chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicles."You spend enough time around him and start to forget he's a QUGV," said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Dominic Garcia, Installation Office of Emergency Management section chief. Garcia refers to this innovative QUGV, affectionately known as CHAPPIE, representing a significant technological advancement in CBRN defense.CHAPPIE, one of the only two QUGVs in the DoD repurposed for CBRN field operations, stands out with its extensive list of capabilities and customizations. These include remote CBRN sensing capabilities using our current inventory of detectors...

BRUSSELS (AFNS) --  Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman and Assistant Chief of Space Operations for Future Concepts and Partnerships Air Marshal Paul Godfrey traveled to Europe Oct. 27 – Nov. 1 for meetings with defense and military space leaders from Norway, Sweden and NATO to reaffirm and strengthen space security cooperation.In Norway, Saltzman and Godfrey took part in meetings with Acting State Secretary Hans Christian Hveem Kjølseth, Director General of Security Policy and Operations Henning Vaglum, and Royal Norwegian Navy Vice Adm. Nils Andreas Stensønes, director of the Norwegian Intelligence Service, to discuss opportunities to deepen space cooperation both bilaterally and through the NATO alliance. The leaders thanked Norway for ho...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.(AFNS) --  U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Operations Command have transitioned two additional Space Deltas to fully-integrated Mission Deltas under the Unified Mission Readiness concept, marked by ceremonies Oct. 30-31.Mission Delta 2 – Space Domain Awareness, and Mission Delta 4 – Missile Warning and Tracking join MD31 - Navigation Warfare, and MD3 – Electromagnetic Warfare, as units that organize Space Force activities around mission areas rather than functional specialties.“Today marks a significant milestone as we transition from Space Delta 4 to Mission Delta 4. This change signifies a leap forward in our operational capabilities, integrating intelligence, cyber and sustainment operations into our team,” said Col. Robert Sc...

BUCKLEY SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) --  Space Operations Command recognizes 2024 as "The Year of the NCO," celebrating noncommissioned officers as the backbone of the force. Space Delta 4 has taken this initiative to heart, establishing a robust Guardian and Airman Development Program across all assigned units.The GADP is an initiative started by Chief Master Sgt. Caleb Lloyd, SOC senior enlisted leader, in February 2024. The program acknowledges the Space Force mission and structure, which results in a unique demand on the force. Enlisted members starting at a junior level must have a mission-command approach to meet the demands of the service and formation. Thus, leadership skills and growth mindset must be ingrained early on.The GADP seeks to equ...