There is not much that can yet be said publicly about the recent “Bent Spear” incident in which airmen inadvertently loaded six nuclear-capable cruise missiles aboard a B-52 that flew from Minot AFB, N.D. to Barksdale AFB, La., because the investigation is still in progress. (An independent review also is underway.) However, talking with reporters yesterday afternoon at AFA’s Air & Space Conference, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said that he had “walked the process” when he visited Minot after the incident and that Maj. Gen. Doug Raaberg, who is heading up the investigation for Air Combat Command, had finished up at Minot but was still at Barksdale. Wynne emphasized that “munitions transfers” are an “awesome responsibility” that demands strict adherence to protocol. Because of this incident, Wynne said that Gen. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff, had instructed the four star generals overseeing nuclear weapons to positively check their status.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.