Effective July 1, the nation’s three Minuteman III ICBM wings will revert from their current designation as space wings back to their pre-1997 designation as missile wings. Maj. Laurie Arellano, an Air Force Space Command spokeswoman, confirmed the date to the Daily Report yesterday. Gen. Michael Moseley, outgoing Chief of Staff, announced on June 6 the change—one of many actions that the Air Force’s leadership has taken in the past year to reemphasize the importance of the nuclear mission.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.