The Air Force has split the space and missile career field in order to give officers currently coded in space operations or nuclear missile operations more focused development in their respective areas, announced service officials. This move, affecting about 3,100 officers, is also another step to further strengthen the nuclear enterprise, they said in a Feb. 15 release. “Space and missile operations have become more and more technical in application and execution—each in their own unique ways,” said Col. Joseph Prue, career field manager for space operations officers. “This split will enable each career field to continue cultivating technical expertise via separate yet equally important avenues in order to be more effective and efficient in meeting current and future Air Force needs,” he added. Out of the former Air Force specialty code 13S space and missile operations comes 13S space operations and 13N nuclear and missile operations, states the release. Under the old construct, more than 50 percent of space-coded company grade officers’ development time was spent as a missileer, according to the release.
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.