The Bayou State’s Congressional delegation wants the Air Force to know that Barksdale Air Force Base is the logical choice for its new nuclear command and should retain already-in-place cyber components whether as a numbered air force or major command. In an Oct. 20 letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) noted that Barksdale, home to one of USAF’s B-52 wings, is a “prime location in the strategic bomber force” and is “extremely well-positioned to take the leadership role” in the new nuclear command. Sen. David Vitter (R) and Rep. Jim McCrery (R) also signed the letter, which noted, too, that Barksdale “has the necessary infrastructure to make it a cost-effective choice.” In an earlier statement following the announcement that the Air Force would not create a major command for cyber operations, Landrieu acknowledged the service was going through “an organizational rough patch,” but she said that despite “immediate organizational needs, the threat of cyber attack will not diminish.” She said the Louisiana delegation would continue to push for a cyber major command to be located at Barksdale. For now, at least, it would appear Barksdale has a leg up because Landrieu said, “I have received assurances from the Secretary that the cyber components already located at Barksdale will remain in place.”
While U.S. defense officials have spent much of the past decade warning that China is the nation’s pacing threat and its People’s Liberation Army represents an urgent threat in the Indo-Pacific, several defense researchers are skeptical that the PLA has the human capital, the structural ability, or the political appetite…