The 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., passed a limited nuclear surety inspection held at the base March 11-13, receiving an overall grade of “satisfactory,” the highest possible rating. With the passing grade in an inspection in which the inspectors demand perfection, the Minuteman III ICBM unit remains certified to perform its nuclear mission, Air Force Space Command said in a release March 13. The limited-scope inspection was prompted when the wing fell short in a larger NSI last December when inspectors observed deficiencies in certain areas. When a wing receives an unsatisfactory rating in an NSI, it must be retested within 90 days in an LNSI that targets the areas found to be in need of improvement. Approximately 12 inspectors from Air Force Space Command conducted the LNSI, with oversight provided by the Air Force Inspection Agency and US Strategic Command. The 90th MW joins the 341st MW at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., that aced its reinspection in February after coming up short in the original NSI.
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.