Air Force Secretary Michael Donley announced Wednesday that Minot AFB, N.D., will be the beddown location for the 798th Munitions Maintenance Group, a new unit that will officially stand up this summer to support Air Force Global Strike Command. Minot was chosen over F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, Kirtland AFB, N.M., Malmstrom AFB, Mont., and Vandenberg AFB, Calif., to host the unit, the Air Force said in a release. The 798th MUMG will consist of a command element and support staff of approximately 10 to 12 persons. Once established, the group will assume command of four new munitions squadrons that will be activated later this year at F.E. Warren, Malmstrom, Minot, and Vandenberg. Donley also announced the transfer of the 498th MUMG headquarters staff—about 12 persons—from Kirtland to Whiteman AFB, Mo., home of the Air Force’s nuclear-capable B-2A bombers. The move is meant to give the headquarters staff exposure to bomber operations and will allow bomber experts to interface daily with officials from the MUMG and the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland. Donley said these steps are part of the overall integration of all nuclear-related sustainment functions within Air Force Materiel Command. (For more on the Air Force’s nuclear reorganization read The Nuclear Force Revival from the February issue of Air Force Magazine.)
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.