The Air Force believes it could continue to operate its Minuteman III missiles until 2050 if needed, according to a newly released report from the Government Accountability Office—but doing so poses serious challenges to sustain their aging technology.
Minuteman ICBM
Airmen and Guardians test launched another Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile on June 6, marking the second ICBM test from Vandenberg Space Force base in three days after a June 4 launch. The unarmed ICBM, equipped with one re-entry vehicle, was launched at 1:46 a.m. ...
CCA's take shape; Modernizing the Battle Network; Scheduling the new nukes; CMSSF Towberman bids farewell.
The Air Force is built on technology. These are some of the most important aircraft in its 75-year history.
With roots in the near-space photo reconnaissance of the U-2 Dragon Lady, space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance has become increasingly sophisticated and valuable over the past 65 years. Things will only get more interesting in the future.
Tell us who you think we should highlight here. Write to afmag@afa.org.
As the Air Force transitions its nuclear missile force from the Minuteman III to the GBSD, it will have to balance legacy systems with modernization.
China is progressing faster than expected in developing and fielding strategic arms, said Gen. Timothy M. Ray, head of Air Force Global Strike Command, during a June 3 virtual Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event. He also said it will be cheaper to go forward ...
Top Department of the Air Force leaders told lawmakers May 7 they need to divest aging aircraft to make room for more advanced systems, setting up a now familiar budget fight on Capitol Hill. “America cannot wait to modernize the Air Force any longer, not ...
If strategic deterrence fails, nothing else will work as intended, said U.S. Strategic Command boss Adm. Charles “Chas” A. Richard during a virtual Brookings Institution event on May 7. “Every operational plan in the Department of Defense, and every other capability we have in DOD, ...
An unarmed Minuteman III test launch was aborted May 5 when the missile’s computer detected a fault during its terminal countdown and stopped the launch process, Air Force Global Strike Command said in a statement. The Air Force regularly tests its ICBM fleet with launches ...
As the new administration and Congress prepare. to take a critical look at the nuclear triad and overall need for nuclear modernization, the head of U.S. Strategic Command warned lawmakers that a reduction in the overall force could mean a return to Cold War norms. ...
