Sen. Kent Conrad (R-N.D.) says Air Force leaders have Minot AFB, N.D., “in their long-term plans,” reports The Minot Daily News. Conrad, who spoke at a press conference last week after touring the base, has been key in the Senate ICBM Coalition’s push to restrain the Air Force from removing 50 ICBMs from service unless USAF needs the missiles for test flights. He said in a statement that the coalition has “several military objectives that will only help to secure the future of Minot Air Force Base as a thriving partner in the Minot region’s economy.”
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.