Hedging His Bets on the Missile Cuts: Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) has weighed in on the QDR-proposed Minuteman ICBM reductions, saying there will be “debate” over which missile base has to cut 50 ICBMs, but he, too, believes Malmstrom will be the loser. To offset that possibility, Burns is already working with the Air Force to reopen the base’s runway to set the stage for new missions. Burns says Air Force Secretary Mike Wynne told him an attributes study for the base is scheduled for March.
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.