The last of 450 new guidance sets have been deployed on the Minuteman III ICBM force, ending the $2.4 billion guidance replacement program “on time and on budget,” said Maj. Gen. Roger Burg, 20th Air Force commander, during a ceremony at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., Feb. 25. “We are fully operational and capable,” he added. The project started in 1999 and ended last month with removal of the 1960s-era NS-20 guidance set and addition of the NS-50 on the last missile at Minot AFB, N.D. (F.E. Warren report by TSgt. Kurt Arkenberg)
The B-2 Spirit remains grounded due to safety issues—and the plane’s stand-down is beginning to disrupt planned operations. According to information provided to the media, the stealth strategic bomber from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., was originally scheduled to participate in the latest iteration of…