The Air Force will shed 50 of its Minuteman ICBMs as a result of the QDR. The Air Force explanation, from General Wood, they are “excess to our strategic needs.” He pointedly refused to discuss whether they would be converted with conventional warheads—one quick-turnaround option for getting a precision global strike capability.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
