Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel recently convened an ICBM Development Offsite meeting at Hill AFB, Utah, to focus on the state of missile acquisition and its challenges in the years ahead. Senior leaders from Air Force Space Command and former leaders in the ballistic missile community gathered to develop strategies on sustaining forces while going through extensive modernization of systems and re-energizing ICBM deployment. Attendees agreed that the ICBM community must focus on several areas, including the retention of a skilled ICBM work force and program to sustain and evolve the Minuteman III fleet, maintain AFSPC’s lead in nuclear deterrence, and pursue Prompt Global Strike capability along with investment in technology.
RTX’s Raytheon unit was able to “significantly” extend the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile using mostly software changes in experimental tests last year, expanding the reach and lethality of the standard U.S. dogfighting weapon, company officials said Sept. 15.
