The end of a 14-year effort to complete environmental requirements related to 150 Minuteman II ICBM facilities throughout Missouri came to a close last week, when Air Force, EPA, and Missouri state officials met at Whiteman AFB, Mo., to sign an agreement transferring long-term stewardship of the sites to Missouri. TSgt. Matt Summers reports that the Air Force monitored and took samples from the sites, which USAF dismantled in the early 1990s under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Larry Erickson with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources says most of the sites will be used for agricultural endeavors.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
