In a move to better manage the sustainment of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, Air Force Global Strike Command has taken over responsibility for buying missile systems parts, relieving the missile wing commanders of that budgetary burden. Effective Oct. 1, AFGSC is responsible for the day-to-day funding of the ICBM parts. “What happened before was that wings had to choose between whether or not to buy a missile part or buy something to support their people. That is a choice a wing commander shouldn’t have to make,” Daryle Fry, ICBM program analyst, said in an AFGSC release. With the change, missile technicians in the wings can order a needed part and the bill will be sent to AFGSC. “Wing commanders can focus more on their people and support structure and 20th Air Force won’t have to worry about advocating to command to find funding for parts,” Fry said. The new arrangement is expected to last a year before parts funding moves up to Headquarters Air Force, where sustainment of other weapon systems is funded.
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.