According to Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, the confidence Defense Secretary Robert Gates has in Air Force leadership is “unchanged,” despite the service’s recent problems, including the Pentagon Inspector General’s revelations of senior leader influence in contracting for a Thunderbirds video presentation and the high profile transport from North Dakota to Louisiana of nuclear weapons aboard a B-52 bomber. Of the latest revelation, Morrell said April 23 that Gates “was briefed on this a while ago” and is “for now” satisfied that USAF is “taking corrective measures.” However, Morrell observed, “These things don’t take place in a vacuum,” and added that Gates is keeping an eye on still ongoing investigations and will reserve judgment until they report out.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.