Air Force officials are poised to complete an internal analysis of the strategy under consideration to refurbish the Mk 21 fuzes used in the Minuteman III ICBM warheads, Brig. Gen. Everett Thomas, who oversees USAF’s nuclear sustainment, told lawmakers last week. Appearing before the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces panel on Jan. 21, Thomas said this assessment will result in “the final refurbishment strategy” to ensure that the warheads remain reliable, capable, and safe. This effort is just one of the many activities underway to keep the MMIII fleet viable out to 2030 as Congress has mandated. Beyond refurbishment, the Air Force last month issued a request for information, seeking industry input on a potential replacement fuze. “There are no new fuze performance requirements,” reads the solicitation. However, the replacement would address “some known legacy issues … to resolve expected parts and materials availability issues.”
The Space Force should take bold, decisive steps—and soon—to develop the capabilities and architecture needed to support more flexible, dynamic operations in orbit and counter Chinese aggression and technological progress, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
