Senior Air Force Materiel Command officials last week reinforced the importance of maintaining properly the service’s nuclear weapons at the command’s semi-annual leaders’ conference held Sept. 1-2 at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. “Sustaining our nuclear assets remains our No. 1 priority,” said Gen. Donald Hoffman, AFMC boss. He added, “Every one of us has a role in this responsibility. Our nuclear force must remain a reliable force.” Brig. Gen. Everett Thomas, who as commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland AFB, N.M., oversees nuclear sustainment functions day-to-day, told the attendees that improvements continue to be made in this area. He noted, for example, that the center is almost complete with its third phase of realignments and is establishing a nuclear management training course that is being hailed as a “big hit.” (Wright-Patterson report by Ron Fry) (For more on AFNWC’s realignment, read Moving In.)
The Air Force wants a new, affordable, air-launched standoff cruise missile ready to field in 2033. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center announced April 6 it will hold an industry day event to conduct market research on the Standoff Attack Weapon, or SoAW, on June 17 at Eglin Air…