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 new defense reconciliation bill includes $7.2 billion for Air Force and Navy aviation accounts, almost half of which will buy more F-15EXs. While electronic warfare, drones, connectivity and airlift all get attention, the F-35 was conspicuously absent from the package, with no explanation given.