Maintainers at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., finished painting the first of nine Minuteman III ICBM payload transporters with the names of cities and counties surrounding the base. Honoring the base’s host city, the 341st Maintenance Group christened the first of the 66-foot-long vehicles the “Spirit of Great Falls.” By the end of the summer, the unit plans to emblazon a further eight vehicles with the titles: Electric City Endeavor, Choteau Challenger, Cascade Crusader, Wheatland Wayfarer, Judith Basin Journeyman, Fergus Ferrier, Lewis and Clark Explorer, and Teton Traveler, respectively. (Malmstrom report by Beau Wade)
A hydraulic system failure is to blame for the December 2022 accident that sparked the fire that torched a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber beyond repair at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., the Air Force said in an accident investigation report published Aug. 5.