The 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., passed a nuclear surety inspection that took place from June 14-28, receiving a grade of “satisfactory,” the highest possible mark in the demanding on-the-scene assessment by an Air Force Space Command-led inspection team. As a result, the wing remains certified to perform its strategic deterrent mission. In addition to passing the NRI, the wing also performed well during its operational readiness inspection that was conducted during the same timeframe. It earned a satisfactory grade there, too. “Your achievement is enormous,” said Gen. Robert Kehler, AFSPC commander, while addressing the wing’s airmen on the inspection results. He added, “My hat is off to you. This is a big day for all of us.” Col. Chris Ayres, commander of the 91st MW, also had high praise for his airmen. “Do we have areas we can improvement? Of course; but every person here today should be proud of what we accomplished,” he said. The missile wing’s success comes on the heels of Minot’s 5th Bomb Wing, a nuclear-capable B-52H unit, passing a no-notice NSI held in May. (Minot report by SrA. Wesley Wright)
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
