Gen. Michael Moseley’s last day on the job as Chief of Staff tentatively will be June 27, according to USAF officials. After that, he expects to be on terminal leave until Aug. 1, the date on which his retirement will take effect. Michael Wynne’s last day as Air Force Secretary tentatively is this Friday (June 20), according to the officials, who said those dates have yet to receive final approval. Wynne and Moseley resigned on June 5 in the wake of two nuclear-related incidents that Defense Secretary Robert Gates said pointed to systemic shortcomings in USAF’s nuclear weapons stewardship. Gen. Norton Schwartz, who currently heads US Transportation Command, is the announced replacement for Moseley, but the White House, as of June 16, had not sent his nomination to Congress. Wynne’s would-be successor is Michael Donley. President Bush announced his intention to nominate Donley on June 9. Donley is expected to become Acting Secretary on June 21 to provide continuity of leadership until the Senate decides on his formal nomination.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.