Munitions Under the Microscope

The Air Force is taking a hard look at its munitions enterprise to see where “bottlenecks” and limiting factors can be removed and production can be sped up, service uniformed acquisition chief Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch said at a March 16 AFA-sponsored, Air Force event. “We have had a high demand on precision weaponry,” and steps have been taken to increase production with contractors, but an orchestrated effort is needed to ensure “the materials, the [explosive] fill, the bomb bodies,” and other elements—some of which are overseen by the Army—come together as needed, said Bunch. “We’ve ramped up [production of] JDAMS … Small Diameter Bomb 1, APKWS [Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System], and we’ve ramped up in partnership with the Army, [on] Hellfire. So we’re taking an active and aggressive role” in meeting the high demand from USAF and its partners, Bunch said.

See also: Empty Racks from the January 2017 issue of Air Force Magazine.