Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, Air Force Global Strike Command’s new boss, told airmen at Minot AFB, N.D., that the command is still “pushing hard for new helicopters” to replace its Vietnam War-era UH-1N Hueys. Kowalksi, who took charge of AFGSC on Jan. 6, made the comment during a visit to Minot, reports the Minot Daily News. “[W]e think we have the funding. We certainly have the plan lined up,” he told the airmen, according to the newspaper. In addition to Minot, AFGSC operates Hueys at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., and Malmstrom AFB, Mont., to protect the nation’s Minuteman III ICBM fields and serve in ancillary roles like rescuing stranded civilians. For years, Air Force officials have wanted to replace the venerable Hueys, but the service did not have the funds given more pressing priorities. (See also Chopper Forecast and Get on With It from the Daily Report archives)
F-35 Dropped Inert Nukes in Flight Tests
Nov. 18, 2025
An Air Force F-35A successfully carried and dropped inert B61-12 nuclear gravity bombs in flight tests in August, a rare disclosure about the state of U.S. nuclear testing.
