Orlando, Fla. After visiting numerous missile bases and talking with many airmen in the wake of a widespread cheating scandal at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said she is convinced the overall nuclear enterprise is “safe and secure,” despite the “absolute failure of integrity” by those involved. “One test doesn’t make or break anything,” she said. The vast majority of airmen in nuclear career fields know their job and “are performing magnificently,” she said. James said she’ll be pushing a new program of integrity training for those airmen who “need to be reminded” of USAF core values. She also expects to get the results of multiple investigations, currently underway, in March, adding “people will be held accountable,” she said.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
