Eighth Air Force at Barksdale AFB, La., shed its non-bomber wings on Oct. 1 in preparation for its move early next year to Air Force Global Strike Command and its renewed emphasis on the nuclear roles of its B-2A and B-52H bombers. Under the changes, the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale AFB, Calif., 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Neb., and 552nd Air Control Wing at Tinker AFB, Okla., shifted under the administrative control of 12th Air Force, headquartered at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. And 9th AF, centered at Shaw AFB, S.C., gained the 116th ACW at Robins AFB, Ga., and the 819th RED HORSE Squadron at Malmstrom AFB, Mont. Maj. Gen. Floyd Carpenter, 8th AF commander, said this unit realignment creates “a leaner and better focused” bomber organization and will “strengthen the Air Force strategic deterrent mission as a whole.” (Barksdale report by Maj. Richard Komurek)
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…