Effective July 1, the nation’s three Minuteman III ICBM wings will revert from their current designation as space wings back to their pre-1997 designation as missile wings. Maj. Laurie Arellano, an Air Force Space Command spokeswoman, confirmed the date to the Daily Report yesterday. Gen. Michael Moseley, outgoing Chief of Staff, announced on June 6 the change—one of many actions that the Air Force’s leadership has taken in the past year to reemphasize the importance of the nuclear mission.
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.