With the New START treaty now under consideration of the US Congress, Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz said the Air Force Global Strike Command staff had submitted a detailed report—included with the Air Force portion of the Congressionally directed “1251 report”—to Pentagon leadership detailing what impact the treaty would have on the command’s ICBM and bomber force structure. If Congress approves the treaty, it would permit the US to maintain up to 60 nuclear bombers and up to 420 ICBMs, said Klotz. “I think … we can get to those numbers with little trouble,” he added.
The Air Force has finished modifying and testing the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One, the service announced May 1. All that’s left now is to finish painting the jet before it starts flying this summer.