Browsing: Global Strike Command

At a time when B-52 heavy bombers are frequent flyers over the Korean peninsula (see: North Korea shenanigans) it’s nice to know that they’re keeping ready. Six B-52 Stratofortresses from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, took part in Exercise Combat Hammer, an annual air-to-ground combat training exercise which tests bombing capability, according to a release from Minot. “We exercise to ensure we are able to hit a target that the Air Force tells us to hit, with weapons they tell us to use, at a time they want it to be hit,” Maj. Ryan Cox, 5th Operations Support Squadron chief of wing…

Last night, HBO host John Oliver delivered a harsh takedown of issues in the nuclear missile community on “Last Week Tonight.” The segment focused on the cheating scandal, former 20th Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Michael Carey and other problems, including outdated and broken launch control centers. The 15-minute clip included references to past mistakes and mishaps, including the 2007 incident in which a B-52 mistakenly flew with a nuclear payload. Oliver, however, did not mention changes in the Air Force since the cheating scandal broke, which includes overhauling the testing system for missileers, new money for launch control centers and other…

Don’t call it a comeback: The 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., has received the highest possible grade on its latest Limited Nuclear Surety Inspection. The wing, which handles 150 Minutemen II intercontinental ballistic missiles, failed the inspection earlier this year because of tactical-level errors during one exercise, but this time around inspectors found “zero errors or deficiencies,” an Oct. 24 news release from the wing says. “I am extremely proud of every member of Wing One — we were determined to prove to the world that we truly are the best at what we do day…

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