Twentieth Air Force Commander
Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein told
Air Force Magazine he is getting ready to brief the results of the
analysis of alternatives for the Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent
capability to leadership. GBSD is
the notional replacement for the Air Force's
Minuteman III ICBMs that are projected to remain in service out to 2030. Part
of the analysis will detail refurbishment activities for the Minuteman fleet,
to include sub components, such as new guidance sets, an upgrade to command and
control components, and other improvements to the support infrastructure and
missile control facilities across the Air Force's three Minuteman wings, said
Weinstein in a June 12 interview. "GBSD is an overarching system," he
said, and the AOA will also fit into efforts to "normalize" ICBM sustainment by helping identify and prioritize components for replacement as well as those for non-replacement that will transfer from Minuteman III to GBSD. Twentieth Air Force also wants to move to a construct where ICBMs are cared for much like aircraft in a normal programmed depot maintenance cycle, he said. (For more from Weinstein's interview, read
New ICBM Crew Rotation Plan Nears Beta Test.)
