Air Force to locate global strike command in Louisiana
Thursday, April 02, 2009
WASHINGTON — The Air Force said it has chosen Barksdale Air Force Base, La., as the preferred location for headquarters of its Global Strike Command, a new operation focused on the service's nuclear and global strike capabilities.
The final decision on where to locate won't be made until a review required by federal environmental law is completed, the Air Force said Thursday, April 2. The final decision is anticipated this summer.
The command is temporarily operating at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.
Along with Barksdale, the other candidate bases to permanently host the new command are Warren AFB, Wyo.; Malmstrom AFB, Mont.; Minot AFB, N.D.; Offutt AFB, Neb., and Whiteman AFB, Mo.
The bases were assessed for their capabilities to support the nuclear strike mission including facilities and infrastructure, transportation and access, communications and security, the Air Force said.
The Air Force has focused greater attention on custody and handling of the nation's nuclear weapons after mistakes last year that prompted Defense Secretary Robert Gates to fire the service's top uniformed and civilian officials.
The mistakes included sending Taiwan four high-tech electrical nose cone fuses for Minuteman nuclear warheads in place of helicopter batteries, and flying a B-52 bomber across the United States without anyone realizing it was carrying six armed nuclear cruise missiles.
