Latest news with #ThomasBussiere
Yahoo
09-08-2025
- Yahoo
Air Force major command allegedly stops using Sig Sauer's M18 following death of airman
The commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, has ordered the immediate pause of Sig Sauer's M18 pistol operations across the Air Force major command. A memo issued July 21, 2025, also orders that the M4 carbine be issued in place of the M18. Moreover, the memo notes that AFGSC is actively collaborating with Air Force Security Forces Center to 'conduct a comprehensive review.' It specifies that these actions are in response to a 'recent incident' at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. That same day, 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs at Warren published a release confirming the death of a 90th Security Forces Squadron airman while on duty on July 20. 'We are deeply saddened by the loss of a valued member of our Mighty Ninety team,' said Col. Terry Holmes, 90th Missile Wing commander, in the release. 'Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the Airman's family, friends, and his fellow Defenders during this incredibly difficult time.' Reports from airmen at Warren say a Security Forces airman removed his issued Safariland holster from his leg mount with the M18 still inside, and placed it on a table. Those same reports allege that the M18 fired while holstered and struck the airman in the chest and that the unidentified airman did not survive the wound. A person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the incident took place in a secure nuclear weapons facility inside Warren. The AFGSC memo requires 100% inspections of wing-assigned M18 weapon systems. Redditors then released emails stating that the U.S. Air Force Europe is reportedly considering taking similar action and replacing M18s with M9 pistols. While, if confirmed, this would be the first reported death of a military service member, it is not the first time a Sig Sauer M18 has experienced an uncommanded discharge. In 2023, a Marine Corps-issued M18 fired while holstered at Camp Foster, Japan. A subsequent investigation concluded that the M18 was not mishandled, and the investigator recommended that an engineering review of the pistol be performed. Outside of the military, the M18 and the Sig Sauer P320 from which it is derived have come under scrutiny from law enforcement agencies. Multiple departments, including the Chicago Police Department, have banned the P320 for their officers. At the federal level, the Department of Homeland Security banned the P320 for use by ICE agents, and an FBI report found instances of a Minnesota State Police M18 firing without the trigger being pulled. We Are The Mighty reached out to the 90th Missile Wing and Sig Sauer for further comment. Jason Wright, Sig Sauer's Vice-President of Marketing, provided the following response: 'Our hearts are with the service members and families impacted by the recently reported event at the F.E. Warren Air Force Base. We have offered our assistance to the U.S. Military and the U.S. Air Force as they investigate the incident and remain willing to help in furtherance of their ongoing investigation.' The 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs Office was unable to provide details beyond the July 21st press release due to the ongoing investigation into the airman's death. However, they did note that a follow-up press release is in progress and will be sent out as soon as possible. Editor's Note: This story was updated to include a response from Sig Sauer and the 90th Missile Wing. weapons Navy The Navy is spending $1.1 billion on the most successful air-to-air missile in the world By Miguel Ortiz History These robot bombs and remote-control tanks almost made it to combat These robot bombs and remote-control tanks almost made it to combat By Bethaney Phillips Aviation The Massive Ordnance Penetrator is a 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb The Massive Ordnance Penetrator is a 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb By Miguel Ortiz Weapons The ArmaLite in Irish music isn't the AR-15 The ArmaLite in Irish music isn't the AR-15 By Miguel Ortiz Feature Raytheon awarded $736M contract for AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles Raytheon awarded $736M contract for AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles By Miguel Ortiz
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Yahoo
Air Force Global Strike Command suspends use of M18 pistol after airman's death
Air Force Global Strike Command, which has purview over nuclear missiles and bombers that can carry nuclear weapons, has suspended using the M18 pistol until further notice following the death of an airman earlier this month when such a pistol discharged, said Charles Hoffman, a command spokesperson. 'Out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the safety and security of our personnel, the pause will remain in place pending the completion of comprehensive investigations by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the AFGSC [Air Force Global Strike Command] Safety office,' Hoffman told Task & Purpose. 'During this period, Security Forces Airmen will be equipped with the M4 rifle, ensuring no lapse in AFGSC's security posture.' Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, who leads the Global Strike Command, announced in a July 21 memo that has been shared on social media that the command would temporarily stop using the M18 for both training and operations. Hoffman confirmed that the memo is authentic. The move was prompted by the July 20 death of a Security Forces airman at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Hoffman said. Air Force officials announced the fatal incident in a July 21 news release, which did not include any specific information about how the airman was killed. The command is currently working with the Air Force Security Forces Center and Headquarters Air Force Security Forces to conduct a thorough review of the M18 pistol and 'develop appropriate corrective measures,' Hoffman said. Security Forces Combat Arms airmen, who are tasked with teaching airmen and Space Force Guardians how to properly operate and maintain firearms, will also conduct inspections of the M18 pistols at all the command's bases to identify any immediate safety concerns, service officials said. Sig Sauer makes the P-320 series pistols that include the M18. The company issued a statement on Wednesday saying it is working with the Army and Air Force to answer any questions they might have. 'Our hearts are with the service members and families affected by the recent reported event at the F.E. Warren Air Force base,' the statement says. 'We proactively offered assistance to the U.S. Military as they investigate the incident and remain willing to help in furtherance of their ongoing inquiry.' Top Stories This Week News The Army has a novel solution to its drone problem: Shoot them with tanks The Army has a novel solution to its drone problem: Shoot them with tanks By Matt White News Louisiana National Guard base to be renamed for Confederate general's dad Louisiana National Guard base to be renamed for Confederate general's dad By Matt White News A Marine general will command the Naval Academy for the first time A Marine general will command the Naval Academy for the first time By Matt White The War Zone first reported on Tuesday that Global Strike Command had issued the pause using the M18 pistol. The M18 pistol is a compact variant of the Army's Modular Handgun System, which all the military branches have adopted as their standard sidearms since 2017. The pistols replaced the M9, which first entered service in 1985. But the pistols had several problems during testing, according to a 2020 Defense Department report, which found that the handguns could accidentally fire when dropped. An Army spokesperson told Task & Purpose at the time that the discharge issue had been corrected. More recently, an FBI report into a July 31, 2024 incident in which a Michigan state trooper's M18 went off while the weapon was holstered found that it may be possible for the handgun to discharge without its trigger being pulled under a specific set of circumstances. Jason St. John, senior director of strategic products for Sig Sauer's Defense Strategies Group, recently told The War Zone that the FBI's tests were flawed, and that its own testing contradicts the FBI's findings. 'Sig Sauer continues to have full faith in the P320,' St. John said. 'Due to the FBI manually manipulating the P320 sear improperly, Sig Sauer refutes the initial results.' UPDATE: 07/23/2025; this story was updated with a statement from Sig Sauer.
AllAfrica
16-06-2025
- Business
- AllAfrica
New US nuke missile drops first-strike gauntlet on China
The US Air Force has revealed the first image of its next-generation nuclear cruise missile, signaling a significant step in modernizing the aging air-based leg of America's nuclear triad. This month, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that the Air Force has publicly released the first conceptual image of the AGM-181 Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) missile, a stealthy nuclear cruise missile under development by Raytheon via the US Department of Defense's (DOD) Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS). Designed to succeed the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), the LRSO will serve as the B-52J's primary nuclear strike asset by 2030. The Air Force carefully curated the image to obscure key stealth features, depicting an air-breathing missile with anhedral wings, a ventral stabilizer, and possibly a top-side exhaust, resembling the AGM-158 JASSM. The absence of a visible air intake suggests strategic concealment to preserve low observability. Awarded an initial US$2 billion engineering and manufacturing development contract in 2021, the program is slated for low-rate production starting in February 2027. Budget documents indicate a significant increase in funding from $295.5 million in FY2026 to $1.22 billion in FY2027, with a planned purchase of 1,087 units at approximately $14 million each. Armed with the W80-4 warhead and capable of subsonic speeds, the LRSO passed its critical design review in 2023. General Thomas Bussiere, commander of Global Strike Command, affirmed the program's trajectory and noted its operational relevance, even after the B-52's retirement, hinting at future standoff-capable platforms. Underscoring the urgency of developing the LRSO, Patty Jane-Geller notes in a January 2021 Heritage Foundation article that the AGM-86B ALCM entered service in 1982 with an intended lifespan of 10 years but has undergone life extension programs to last until 2030. Jane-Geller explains that advancements in Russian and Chinese air defenses degrade the AGM-86B's ability to penetrate defended airspace and that life extension programs cannot keep pace with the increasing numbers of defects found in the missiles over time. Dennis Evans and Jonathan Schwalbe note in a 2017 report for the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) that the small number of nuclear-capable US strategic bombers in operation may enable a limited nuclear strike against a lesser adversary but could prove inadequate in a conflict with a nuclear-armed great power. In line with this, Keith Payne and Mark Schneider explain in an article published this month for the National Institute of Public Policy that, with the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) set to expire in February 2026, the US could increase its nuclear-armed ALCMs from 528 to between 716 and 784 bomber-delivered warheads. Payne and Schneider argue that expanding the ALCM fleet won't be feasible until the LRSO becomes operational in the 2030s. By that point, they say the US may only have a limited number of nuclear-capable B-21 bombers, each expected to carry around eight nuclear bombs. They also note that due to the limited number of B-2s and the recent entry into low-rate production of the B-21, the B-52 will continue to be the primary component of the US air-based nuclear arsenal. However, they point out that the B-52's non-stealth configuration makes it dependent on ALCMs for survivability and that the legacy AGM-86B was not designed to penetrate sophisticated air defense systems in the 2020s or beyond. However, cost concerns may hinder the US's attempts to modernize its air-based nuclear arsenal. A March 2025 US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report notes that the US Air Force may need up to 200 B-21s, with the aging US bomber fleet providing a rationale for increased purchases from an initial 100 planned units. Despite that, the report notes that US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has reportedly asked the military services to propose an 8% reduction in their planned FY2026 budgets, with nuclear modernization exempt from those budget cuts. Additionally, the report states that placing US strategic bombers on constant alert may increase demands on costs and manpower, potentially biting into an already constrained budget. Critically, the report highlights the need for US airbase hardening in the Pacific, noting that hardening with reinforced shelters and passive defenses, such as fleet dispersion, camouflage, and concealment, is necessary to enhance protection against a surprise missile attack. Reports from Stimson and the Hudson Institute have highlighted the vulnerability of US airbases and aircraft on the ground, with US airbases in Japan, the Philippines, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands being within range of Chinese ballistic and cruise missiles, with some estimates saying as few as 10 missiles could crater runways, preventing US aircraft from taking off. That vulnerability is also compounded by a lack of US airbase hardening, with the lack of hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) in most locations, which means that most US aircraft losses in a US-China conflict over Taiwan would happen on the ground. Furthermore, the US's deficient missile defenses on key installations, such as Guam, could prove to be a vulnerability. Robert Peters notes in a January 2024 Heritage Foundation report that Guam needs a full-spectrum, permanent, 360-degree missile defense capability, but US DOD efforts to implement such have moved too slowly, while China is investing enormous sums in developing capabilities that could put US and allied bases at risk with conventional and nuclear weapons. While the US has the resources to harden and fortify critical airfields, such a move could complicate strategic stability calculations. In the wake of the audacious Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian airfields, which took out several of the latter's strategic bombers, pro-Russian defense outlet Top War notes that New START requires the US and Russian strategic bombers to be parked out in the open to be subject to satellite monitoring and inspection-based verification to prevent misperception between the two nuclear powers. Top War notes that while Russia suspended its participation in New START in February 2023, it continues to de facto abide by its provisions. In line with that logic, Tong Zhao explains in a July 2024 report for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace that non-nuclear US strategic actions, particularly those aimed at improving survivability or enabling conventional precision strikes, may still be interpreted by Chinese analysts as aggressive or escalatory, especially when viewed through the lens of China's 'worst-case thinking' and fear of a disarming first strike. Such a move could lower China's nuclear use threshold, with Zhao emphasizing that even defensive or non-nuclear US moves may be viewed by China as escalatory or hostile if not well-communicated, contributing to nuclear instability.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Japanese delegation hosted by Air Force Global Strike Command on Barksdale
BOSSIER CITY, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Air Force Global Strike Command on Barksdale hosted a delegation from Japan last week strengthening international security ties. According to Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs, the gathering is called Extended Deterrence Dialogue (EDD) and it happened on June 5-6. The EDD brought together defense and foreign affairs officials from both nations. Global Strike Public Affairs says the U.S. side was represented by officials from the State Department and the Department of Defense, while the Japanese side was comprised of officials from the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry, and the Japanese Embassy in Washington. General Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, assisted in showing the delegation AFGSC training facilities and engaged in bilateral discussion. Global Strike Command Public Affairs says these talks have taken place at key sites within the U.S. nuclear triad since 2022. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AllAfrica
09-06-2025
- Politics
- AllAfrica
US plans nuclear buildup to check and deter China, Russia
With the New START treaty set to expire, the US Air Force is gearing up to surge warhead deployments to outmatch and deter nuclear rivals China and Russia. This month, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that the US Air Force is prepared to expand its nuclear arsenal upon the expiration of the New START Treaty in February 2026, according to General Thomas Bussiere, head of US Air Force Global Strike Command. Speaking at an Atlantic Council forum, Bussiere said that, if directed, the service could increase warhead deployments across its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and bomber fleet. The nuclear arms control treaty, which has been in effect since 2011 and has limited the number of nuclear launchers in the US and Russia, will lapse following Russia's 2023 decision not to extend it. Efforts to modernize US deterrence capabilities, including the Sentinel ICBM, have faced scrutiny due to soaring costs and delays. Lawmakers pressed US Air Force officials to demonstrate urgency in correcting the troubled program, which is projected to cost nearly US$141 billion and fall years behind schedule. Simultaneously, the US Department of Defense (DOD) is assessing the viability of expanding the B-21 Raider fleet beyond the planned 100 aircraft to counter growing nuclear threats from China and North Korea. House Armed Services Committee members remain concerned about funding priorities and nuclear force readiness, while Secretary Troy Meink emphasized that strategic deterrence remains paramount for national defense. Bussiere hinted that future adversarial developments might necessitate a more robust nuclear force posture beyond existing plans. Al Mauroni mentions in a December 2023 War on the Rocks article that the US could increase its readily deployed nuclear warheads beyond New START Treaty limits by utilizing warheads from the nuclear stockpile's active hedge, which are those that are not operationally deployed. Mauroni points out that this effectively means the US could 'upload' additional nuclear warheads onto existing missiles and bombers without building new weapons. Hans Kristensen and other writers mention in a January 2025 article for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists that while the US currently deploys 400 Minuteman III ICBMs, each armed with one warhead, the missiles can carry two or three warheads each. Kristensen and others state that the Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) can carry eight warheads each, although they typically carry an average of four to five. In terms of bombers, a March 2025 US Congressional Research Service (CRS) report states that the US Air Force may require at least 200 stealth bombers to meet operational demands, particularly given the high tempo of Bomber Task Force missions and the reliance on Cold War-era platforms still in frontline use. Putting a number on the potential increase of US warheads, Keith Payne and Mark Schneider mention in an article this month for the National Institute of Public Policy that without New START limitations, the US Trident SLBM force could increase from an estimated 960 to 1,626 deployed warheads, while the Minuteman III ICBM force could increase from an estimated 400 to 1,000 deployed warheads, for a deployed missile force of 2,626 warheads. For bombers, Payne and Schneider estimate that the US could increase its stockpile of 528 air-launched cruise missiles (ALCM) to 716 to 784 warheads. However, the US nuclear triad is in dire need of modernization. Heather Williams and Lachlan MacKenzie mention in an April 2025 article for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) that the US Air Force is currently looking to extend the lifespan of its Minuteman III ICBMs, which are decades past retirement, while its Sentinel replacement is hounded by budget overruns and delays. Regarding the US's undersea nuclear deterrent, a March 2025 US CRS report notes that the US operates 14 Ohio-class SSBNs, which are approaching the end of their service lives. The report states that the SSBNs were initially designed for a 30-year service life but were later recertified for an additional 12 years. The report notes that the Ohio SSBNs will reach the end of their operational lives from 2027 to 2040. While the report states that the US is building 12 Columbia-class SSBNs to replace the Ohio-class fleet, the lead unit is facing a 12- to 16-month delay, which could impact the timely replacement of the Ohio-class fleet. While Williams and MacKenzie note that the B-21 bomber program is on track, a June 2024 US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report states that the Long Range Standoff (LRSO) program, intended to replace the AGM-86 ALCM aboard US bombers, faces risks in schedule and cost estimates due to tight timelines and overlapping testing phases. It also mentions that while the LRSO program has made design progress and early manufacturing preparations, challenges remain in software integration and meeting nuclear certification requirements, which could affect the missile's timely deployment and operational readiness. Williams and MacKenzie assert that the US defense industrial base and nuclear enterprise have atrophied since the end of the Cold War, with decades of underinvestment and consolidation eroding its nuclear defense-industrial base, leaving it ill-equipped for renewed great power competition. When New START expires next year, the US must ensure its nuclear deterrent effectively dissuades both China and Russia from nuclear aggression, including if the two US rivals act together. Meanwhile, Russia is deploying new systems, such as the Avangard and Poseidon, and China is expanding its ICBM silo fields and maturing a true nuclear triad—thereby intensifying the arms race that the US appears to be struggling to keep pace with. In an April 2023 Atlantic Council report, Keir Lieber and Daryl Press mention that in a nuclear tripolar world with China, Russia and the US all fielding large arsenals, the US must deter two peer rivals simultaneously, each capable of massive retaliation. However, they point out that the US's current counterforce doctrine, which eschews threats to enemy cities while targeting military assets, requires a large, survivable arsenal capable of retaliating against one adversary while still deterring the other, thereby escalating the risks of an arms race. In addition, they argue that a pure counterforce doctrine increases force demands without improving deterrence. Lieber and Press propose a hybrid US nuclear doctrine, with counterforce options for limited scenarios but threatening countervalue retaliation targeting cities, industrial assets and population centers in extreme ones. They assert a hybrid doctrine would more credibly deter China and Russia while avoiding an excessive force buildup. With New START set to expire in early 2026, the US's nuclear future hinges not just on how many warheads it can deploy but how credibly it can deter two giants bent on intensifying their nuclear threats.
