Global Strike outlines latest improvements for missileers, security forces

Air Force Global Strike Command's program to improve the morale of its airmen has netted key recommendations and budgeted millions of dollars in improvements to missile wings.

More than $200 million in funding has been budgeted for the force improvement program in fiscal 2014 and 2015, with a total of $350 million in additional funding planned in the next five years.

The changes come from the outreach to airmen and include:

• $10.1 million to purchase new optics and $330,000 for collapsible rifle stocks and shorter barrels for security forces airmen, who asked for upgrades to their weapons.

• $1 million to improve the training course at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming. Airmen asked for improved training, which now includes more "trigger time" and a convoy course focused on training to protect missiles in transit.

• $300,000 in funding for new tools and equipment for maintainers.

• An unspecified amount for six new personnel authorizations per ICBM wing to stand up launch control center survivable systems team sections.

The force improvement program began earlier this year with Air Force and Defense Department officials seeking recommendations from Global Strike Command airmen at all levels following multiple high-level incidents of cheating and commander firings.

Raytheon Wins $3 Billion Missile Systems Contract

Raytheon Company will be awarded a $3 billion contract to supply missile systems to the U.S. Defense Department.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency notified Raytheon that it will award the company, when funds are appropriated, a sole-source contract, because it is the "only source that currently possesses the in-depth technical knowledge of the system to satisfactorily perform the work."

The three-year contract will cover manufacture and integration of up to 216 Standard Missile-3 SM-3 Block IB missiles, or 72 per year, starting in 2015. It is part of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program, the Missile Defense Agency was quoted as saying by Reuters. "We're confident in the SM-3 Block IB's readiness for production, and we remain on track to deliver this critical capability in support of phase two of the European Phased Adaptive Approach in 2015," Raytheon said in a statement.