Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Stephen Wilson discusses modernization of the nuclear triad during an Air Force Association breakfast at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C., May 25, 2017. The Air Force maintains two legs of the nuclear triad, including the aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons, more than 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as 75 percent of the Nuclear Command, Control and Communication that connects the president to senior military leaders and approximately 30,000 Airmen maintaining this capability. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Robert Barnett)Vice chief addresses need to modernize nuclear triad
                        
                        
                        Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Stephen Wilson discusses modernization of the nuclear triad during an Air Force Association breakfast at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C., May 25, 2017. The Air Force maintains two legs of the nuclear triad, including the aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons, more than 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as 75 percent of the Nuclear Command, Control and Communication that connects the president to senior military leaders and approximately 30,000 Airmen maintaining this capability. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Robert Barnett)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Vice chief addresses need to modernize nuclear triadPublished May 26, 2017
                    
                    By Tech. Sgt. Robert Barnett
                    
                    
                    Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
            **WASHINGTON (AFNS)  --**Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Stephen Wilson discussed the state of the nuclear triad during a Mitchell Institute breakfast at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C., May 25, 2017.
The Air Force maintains two legs of the nuclear triad, including aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons, more than 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles, 75 percent of the nuclear command, control and communication that connects the president to senior military leaders and approximately 30,000 Airmen maintaining this capability.
“Strategic stability is the key term I want to emphasize today, what we need as a backdrop against what other nations are doing,” Wilson said.
Air Force leadership continue to advocate for stable, predictable budgets to ensure Airmen receive the updated equipment they need to modernize the nuclear triad, he explained.
“The budget is certainly a step in the right direction; it helps us move forward on our readiness recovery,” he continued. “We hope to have a predictable, flexible budget going forward.”
To ensure the nuclear triad is responsive, survivable, flexible and visible, the Air Force plans upgrades that include replacing the ground-based strategic deterrent missile with the Minuteman III; advancing the development of the B-21 Raider to provide critical flexibility across a wide range of joint military operations with long-range, large mixed payloads and survivability; and upgrading to the long range standoff missile that will be compatible with all nuclear-capable bombers.
“Today’s modernization is tomorrow’s readiness,” he said. “We don’t control the future, but we need to be ready for it. Our nuclear forces will continue to play an important role for our nation.”
Enemies are closing the advantage gap fast, and Wilson isn’t interested in a fair fight.
“I don’t want to win 36 to 33 – I want to win 100 to nothing,” he said. “To do that, we have to maintain an advantage, we have to maintain a strong nuclear capability.”SAF 



VCSAF 



nuclear triad 



Minuteman III 



ICBM 



B-21 Raider 



bomber 



capitol hill 



readiness 



modernization Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil