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ences toggle references subsection 5 1 notes 5 2 bibliography 6 external links toggle the table of contents air force nuclear weapons center 3 languages فارسی italiano 日本語 edit links article talk english read edit view history tools tools move to sidebar hide actions read edit view history general what links here related changes upload file permanent link page information cite this page get shortened url switch to legacy parser print export download as pdf printable version in other projects wikidata item appearance move to sidebar hide coordinates 35 03 18 n 106 33 25 w 35 055 n 106 557 w 35 055 106 557 from wikipedia the free encyclopedia us air force unit tasked with ensuring safe secure and reliable nuclear weapon systems this article has multiple issues please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page learn how and when to remove these messages this article s lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article december 2025 learn how and when to remove this message this article includes a list of general references but lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations january 2013 learn how and when to remove this message learn how and when to remove this message air force nuclear weapons center air force nuclear weapons center emblem a 1 active 1949 1976 2006 present country united states branch united states air force role nuclear weapons support part of air force materiel command garrison hq kirtland air force base mottos never doubted always feared citation needed decorations organizational excellence award citation needed commanders current commander brig gen william s rogers insignia special weapons command later special weapons center emblem military unit the air force nuclear weapons center is a usaf unit assigned to the air force materiel command afmc at kirtland air force base new mexico established on 31 march 2006 the center is air force materiel command s afmc center of expertise for nuclear weapon systems history edit background edit the origin of the air force nuclear weapons center began during the post world war ii following the manhattan project which was designed by the united states army from the outset to be a temporary organization to produce a nuclear weapon with the end of the war the establishment of the z division at sandia base and later the sandia national laboratory led to the creation of a united states army air forces organization to coordinate military activities with the civilian research organization in 1946 on 18 september 1947 president harry s truman signed the national security act of 1947 separating the army air forces from the army by creating the independent united states air force the newly formed air force began assuming activities with nuclear research laboratories as cold war tensions with the soviet union were rising special weapons command edit initially part of continental air command and air materiel command the center was established as the air force special weapons command as a major command of the united states air force on 1 december 1949 it was equal to the air defense command strategic air command and tactical air command it assumed all functions of the world war ii atomic tactical and technical liaison committees its mission was to provide an organization for the development and testing of atomic weapons the nucleus of this organization was composed of the pioneering air force agencies which had located there to determine future employment of nuclear weapons the swc was headquartered at kirtland afb the mission was to provide an organization for development testing of special weapons including atomic biological and chemical weapons and to increase the efficiency of airborne vehicles to carry these weapons as a result the responsibility for biological chemical warfare research was moved from wright patterson afb to the swc at kirtland the swc assumed all the functions of the old usaf field office for atomic energy tandtlc and employed personnel who were transferred from that office to form the cadre of the hq swc the command was also directed to provide personnel and equipment for development and proof testing of aircraft equipment and ground handling appurtenance to special weapons shortly after it was established the swc took over the host responsibilities for kirtland from air materiel command 2 swc served as the primary source for scientific and technical information on special weapons development to accomplish its mission swc redesignated numerous units that had been under the usaf field office of atomic energy with no change in station swc units at kirtland in 1951 were 2 4901st special weapons later support wing atomic 4925th special weapons later test group atomic 4905th maintenance and supply group 4910th air base group it appears that the 4901st special weapons wing had administrative control over the groups with the 4905th maintenance and supply group and the 4910th air base group serving as support and the base host respectively while the 4925th special weapons group was the group actively involved with atomic testing 2 in january 1950 president truman directed the atomic energy commission to emphasize thermonuclear research with the prime objective to become operational in delivering hydrogen bombs the primary usaf group to work on this mission was the 4925th special weapons group the 4925th special weapons group was a mix of elite u s airmen and support personnel tasked with testing all aircraft in the usaf inventory for nuclear weapons delivery capability the top bomber and fighter pilots in the usaf and expert support personnel were transferred to the 4925th special weapons group in july 1951 the 4925th special weapons group was redesignated the 4925th test group atomic and continued for 11 years as an important component of kirtland s nuclear responsibilities 2 swc s responsibilities expanded in july 1951 to include monitoring the military weapons effects program the ongoing series of full scale nuclear tests and exercising overall control over participating usaf personnel the 4930th test support group was a holding cadre for usaf participating personnel of overseas nuclear testing joint task forces 2 the command was redesignated the air force special weapons center afswc and assigned to air research and development command on 1 april 1952 losing major command status and became a subordinate unit of the air research and development command as the afswc it became one of the distinct research and development centers within the command its mission was to ensure the atomic capability of aircraft and missiles during the 1950s assigned personnel and aircraft participated in atmospheric nuclear tests in nevada and the pacific proving grounds the first air force scientific capabilities at the base were created during the mid 1950s biophysicists deliberately flew aircraft through nuclear clouds to determine radiation hazards engineers also launched sounding rockets so physicists could study the effects of high altitude nuclear explosions and the nature of the recently discovered van allen radiation belts around the earth from the early years of cold war the need to test and evaluate supersonic aircraft technologies associated munitions and eventually space systems required the air force to build specialized ground test facilities as nuclear weapons and electronics became more a part of air power two new locations for test and evaluation t e were created the special weapons center swc at kirtland air force base new mexico concentrated on the technologies supporting nuclear weapons development hanscom air force base massachusetts concentrated on new levels of sophistication in electronics and avionics development however both locations were closed for testing in the late 1970s because the air force felt that limited research and development funds were better spent on technology than on infrastructure one aspect of the testing environment involves the features a particular location might offer that could help or hinder testing of weapons such as supersonic aircraft technologies associated munitions and space systems for example the special weapons center was established at kirtland air force base new mexico because of the concentration of technologies and industries supporting nuclear weapons development in the region in 1958 special weapons center scientists began to simulate the effects of nuclear explosions in order to strengthen us missiles missile sites and aircraft against possible enemy attack it was in 1958 that a nuclear effects simulator was first constructed in an abandoned dining hall at kirtland in the wake of the signing of the partial nuclear test ban treaty in 1963 the air force weapons laboratory afwl was created from the research directorate elements of the special weapons center the special weapons center gave up much of its research and development work to the newly created air force weapons laboratory the center continued with its test and evaluation mission and as kirtland s host organization the weapons laboratory built facilities during the 1960s to simulate nuclear effects such as transient radiation x rays and electromagnetic pulse emp the special weapons center took over management of air force systems command s test and evaluation facilities at holloman air force base near alamogordo new mexico during the summer of 1970 and just one year later on 1 july 1971 kirtland merged with manzano and sandia base its neighbors to the east creating the sprawling military complex known as kirtland air force base the center then began providing base support services and continued to do so for the next five years while field command defense nuclear agency became a major base tenant rather than the base host organization because of budget restrictions and the need to save money the air force special weapons center was disestablished on 1 april 1976 in 1976 afswc was closed and opr office of primary responsibility functions came to the afwl special weapons center s responsibilities as kirtland s landlord were also transferred to the air force contract management division on the same day air force nuclear weapons center edit on 31 march 2006 the air force reactivated the unit as the nuclear weapons center combining oversight of nuclear weapons under a single organization in 2008 the nuclear weapons center was redesignated the air force nuclear weapons center the nuclear weapons center intercontinental ballistic missile icbm systems directorate at hill afb utah provides technical support to simulated electronic launch minuteman selm tests the tests verify the reliability of the lgm 30 minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile selm replaces key components at the launch control center to allow a physical keyturn by missile combat crew members this test allows end to end verification in the icbm launch process the information obtained from tests provide a complete assessment of the weapon systems for air force global strike command afgsc 3 back in the 1970s the 44th strategic missile wing hosted giant pace test 74 1 the first selm exercise eleven sorties underwent successful simulated launch from lcc and alcs 4 in an effort to simplify nuclear sustainment and acquisition the nuclear weapons center was reorganized again in 2015 the 377th air base wing was transferred to air force global strike command and maintenance activities in europe to united states air forces in europe air forces africa effective 1 october 2015 at that time the afnwc commander became dual hatted as the program executive officer for strategic systems aligning the sustainment activities previously handled by the center with the acquisition functions handled by the program executive officer 5 6 lineage edit established as the special weapons command a usaf major command and activated on 1 december 1949 redesignated air force special weapons center lost major command status on 1 april 1952 inactivated on 1 april 1976 redesignated nuclear weapons center on 14 february 2006 activated on 31 march 2006 redesignated air force nuclear weapons center on 29 february 2008 1 components edit this section does not cite any sources please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources unsourced material may be challenged and removed december 2025 learn how and when to remove this message 377th air base wing 31 march 2006 30 september 2015 498th nuclear systems wing 31 march 2006 27 january 2012 7 2758th experimental wing later 4901st special weapons wing 4901st support wing atomic 4900th air base group 4900th air base group later wing 1 december 1949 1 april 1976 4910th air base group 1 december 1949 1 may 1955 4925th special weapons group later 4925th test group 1 december 1949 31 august 1961 4950th test group nuclear 1 september 1956 16 august 1961 assignments edit headquarters united states air force 1 december 1949 air research and development command later air force systems command 1 april 1952 1 april 1976 air force materiel command 31 march 2006 present 1 stations edit kirtland air force base new mexico 1 february 1946 1 april 1976 31 march 2006 present list of commanders edit no commander term portrait name took office left office term length 1 colonel terrence feehan 9 july 2006 april 2008 1 year 275 days 2 brigadier general everett thomas 11 april 2008 20 january 2011 2 years 294 days 3 brigadier general garrett harencak 13 20 january 2011 6 february 2013 2 years 17 days 4 major general sandra finan 15 6 february 2013 1 october 2015 2 years 236 days 5 major general scott jansson 17 1 october 2015 5 october 2017 2 years 4 days 6 major general shaun morris 6 october 2017 26 july 2020 2 years 294 days 7 major general anthony genatempo 26 july 2020 21 june 2022 1 year 330 days 8 major general john p newberry 19 21 june 2022 1 july 2025 3 years 10 days 9 brigadier general william s rogers 8 july 2025 20 incumbent 1 year 76 days see also edit simulated electronic launch peacekeeper similar verification test performed on lgm 118a peacekeeper references edit notes edit explanatory notes approved 9 may 2006 citations 1 2 3 montgomery msg johnny 1 august 2011 factsheet air force nuclear weapons center afmc air force historical research agency archived from the original on 23 september 2011 retrieved 29 december 2025 1 2 3 4 5 national register of historic places historic context and evaluation for kirtland air force base albuquerque new mexico archived 1 june 2013 at the wayback machine air force nuclear weapons center intercontinental ballistic missile systems directorate hill air force base 15 march 2012 archived from the original on 6 august 2012 retrieved 26 june 2023 pike john 44th missile wing www globalsecurity org afnwc welcomes new commander october ...