President Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of the Air Force told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that if confirmed, he will focus on the modernization of nuclear weapons and fixing a revamped intercontinental ballistic missile program that is over budget and behind schedule.
Troy Meink, an Air Force veteran who served in the first Gulf War, also talked during the confirmation hearing about shoring up a pilot shortage.
Meink, principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, the spy agency responsible for intelligence space systems, told the committee that if confirmed, his goal is "to organize, train, and equip the Department of the Air Force to have the lethality needed to deter all potential aggressors, and if necessary, win in conflict."
The Air Force is working on replacing its arsenal of about 450 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles, which were first deployed in 1970. The Minuteman III is the land-based portion of the nation's nuclear triad of land, air, and sea weapons. It was set to be replaced by the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel.
But the Sentinel's projected costs increased dramatically from what Northrop Grumman and the Air Force expected, and the program is now expected to cost about $141 billion, 81% more than the program's original cost estimate of $77.7 billion, according to DefenseNews. The overrun triggered a mandatory review. Although the Pentagon declared the program crucial to national security in July 2024, allowing it to continue, the Air Force is working to restructure the program, pausing design and construction of launch facilities pending further study.
"I'm looking forward to diving into the results of the [mandatory review] and then also obviously working on the B-21 [stealth bomber] and the other activities from a nuclear perspective the department supports," Meink said. "The department is building and operating some of the most complex systems ever fielded both air and space. We need the right number of guardians, but we also need the needed skills, training, support, and focus to deliver and operate those systems.
"Secondly, we need to innovate faster. I spent the last decade increasing competition and expanding the industry base, which has significantly accelerated the delivery of capability and at a lower cost. I intend to bring that same drive for innovation to the department. Finally, we need to streamline the acquisition and budget process with appropriate fiscal controls."
Meink said there are three challenges facing the Air Force.
"First, near peer competitors such as China are evolving faster than we are in some cases, which will eventually result in the U.S. losing our technological advantage," he said. "Secondly, some competitors such as Russia are fielding highly escalatory asymmetric capabilities. And third, our homeland is increasingly put on the defensive from threats such as cyberattack, unmanned aerial systems, and illegal activities at the border, including illicit drug trafficking."
The Air Force reportedly in 2024 fell short of its airmen goal by nearly 1,850 pilots. Of those positions that needed to be filled, 1,142 were fighter pilots. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., pressed Meink on the pilot shortage.
"We've got to make sure — not just with pilots, but across our highlight skilled areas within our workforce — that they have the opportunity to do what they've been trained, what they love to do," Meink said. "Since I was a navigator, we've always struggled with maintaining pilot levels. It is much larger than just the funding."