OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. – U.S. Navy Adm. Richard “Rich” A. Correll relieved U.S. Air Force Gen. Anthony J. Cotton as commander of U.S. Strategic Command during a ceremony today at the command’s headquarters here.

U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bomber aircraft departed Spain, Nov. 24, returning to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and concluding Bomber Task Force Europe 26-1, a two-week deployment exercising the U.S. Air Force’s ability to project power globally. During the deployment, the B-52 aircrews executed a series of complex, high-end training scenarios with Allies and partners across the U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility.

Global Thunder 26 (GT26), the latest iteration of U.S. Strategic Command’s annual field training and command and control exercise, concluded Oct. 26 here. While Exercise GT26 occurred at multiple locations, Minot AFB supported activities amongst two bomb wings and a missile wing accounting for two thirds of the U.S. nuclear triad.

AFGSC conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg SFB, Calif., on Nov. 5, 2025. This test, designated GT 254, evaluated the ongoing reliability, operational readiness & accuracy of the ICBM system, a cornerstone of America's national defense.

U.S. Strategic Command opened its annual nuclear command and control exercise, Global Thunder 26, here Oct. 21, 2025. Global Thunder 26 engages warfighters across the nuclear enterprise, including USSTRATCOM components and subordinate units. Its purpose is to support peace through strength and national security objectives by enhancing combat readiness, assuring worldwide allies and partners, and demonstrating the Command’s warfighting capacity and lethal capabilities. This is an annual exercise, not held in response to world events or actions by any nation or entity.

ATLANTIC OCEAN - The U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs conducted four scheduled missile test flights of unarmed Trident II D5LE missiles from an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine off the east coast of Florida from September 17-21. One launch test event Sunday evening lit up the night sky and was visible from Puerto Rico.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin spoke of the service's recent successes and underscored the importance of keeping a winning pace against adversaries at the Air and Space Forces Association cyber conference in Maryland.

In light of the changing global security landscape, the War Department is considering how to approach modern-era deterrence differently, said Air Force Maj. Gen. Brandon D. Parker, director of global operations at U.S. Strategic Command.