Inside the Air Force highlights

Some must-reads from this week's issue of Inside the Air Force:

1. Funding delays dating back to the start of fiscal year 2018 have slowed the time line for a key Air Force assessment of cyber vulnerabilities in its major weapon systems from 2018 to 2020, a service spokeswoman confirmed to Inside Defense this week.

Full story: Budget constraints delay Air Force's cybersecurity review of legacy systems

2. Intercontinental ballistic missile bases in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming will receive new MH-139 helicopters from fiscal year 2021 through FY-27, as the Air Force looks for ways to mature the fleet faster.

Full story: USAF projects swapping ICBM base Hueys for MH-139s will take eight years

3. As Pentagon officials reckon with a potential requirement for additional strategic airlift to execute the new National Defense Strategy, a blueprint for action was mapped out in policy reviews to support capping C-17 production in 2015, including a potential $7 billion tab to restart the C-17 line, upgrading C-5s in the bone yard to grow the fleet and increased reliance on civilian cargo haulers.

Full story: As USAF contemplates strategic airlift, options for more capacity are bleak

4. As the Air Force's multibillion-dollar nuclear modernization programs forge ahead, Democrats are expected to use their new majority in the House to renew the debate over which types of nuclear weapons the United States should own and how to fund their upgrades.

Full story: Nuke programs could face renewed scrutiny in Democrat-controlled House