The Air Force command that operates and protects nuclear weapons has returned the M18 pistol to service with its Security Forces and other personnel, a month after one of the guns killed an airman at a Wyoming nuclear base.
Out of close to 8,000 pistols inspected by the command, just under 200 were found to have some amount of wear on key firing mechanisms, though none were found to be responsible for any misfires. The M18 and a slightly larger variant known as the M17 are the standard handguns issued across the Department of Defense.
“Air Force Global Strike Command has completed a comprehensive inspection of its 7,970 M18 Modular Handgun Systems,” the Air Force said in a statement. The Sig Sauer-made handgun had been suspended from service across the command on July 21 after Airman Brayden Lovan, 21, a security forces airman, died from an M18 gunshot at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming.
Lovan’s death was originally reported as a mishap in which the M18 may have fired on its own. Air Force Global Strike Command pulled the pistols from service soon after, with other Air Force commands following suit, though the Air Force did not pull the weapon service-wide, nor did the Army, Navy or Marine Corps.
But another airman has since been arrested in Lovan’s death on charges of making a false official statement, obstruction of justice, and involuntary manslaughter.
“A review of weapon discharges in [Air Force Global Strike Command] showed that none were attributed to weapons malfunction,” the command said in the statement announcing the return of the pistols to service.
Top Stories This Week
Global Strike Command is the only branch of the Air Force that oversees nuclear weapons and, as such, maintains extraordinarily high levels of armed security in facilities that store and operate them. Bases that house nuclear weapons have large, specially trained security teams standing watch over the weapons at all times. The command also fields the National Airborne Operations Center security team, which flies aboard the E-4B Nightwatch, widely known as the “Doomsday plane.”
All of those personnel are armed while on duty, which would generally include carrying the M18 or the M17, a slightly larger but mechanically identical pistol.
“It is paramount that our airmen trust their weapon systems,” said Gen. Thomas Bussiere, the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. “This thorough inspection ensures the M18s in our inventory are in optimal working order, providing our Defenders with safe, reliable, and effective systems to accomplish their mission.”
According to the Air Force news release, the inspection identified 191 weapons with “discrepancies.”
“The primary discrepancy was related to component wear,” the command said. “The most frequent issues centered on problems with the safety lever, striker assembly and sear. Weapons exhibiting these discrepancies were immediately tagged and are undergoing necessary repairs.”
The inspection also collected data on M18 usage to compare to actual issues.
