Nuclear Weapons Center

Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center
Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center emblem
Active	1946-1976 2006-Present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Nuclear Experts
Role	Combat Support
Size	Center
Part of	Air Force Materiel Command
Garrison/HQ	Kirtland Air Force Base
Commanders
Current commander	Major General Scott Jansson

The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (NWC) is a USAF Named Unit, assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The NWC operates at the Air Division level of the AFMC. It is currently under the command of Major General Scott Jansson.

The center's mission is to ensure safe, secure, and reliable nuclear weapon systems to support the National Command Structure and the United States Air Force warfighter.

The NWC’s vision is to be the Air Force’s Center of Excellence for all nuclear weapon systems activities. The responsibilities of the NWC include acquisition, modernization and sustainment of nuclear system programs for both the Departments of Defense and Energy.

Established on March 31, 2006, the Nuclear Weapons Center (NWC) is Air Force Materiel Command’s (AFMC) center of expertise for nuclear weapon systems. The NWC is the single AFMC voice for integrating nuclear weapon systems requirements and nuclear weapon system resource management. The center is the primary unit servicing Kirtland Air Force Base and its over 100 tenant units.

The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center was initially formed as a post World War II outgrowth of the Manhattan Project, which was designed by the Army from the outset to be a temporary organization to produce an atomic bomb. With the end of the war, the establishment of the "Z Division" at Sandia Base and later the Sandia National Laboratory led to the establishment of an Air Force organization to coordinate military activities with the civilian research organization in 1946.

Initially part of Continental Air Command and Air Material 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.