WASHINGTON—U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates fired the U.S. Air Force 's top two leaders after a series of embarrassing missteps that raised questions about U.S. nuclear security, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley, the top civilian and military leaders, "both will be leaving," one senior U.S. military officer said.
While the firings followed mounting strain between the Air Force and Pentagon over spending priorities and other issues, a senior U.S. defense official tied the decision directly to the findings of an investigation into the U.S. military's mistaken shipment of fuses for nuclear missiles to Taiwan.
"It's a mistake to characterize this as the straw that broke the camel's back," that official said. "(The fuse investigation) itself is cause."
The Pentagon and Air Force would not comment. Gates was expected to announce the resignations on Thursday afternoon.
Both Wynne and Moseley were asked to resign, and both have submitted their resignations, another official said.
The resignations follow a string of embarrassing incidents for the Air Force .
In August 2007, an Air Force bomber mistakenly armed with six nuclear warheads flew across the United States. The Air Force fired a commander in response, but lawmakers criticized what they saw as a lack of accountability.
Senior Pentagon officials raised concerns about the issue as recently as last week, said one source familiar with the discussions.
Nuclear Probe was Critical of Air Force
Concern about the security of U.S. nuclear and nuclear-related equipment escalated in March when the Pentagon admitted the erroneous fuse shipment to Taiwan in 2006. The U.S. military never caught that error, which was brought to light by Taiwanese authorities.
Gates ordered an investigation and told the Air Force and Navy to take inventory of all nuclear and nuclear-associated equipment and material.
That probe, concluded last month, was conducted by a senior U.S. Navy officer and was highly critical of the Air Force, according to defense officials.
Other issues that have raised concerns among lawmakers and senior Pentagon officials include the Air Force 's handling of a $50 million marketing contract for its Thunderbirds air show, and its efforts to secure additional purchases of Boeing Co C-17 transport planes, against the Pentagon's wishes.
Gates has also disagreed with the Air Force 's focus on expensive weapons that have little, if any, use in Iraq and Afghanistan. The top-of-the-range F-22 fighter jet has not flown a single mission in either war, but remains a top priority among some Air Force leaders.
Gates, who replaced Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon in 2006, has fired senior officials when they appear to deflect or dismiss responsibility for problems.
He fired U.S. Army Secretary Francis Harvey in March 2007 after reports of poor conditions facing troops at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
In announcing Harvey's resignation, Gates criticized the Army's response to the scandal as defensive and said the Army was not focused enough on fixing the problems.
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