US Defense Secretary Robert Gates today fired the US Air Force's top two leaders after a series of embarrassing missteps that raised questions about US nuclear security, officials said today.
Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and Chief of Staff Gen Michael Moseley, the top civilian and military leaders, will both be leaving.
While the firings followed mounting strain between the Air Force and Pentagon over spending priorities and other issues, a senior US official tied the decision directly to the findings of an investigation into the US military's mistaken shipment of fuses for nuclear missiles to Taiwan.
Both Mr Wynne and Gen 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, but legislators criticised what they saw as a lack of accountability.
Concern about the security of US 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.
Mr Gates ordered an investigation and told the Air Force and Navy to take inventory of all nuclear and nuclear-associated equipment and material. That inquiry, concluded last month, highly critical of the Air Force, according to defence officials.