MINOT (AP) - Sen. Kent Conrad says the Air Force should consider the Minot Air Force Base as a headquarters for a new command to oversee the Air Force's nuclear arsenal.

Conrad says he told Air Force Secretary Michael Donley in a letter that the Minot base is the only one in the country with both bombers and missiles with nuclear missions. He says it should be "at the top of the list" for the new command.

The base has drawn attention for missteps in handling nuclear weapons, including an incident last year in which a B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and flown from Minot to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

A study released last month found a deterioration in managing the nation's nuclear arsenal and recommended the Air Force consolidate nuclear responsibilities under one command.