Hagel reassures troops of U.S. commitment to nuclear arms mission MINOT AIR FORCE BASE N.D. (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced a multi-billion dollar revamp of U.S. nuclear forces on Friday and later reassured troops responsible for atomic bombers and missiles that he was committed to revitalizing their service after years of neglect. Hagel told a Pentagon briefing that two reviews he ordered earlier this year found a "consistent lack of investment" in the nuclear forces and "systematic problems" that could undermine the safety of the enterprise if not addressed, including a culture of over-inspection and micro-management. The Pentagon chief ordered the reviews after a spate of incidents in the nuclear force, including cheating on proficiency exams by missile launch officers, the discovery of a drug ring and the sacking of the head of the force for drunkenness and bad behavior on an official visit to Moscow. Hagel said the nuclear weapons forces, which cost more than $15 billion annually, would need a 10 percent increase in funding each year over the next five years. That would be more than $7.5 billion over the period. As an example of the funding shortages, he said in one case a single wrench needed to attach warheads to missiles was shared by all three U.S. nuclear missile bases in different states and had to be sent by Federal Express from one to the other. Visiting Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota hours later, he sought to reassure troops there of his commitment to revitalizing their forces with cultural changes and new funding to improve their jobs and working conditions. "You are an indispensable element of our national security," Hagel said. You are the main deterrent for the security of this country. The Pentagon already has begun spending millions of dollars to improve conditions at Minot, the only base that is home to both nuclear bombers and missiles. The work includes the first comprehensive cleaning of launch control centers since they were built in the 1960s and upgrades to recreational facilities. Some defense analysts welcomed the results of the review, saying it would renew focus on nuclear arms after years of neglect. Others said simply spending more money on a Cold War-era atomic weapons structure that increasingly plays a limited role in U.S. security policy would not improve things. Additional reporting by Bill Trott, David Brunnstrom, and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by David Storey, Eric Beech and Paul Tait