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Air Force Loses Nuclear Weapons, Takes Them For A Spin
Posted by ueberbill
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[Military] |
 Nuclear missiles, I submit, are dangerous. We as a people are comforted by the fact that if such weapons of truly massive mass destruction must exist, at least they are kept under guard at all times by the military. But what if the military loses track of them for a cross-country trip in a bomber? |
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A B-52 bomber, the 52-year-old Cold War-era flying museum, was sent to fly the length of the country on a routine mission. What was NOT routine was the fact that six nuclear-armed cruise missiles were mounted on the wings BY MISTAKE. The Air Force realized its little goof only after the bomber had landed. This is the first time live nuclear weapons have been flown over the United States since the late 1960's (that we know of, anyway)--each of the six missiles had ten times the destructive power (150 kilotons each) of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. "At no time was there a threat to public safety," said Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ed Thomas. "It is important to note that munitions were safe, secure and under military control at all times." Of course, since it was the military that let the devastating weapons take a trip around the United States unintentionally, those words are perhaps not all that comforting. The munitions squadron commander at the base where the flight originated has been relieved, but the incident clearly calls into question just how effective the command and control system for nuclear arms is in this country. |
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