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Shocking But True - A HUGE BLUNDER THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED A HUGE LOSS OF LIFE!!!

20 October, 2007

Airmen punished for nuclear error

A B-52 bomber at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. File pic

The missiles were mounted on the wings of a B-52 bomber

The US Air Force has relieved several officers of their commands after a B-52 bomber was mistakenly flown across the US loaded with nuclear-armed missiles.

Three colonels, a lieutenant colonel and 66 other personnel were punished following the incident at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, on 29 August.

Maj Gen Richard Newton said ground crews had failed to follow procedures.

The incident has been described as one of the worst known breaches of nuclear weapons procedures in decades.

Six cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads were mounted on the bomber's wings before it was flown to Louisiana.

The missiles were supposed to have been taken to Barksdale Air Force Base, but the warheads should have been removed beforehand.

'Procedural errors'

Announcing the results of his six-week investigation, Gen Newton said there had been an "erosion of adherence to weapons-handing standards".

They did not follow the formal scheduling processes that would have allowed them to do the proper maintenance and handling of those weapons

Maj Gen Richard Newton
Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff

US embarrassed at blunder

"In the countless times our dedicated airmen have transferred weapons in our nation's arsenal, nothing like this has ever occurred," the Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations said.

Gen Newton said the "unprecedented string of procedural errors" had begun with a failure by airmen to conduct a required inspection of the missiles before they were loaded onto the wing of the B-52 at Minot.

The crew flying the plane were unaware it was carrying nuclear warheads, he said.

Experts have said that if the B-52 had crashed, there would not have been a nuclear explosion. However, there could have been a threat from plutonium leakage from the W80-1 warheads, which have a yield of five to 150 kilotons.

"This was an unacceptable mistake and a clear deviation from our exacting standards," Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said.

"We hold ourselves accountable to the American people and want to ensure proper corrective action has been taken."

Both Mr Wynne and Gen Newton insisted the case was an isolated incident and that the current procedures for handling nuclear weapons were sound.

US embarrassed at nuclear blunder

The US military has launched an investigation into how a B-52 bomber flew the length of the US mistakenly loaded with nuclear weapons. BBC world affairs correspondent Nick Childs considers the political and military fallout from the incident.

The US Air Force is investigating how one of its bombers mistakenly flew six nuclear warheads across the United States last week without anyone knowing about it.

The missiles were mounted on the wings of a B-52 bomber

US officials insist there was never any risk to public safety. And experts agree there was no danger of an accidental nuclear explosion.

But it is still difficult to overestimate the embarrassment to the Pentagon, and especially the US Air Force, caused by this incident.

Nuclear weapons are the "crown jewels" in the US arsenal, and are meant to be protected by many safety procedures.

The US military is not supposed to lose track of them, even for a few hours.

As well as the investigation, there is likely to be a major review of the way the US Air Force handles its weapons.

Daily updates

The political embarrassment lies in the fact that the Bush administration has made much of its worries about nuclear proliferation.

Washington has made no secret of its concerns over the years about the safety and security of the ex-Soviet nuclear arsenal, and whether those weapons might fall into the hands of terrorists.

The Pentagon's awkwardness over the incident was clear.

Its chief spokesman said publicly that he could neither confirm nor deny what happened, because the department does not discuss nuclear weapons procedures.

But he did say that what he called "an error in the transfer of munitions" took place.

And it was sufficiently serious that US President George Bush and US Defence Secretary Robert Gates were informed, and Mr Gates has had daily updates since.

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US B-52 in nuclear cargo blunder

The missiles were mounted on the wings of a B-52 bomber

The US Air Force has launched an investigation after a B-52 bomber flew across the US last week mistakenly loaded with nuclear-armed missiles.

It follows reports in the Army Times that five missiles were unaccounted for during the three-hour flight from North Dakota to Louisiana.

The air force said the cruise missiles were safe at all times.

Army Times said the missiles were to be decommissioned but were mistakenly mounted on the bomber's wings.

The W80-1 warhead has a yield of five to 150 kilotons, the paper said.

'Decertified'

The flight took place on 30 August, from the Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to the Barksdale Air Force Base, near Bossier City, in Louisiana.

Air force spokesman Lt Col Ed Thomas said although this was an "isolated incident", Air Combat Command had directed a "command-wide stand down to review process at all of our bases".

Col Thomas said a general had been appointed to investigate the incident and would report by 14 September.

"At no time was there a threat to public safety. It is important to note that munitions were safe, secure and under military control at all times," Col Thomas said.

"The air force takes its mission to safeguard weapons seriously. No effort will be spared to ensure that the matter is thoroughly and completely investigated."

Army Times quoted the colonel as saying the loading crew involved had been temporarily "decertified" pending retraining and the investigation.

A military official told AFP news agency that President George W Bush had been informed of the mix-up.

"There are procedures in place and they kicked in and worked," the official said.

The BBC's Adam Brookes in Washington says experts have made it clear that if the plane had crashed there would not have been a nuclear explosion but there could have been a threat from plutonium leakage.

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