US plans separate nuclear command

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BBC NEWS | World | Americas | US plans separate nuclear command

That raises some interesting questions ... doesn't it ?
  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    I find it interestingly hair raising. I don't have any more questions left to ask.
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    Sal
    When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
    Beyond the Path

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  • Profile picture of the author Thomas
    The U.S. military has a long history of nuclear mishaps:

    Between 1950 and 1990, the U.S. Air Force accidently dropped nuclear bombs on Texas, Louisiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Washington (State), Ohio, California (3 times), and Florida (also 3 times), New Mexico, Canada and England. In one case, the bomb simply "fell off" the plane.

    Nearly all exploded but didn't detonate (it's actually very hard to make a nuclear weapon detonate). Of those that didn't explode, at least one was never recovered and now lies in a swamp that has been bought up by the Federal Government and closed to the public forever.

    In the same time period, nuclear-armed aircraft crashed in New Mexico, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Indiana, Spain (at least 1 nuke never recovered), and Greenland (possibly 3 never recovered).

    Also, at least 1 weapon storage facility was destroyed by fire, 2 nuclear armed submarines sank and still contain both their reactors and weapons, 2 fully-armed missiles were fired in error, and a Titan II missile actually launched itself (but, thankfully, blew itself up after travelling less than 1,000 feet).

    And there have been at least half-a-dozen publically-admitted "false alarms" when it seemed that the U.S. was about to be attacked and retaliation was imminent, with the most recent, afaik, being in the late 1990s.

    An extra layer of control might not be a bad idea.

    Tommy.
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  • Profile picture of the author Thomas
    Actually, it's not just the U.S.: The RAF and Royal Navy have had dozens of mishaps too, some of them quite funny (or at least they would be if nukes weren't involved):

    As Faslane Naval Base (home of the British nuclear fleet), a clumsy crane driver once bashed a warhead into a wall, reversed course, and then bashed it again!

    Also at the base, the driver of a Scottish Electricity Board land-rover couldn't see well in bad weather and reversed into a load carrier that was transporting warheads. (You have to wonder why a civillian worker was allowed to even enter the general area anyway.)

    In another incident, another load carrier transporting warheads swerved to avoid an illegally parked car, skidded on ice (as if swerving wasn't enough , and then tumbled down a small hill.

    In Lincolnshire, a RAF trolly carrying a warhead became unhinged... the driver drove on to his destination, while the warhead trundled along on the trolly in another direction.

    On a less funny note, in the late 50s/early 60s (can't remember exactly when), a U.S. bomber crashed into not one... not two... but no less than 3 nuclear weapons at RAF Lakenheath!
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Wright
      Originally Posted by Thomas View Post

      Actually, it's not just the U.S.: The RAF and Royal Navy have had dozens of mishaps too, some of them quite funny (or at least they would be if nukes weren't involved):

      On a less funny note, in the late 50s/early 60s (can't remember exactly when), a U.S. bomber crashed into not one... not two... but no less than 3 nuclear weapons at RAF Lakenheath!
      Just FYI Tommy, despite the "RAF" bit, Lakenheath, Mildenhall and
      Bentwaters are a major concentration of US airbases in East Anglia.
      Mildenhall is a bit like Transport Command and has public open days.
      Blackbird SRs used to fly out of Lakenheath and loiterers on the public
      road adjacent ...would get decended upon and moved on ... hmmm.
      Bentwaters does the other stuff in between ... when not investigating
      UFOs. The truth is out there......
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