B-52 carried nuclear armed cruise missiles by mistake: US

D-AIHC · 09-05-2007, 06:11 PM

Just read this and I am not sure what to say. Any comments from the people in the military, particularly in the AF? champpitbull2? This incident reminds me of the movie "Broken Arrow", except that they were not stolen for ransom.

B-52 carried nuclear armed cruise missiles by mistake: US - Yahoo! News

champpitbull2 · 09-05-2007, 07:27 PM

Sorry man that is Top Secret type stuff that I'm not privlaged too. I know our pilots have to sign forms just to bring M-9's on our planes. I can't imagine what type of paperwork that munitions officer went through to get that stuff on a plane. There is a paper trail for everything in the Air Force from recieving uniforms to ordering printer cartridges.

gospodin · 09-05-2007, 08:21 PM

That kind of security breach is almost impossible to imagine. The loaders had to know what was going on the plane, since they have to retrieve it from the WSA. The pilots have to know what kind of ordnance is on their plane, so somebody had to have ordered this, and the only one with authority at the base level is the ordnance squadron commander, but HE has to have authority from ACC. It can't have been a mistake, too many people would have questioned it. Heck, if I was the AC on the plane, I wouldn't go near it unless I had specific orders to fly with nukes. I'll bet the ground crew went nuts when that plane rolled up. They probably had the SP's surround it. Up until 15 years ago, B-52s sat on the Alert Pad loaded with nuke packages, but they never took off with them.

champpitbull2 · 09-05-2007, 11:14 PM

I don't think we'll ever know what really happened. The Air Force will give some sort of sanitized BS story but the key elements that will make it all clear will probably never be released. Like Steve said it is almost impossible to imagine.

dboyd001 · 09-06-2007, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by champpitbull2

I don't think we'll ever know what really happened. The Air Force will give some sort of sanitized BS story but the key elements that will make it all clear will probably never be released. Like Steve said it is almost impossible to imagine.

..... I suspect there will be some careers ended or ruined completely. Someone will make the headlines as being the end-all of responsibility for it and that will be that.
..... I am quite sure that with the checks and balances that go with these type of weapons that there absolutely had to be a lot of people who noticed that this wasn't quite right. That none apparently did a double check, put them all liable. I could say what some of those checks and balances are, but those of us with prior military experience know them all too well and we are not allowed to divulge.
..... For all any know, someone back in Minot decided to see if they could push the system.
Dave

D-AIHC · 09-06-2007, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by champpitbull2

Sorry man that is Top Secret type stuff that I'm not privlaged too.

No worries, I was just trying my luck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dboyd001

..... I suspect there will be some careers ended or ruined completely. Someone will make the headlines as being the end-all of responsibility for it and that will be that.

Perhaps some AF general will be making announcement that he will be 'retiring' soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dboyd001

..... I am quite sure that with the checks and balances that go with these type of weapons that there absolutely had to be a lot of people who noticed that this wasn't quite right.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gospodin

That kind of security breach is almost impossible to imagine.

I agree with you both and I don't think this is a 'mistake'.

D-AIHC · 09-06-2007, 01:08 PM

The munitions squadron commander has been fired:

Nuclear bombs mistakenly flown over U.S. - Yahoo! News

Planecrazy · 09-06-2007, 01:29 PM

They're being too harsh. I forget stuff in my car's trunk all the time!

gospodin · 09-06-2007, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Planecrazy

They're being too harsh. I forget stuff in my car's trunk all the time!

If you forget that nuclear warhead in your trunk, you're in deep doo-doo

gospodin · 09-06-2007, 08:26 PM

I talked with a friend from the base who's with the munitions support group, and he told me without too much detail that yes, the base SP's were alerted when the loaders took the weapons off the aircraft. The pilots weren't aware that the ALCMs still had their warheads, since they remove the tag before flight and the missiles look the same with or without warheads. He told me apparently the screw-up happened when the loaders at the base of origin forgot to remove the warheads at the WSA. They removed the tags, and someone carted the missiles out without checking if the warheads had been removed. I'd like to know how sloppy the checks could be to let THAT happen...jeez, they were sooo careful at the MUNSS in Germany where I was stationed, and yet they flunked an NSI inspection and lost their Nuke Certification. The commander, OIC of Munitions and the Security Police Chief all lost their jobs. They don't frack around with this stuff.

D-AIHC · 10-20-2007, 12:23 AM

Latest updates:

US Air Force describes errors in nuclear missile flight - Yahoo! News

70 punished in accidental B-52 flight - Yahoo! News

"Highest ranked among those punished were four officers who were relieved this week of their commands, including the 5th Bomb Wing commander at Minot — Col. Bruce Emig, who also has been the base commander since June.

In addition, the wing has been "decertified from its wartime mission," Newton said.

Some 65 airmen have been decertified from handling nuclear weapons. The certification process looks at a person's psychological profile, any medications they are taking and other factors in determining a person's reliability to handle weapons.

(Air Force Secretary Michael W.) Wynne prefaced his remarks about the B-52 incident by saying that, in publicly confirming that nuclear weapons were involved, he had authorized a one-time exception to U.S. policy, which states that the location of nuclear weapons will never be confirmed publicly. He said he made this exception because of the seriousness of the episode and its importance to the nation."

09-05-2007, 06:11 PM	#1
D-AIHC Essen Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 6,192	B-52 carried nuclear armed cruise missiles by mistake: US Just read this and I am not sure what to say. Any comments from the people in the military, particularly in the AF? champpitbull2? This incident reminds me of the movie "Broken Arrow", except that they were not stolen for ransom. B-52 carried nuclear armed cruise missiles by mistake: US - Yahoo! News __________________ Lufthansa - Star Alliance member since 1997

09-05-2007, 07:27 PM	#2
champpitbull2 addicted Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 572	Re: B-52 carried nuclear armed cruise missiles by mistake: US Sorry man that is Top Secret type stuff that I'm not privlaged too. I know our pilots have to sign forms just to bring M-9's on our planes. I can't imagine what type of paperwork that munitions officer went through to get that stuff on a plane. There is a paper trail for everything in the Air Force from recieving uniforms to ordering printer cartridges.

09-05-2007, 08:21 PM	#3
gospodin Diecast Blasphemer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ceti Alpha V Age: 52 Posts: 3,626	Re: B-52 carried nuclear armed cruise missiles by mistake: US That kind of security breach is almost impossible to imagine. The loaders had to know what was going on the plane, since they have to retrieve it from the WSA. The pilots have to know what kind of ordnance is on their plane, so somebody had to have ordered this, and the only one with authority at the base level is the ordnance squadron commander, but HE has to have authority from ACC. It can't have been a mistake, too many people would have questioned it. Heck, if I was the AC on the plane, I wouldn't go near it unless I had specific orders to fly with nukes. I'll bet the ground crew went nuts when that plane rolled up. They probably had the SP's surround it. Up until 15 years ago, B-52s sat on the Alert Pad loaded with nuke packages, but they never took off with them. __________________ Steve I either want less corruption in government, or more opportunity to participate in it.

09-05-2007, 11:14 PM	#4
champpitbull2 addicted Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 572	Re: B-52 carried nuclear armed cruise missiles by mistake: US I don't think we'll ever know what really happened. The Air Force will give some sort of sanitized BS story but the key elements that will make it all clear will probably never be released. Like Steve said it is almost impossible to imagine.

09-06-2007, 01:08 PM	#7
D-AIHC Essen Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 6,192	The munitions squadron commander has been fired: Nuclear bombs mistakenly flown over U.S. - Yahoo! News __________________ Lufthansa - Star Alliance member since 1997

09-06-2007, 01:29 PM	#8
Planecrazy Master Collector Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 501	Re: B-52 carried nuclear armed cruise missiles by mistake: US They're being too harsh. I forget stuff in my car's trunk all the time!

09-06-2007, 08:26 PM	#10
gospodin Diecast Blasphemer Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ceti Alpha V Age: 52 Posts: 3,626	Re: B-52 carried nuclear armed cruise missiles by mistake: US I talked with a friend from the base who's with the munitions support group, and he told me without too much detail that yes, the base SP's were alerted when the loaders took the weapons off the aircraft. The pilots weren't aware that the ALCMs still had their warheads, since they remove the tag before flight and the missiles look the same with or without warheads. He told me apparently the screw-up happened when the loaders at the base of origin forgot to remove the warheads at the WSA. They removed the tags, and someone carted the missiles out without checking if the warheads had been removed. I'd like to know how sloppy the checks could be to let THAT happen...jeez, they were sooo careful at the MUNSS in Germany where I was stationed, and yet they flunked an NSI inspection and lost their Nuke Certification. The commander, OIC of Munitions and the Security Police Chief all lost their jobs. They don't frack around with this stuff. __________________ Steve I either want less corruption in government, or more opportunity to participate in it.

10-20-2007, 12:23 AM	#11
D-AIHC Essen Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 6,192	Latest updates: US Air Force describes errors in nuclear missile flight - Yahoo! News 70 punished in accidental B-52 flight - Yahoo! News "Highest ranked among those punished were four officers who were relieved this week of their commands, including the 5th Bomb Wing commander at Minot — Col. Bruce Emig, who also has been the base commander since June. In addition, the wing has been "decertified from its wartime mission," Newton said. Some 65 airmen have been decertified from handling nuclear weapons. The certification process looks at a person's psychological profile, any medications they are taking and other factors in determining a person's reliability to handle weapons. (Air Force Secretary Michael W.) Wynne prefaced his remarks about the B-52 incident by saying that, in publicly confirming that nuclear weapons were involved, he had authorized a one-time exception to U.S. policy, which states that the location of nuclear weapons will never be confirmed publicly. He said he made this exception because of the seriousness of the episode and its importance to the nation." __________________ Lufthansa - Star Alliance member since 1997 Last edited by D-AIHC; 10-20-2007 at 12:27 AM.

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