Gator
U of B and B Alumnus
There have been a few cockups involving nuclear weapons. Florence, SC, Palomares, etc., in most cases the initiating exlosive detonated, spreading highly radioactive material over a considerable area. The cost of cleaning up these errors was huge, not to mention the danger to persons on the ground.
Artillery projectiles are not supposed to be able to detonate until they have travelled a safe distance, but it happens with some regularity. One day a "mistreated" thermonuclear device may do the same.
That is why this is a major f*ckup, and the persons responsible for nuclear safety have implemented the current regulations for the carriage of nukes.
If the Air Force is just leaving Nukes lay around to be mistakenly loaded on an Aircraft, and the entire Ground and Air Crew not knowing what a Special Weapon looks like, with just about every Terrorist on Earth looking to get their hands on one then we have a very serious problem..... the adverse ramifications go beyond our own Borders as NATO will want to know what we are doing to secure our Special Weapons, as will our other Allies around the Globe.
I'd like to know why the first Report said 5 Weapons and the next said 6 Weapons.... I hope the Aircraft did not take off with 6 and land with 5.