So they transported nuclear weapons..... Big freaking whoop.
During the Cold War with the Soviet Union, we had Combat Air Patrols of fighters and bombers armed with nuclear weapons. US Air Force F-106 armed with nuclear genie missiles. They're purpose was to launch them into a formation of Soviet Tu-95 Bear Bombers. The Nuclear Explosion would destory the enemy bomber formation.
US Air Force B-52 were on a constant air patrol between the USA and the Soviet Union during Operations such as Chome Dome and Hard Head. There were a number of bombers wth armed and acive nuclear weapons in the air twenty four hours a day three hundred sixity five days a year.
Those were armed nuclear weapons. Even during Operation Crome Dome during the height of the Cold War, a B-52 was lost off the coast o Spain. The nuclear weapon did not go off.
They're deigned to withstand fire, collisions, impacts, etc..... That's when they're armed and ready for combat use.
The current six nuclear weapons were older cruise missiles. They were not armed. Yes, they had they're warheads in place but that's it. Not of the weapon safeties were removed, the weapon was not active nor armed.
I feel safer with nuclear weapons then I do with Chemical or Biological weapons. To trigger a nuclear weaponm you need a lot of events to occur. But for a chemical or biological to go off, something as simple as a car crsh can do it.
The whole issue over the transport was the disregard for USAF SOPs and Rules and Regs. This is a command staff issue of not filling out proper paper work and getting the higher ups to approve.
How in the frak do you tink nukes are moved? US Postal Service? US Military Forces transport and carry nuclear weapons all the time.
The USA has both strategic nuclear weapons and tactical nuclear weapons. Strategic nukes are ICBM, B-52s, and SSBN Bommers. Tactical Nukes are cruise missiles, land mimes (yup, nuclear land mines), Theater size rockets, fighter-bomber aircraft, etc....
I cannot believe that people are freaking out over this.... Im more woried about Russia remaking herself into a new version of the Sviet Union with Putin in charge and Iran, People's Republic of China, and North Korea.