[Infowarrior] - Confirmed: Air Force Falls Short in Third Nuke Test

[Richard Forno]

Confirmed: Air Force Falls Short in Third Nuke Test
By Noah Shachtman EmailDecember 15, 2008 | 7:21:08 PMCategories: Nukes

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2008/12/confirmed-air-f.html

Now, it's confirmed. The Air Force has indeed blown a third test of  
its nuclear handling capabilities, as Danger Room first reported over  
the weekend. In a memo, the Air Force confirmed that the 90th Missile  
Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base "rated unsatisfactory" on its  
nuclear surety inspection. Testers found fault with the missile unit's  
"management and administration," as well as "tools, tests, tie-down  
and handling equipment."

As the Project on Government Oversight notes, "this is the third Air  
Force nuclear unit to fail an inspection this year, and moreover, it  
now means that all three missile bases with deployed land-based  
Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) -- Minot,  
Malstrom, and now Warren -- have failed their security tests."

     Let's review: the 5th missile wing at Minot Air Force Base failed  
a security test in May; officers removed classified nuclear missile  
components from the base in August; the 341st missile wing at the  
Malstrom Air Force Base failed a security test last month, and in  
August 2006, the Air Force accidentally sent a shipment of classified  
ballistic missile components to Taiwan.

"Handling nuclear weapons –- the most powerful and destructive  
instruments in the arsenal of freedom – is a tremendous  
responsibility," told the missileers at Minot earlier this month.  
"There is simply no room for error."