Quote:
Originally Posted by DeltAlum
...during the Cold War a percentage (a third?) of all of the US Air Force's nuclear armed B-52's were always in the air to provide faster response to potential nuclear attacks from the former Soviet Union.
To the best of my knowledge, there has never been an accidental US nuclear explosion due to an aircraft crash (or any other reason) anywhere in the world.
We're pretty careful with the things. And we're also careful with the B-52 fleet despite my making fun of them above. They've been constantly updated and carefully maintained.
|
B-52: Someone over 50 you can trust! 
Airborne alert was common in the 1960s but was discontinued after the Palomares (Spain) incident in 1965. There were other reasons as well. From 1965 until the alert force stood down in 1991, the bombers were kept 'cocked and locked' at the alert facility.
__________________
ASF
Causa latet vis est notissima - the cause is hidden, the results are well known.
Alpha Alpha (University of Oklahoma) Chapter, #814, 1984
|