US flies nuclear weapons over US...by mistake

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

Gee,

Consider me amazed!

I would have guessed that nuclear armed aircraft overflew the US pretty much all the time.

Unless they're intentionally armed, nukes are pretty safe -- even if the vehicle carrying them crashes.

I don't consider this a problem.

Does that make me a hawk?

Not at all - it makes you informed. Really, it's kind of sad that at this point you're either a reactionary or a "hawk", you know?

Nuclear weapons don't work like eggs - if you drop them, they don't just break. The electronic components are actually quite complicated, and (generally) require a detonation system (beyond just "hitting the ground" - most explode before the ground, to increase damage).

So yeah - these things fly all the time, just because "someone didn't know" there likely wasn't any danger, and all that stuff beyond the sketchy circumstances behind this being news-worthy.