Comments on: Why would Nuclear armed cruise missiles be taken to Barksdale USAF base ?

By: jeeper_peeper321

jeeper_peeper321 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:13:21 +0000

Well considering that Barksdale AFB is home of the
2nd Bomb Wing and already has all the weapons and warheads it needs.

Why would they go to such trouble ?

The AGM-86′s were being transferred to be decommissioned.

Cruise missiles can accept conventional or nuclear warheads depending on model number.

AGM-86B’s are the nuclear version, they are being replaced by the AGM-129.

AGM-86C are the conventional versions.

In this case, they were transferring 8 of the older AGM-86B’s to be decommissioned.

No the warheads are not loaded at the last minute.

Im not gonna get into just how missile’s are stored, you don’t have any need for that knowledge.

Former USAF missile systems analyst 31650

EDIT:

Warheads have arming systems, some parts are done on the ground before take off and other parts are done in flight.

In this case neither step was done.

While the flight crew might have been able to launch the missiles, there was zero chance of a nuclear detonation.

But more than likely, the flight crew wouldn’t even have the ability to launch these cruise missiles, since they were only being moved to be decommissioned.

Again, im not gonna get into the steps necessary to arm a nuclear warhead, you just don’t need to know.

By: Rek T

Rek T — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:36:09 +0000

To arm a Nuclear warhead two men of very high rank have to get the codes from separate safes, then call the president validate codes, call the pentagon re-validate the code, wait for the phone to ring……President says arm it. Go through a very long arming sequence. Warhead is armed. This process did not happen. Even if the pilot went crazy and decided to bomb Omaha all that would happen is a small explosion, about 250 pounds of explosives. Enough to maybe take down a building. The Nuclear reaction would not have started!!!! No fall out!!! No city destroying!!!! You are safe!!!! Please stop being paranoid about it.

By: xUnderworldx

xUnderworldx — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:00:40 +0000

Dang. What has this world come too???

By: Lucky Man.

Lucky Man. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:49:43 +0000

The missiles should not have been in the plane. This was the mistake.They should have been removed before takeoff.

By: biobuddha

biobuddha — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 14:30:57 +0000

Barksdale is a B-52 base. I cannot get into specifics, however, B-52s are still on alert every once and a while and they are capable of carrying nuclear tipped cruise missiles. Barksdale does have nukes on its premises.

By: J S

J S — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:13:38 +0000

Every base in the continental US is a staging base. Barksdale just happens to be the only other base aside from Minot AFB that hosts B-52′s, so yes it was a mistake.

By: notyou311

notyou311 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:48:04 +0000

They weren’t armed. That info was incorrect.