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The 2007 United States Air Force nuclear weapons incident occurred on 29–30 August 2007. Six AGM-129 cruise missiles, each loaded with a W80-1 variable yield nuclear warhead, were mistakenly loaded onto a United States Air Force (USAF) B-52H heavy bomber at Minot Air Force Base and transported to Barksdale Air Force Base. The nuclear warheads in the missiles were supposed to have been removed before taking the missiles from their storage bunker. The missiles with the nuclear warheads were not reported missing and remained mounted to the aircraft at both Minot and Barksdale for a period of 36 hours. During this period, the warheads were not protected by the various mandatory security precautions for nuclear weapons.〔(US Air Force, "Unauthorized Transfer of Nuclear Warheads" )〕 The incident was reported to the top levels of the United States military and referred to by observers as a Bent Spear incident, which indicates a nuclear weapon incident that is of significant concern but does not involve the immediate threat of nuclear war. In response to the incident, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) and USAF conducted an investigation, the results of which were released on 19 October 2007. The investigation concluded that nuclear weapons handling standards and procedures had not been followed by numerous USAF personnel involved in the incident. As a result, four USAF commanders were relieved of their commands, numerous other USAF personnel were disciplined and/or decertified to perform certain types of sensitive duties, and further cruise missile transport missions from - and nuclear weapons operations at - Minot Air Force Base were suspended. In addition, the USAF issued new nuclear weapons handling instructions and procedures. Separate investigations by the United States Defense Science Board and a USAF "Blue Ribbon" panel reported that concerns existed on the procedures and processes for handling nuclear weapons within the Department of Defense but did not find any failures with the security of United States nuclear weapons. Based on this and other incidents, on 5 June 2008, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne and Chief of Staff of the Air Force General T. Michael Moseley, were asked for their resignations, which were given. In October 2008, in response to recommendations by a review committee, the USAF announced the creation of Air Force Global Strike Command to control all USAF nuclear bombers, missiles, and personnel. ==Background== In August 2007, Minot Air Force Base is the home of the 5th Bomb Wing and Barksdale Air Force Base the home of 2d Bomb Wing, both of which fall under the 8th Air Force, also based at Barksdale. The 8th was part of Air Combat Command (ACC) in the USAF. At the time of the incident, the 5th Bomb Wing was commanded by Colonel Bruce Emig, the 2d Bomb Wing by Colonel Robert Wheeler, the 8th Air Force by Lieutenant General Robert Elder Jr., and ACC by General Ronald Keys. The 5th Bomb Wing, according to the USAF's statement on the wing's mission, served with its B-52 bombers as part of the USAF's conventional and strategic combat force.〔USAF, (Minot Air Force Base 5th Bomb Wing Mission )〕 The "strategic" portion of the 5th's mission included the ability to deliver nuclear weapons against potential targets worldwide. Thus, Minot Air Force Base stored and maintained a ready arsenal of nuclear bombs, nuclear warheads, and associated delivery systems, including the AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile.〔Warrick, ''Missteps in the Bunker''.〕 The AGM-129 was fielded in 1987 as a stealthy cruise missile platform to deliver the W80-1 variable yield nuclear warhead. Although originally designed to equip the B-1 bomber, the AGM-129 was redesignated so that it would only be carried by the B-52, mounted on external pylons on the wings or internally in the bomb bay.〔Parsch, Andreas, (AGM-129 )〕 In March 2007, the USAF decided to retire its AGM-129 complement in order to help comply with international arms-control treaties and to replace them with AGM-86 missiles.〔Pincus, "4 Colonels Lose Their Air Force Commands," USDoD, "DoD Press Briefing with Maj. Gen. Newton"〕 In order to do so, the USAF began to transport its AGM-129s stored at Minot to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana by B-52s for ultimate disposal. According to the ''Washington Post'', by 29 August 2007, more than 200 AGM-129s had been shipped from Minot to Barksdale in this manner.〔Parsch, Andreas, (AGM-129 ), Warrick, ''Missteps in the Bunker''.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2007 United States Air Force nuclear weapons incident」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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