Washington, D.C.
The Air Force this week said it was investigating how six nuclear warheads were mistakenly loaded onto a B-52 bomber and flown from North Dakota to Louisiana. The cruise missiles attached to the bomber were supposed to have been warhead-free, but when the plane landed at Barksdale Air Force Base last week, officers discovered it was carrying 150-kiloton nukes. The squadron commander in charge of the mission, whose name has not been released, has been relieved of his command. “The weapons were always in our custody,” said Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Ed Thomas, “and there was never a danger to the American public.” All U.S.-based flights of fighters and bombers will be halted next week, the Pentagon said, to allow for a thorough review of procedures.
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