[CholeraJoe]

Having spent a great deal of my military career at bases where nuclear weapons were stored, moved, loaded and unloaded on a daily basis, I have a hard time believing that this was an accident.

Nuclear weapons in my day could only be airborne when married to their delivery system in two circumstances: 1) Valid, authenticated EWO message from the National Command Authority; 2) Imminent attack of the base or natural disaster requiring flush launch for asset protection (Buggy Ride).

There were multiple failures of the positive control procedures for weapons.

[El Gato]

Nuclear weapons in my day could only be airborne when married to their delivery system in two circumstances: 1) Valid, authenticated EWO message from the National Command Authority; 2) Imminent attack of the base or natural disaster requiring flush launch for asset protection (Buggy Ride).

But earlier they flew airborne alert all the time. After that they would often scramble the alert aircraft, with the crews not knowing if it was real or practice. Then they'd recall them, usually before they taxied out, but sometimes not until they were airborne, sometimes as far as their positive control points.