[Tommyjo]

I agree. Neither the US or Russia is running around with live nuclear weapons on such flights these days. Those days of flying airborne alert are long since gone. There have been far too many in-flight and landing incidents whilst carrying nuclear weapons. It would take an increased alert procedure for live nukes to be carried.

This year should see greater confidence boosting between US and Russian strategic air arms. Russian Tu-95MS Bear Hs are scheduled to visit Barksdale and B-52Hs are scheduled to visit Engels on an exchange program.

[Rockingham]

It would be big, big news if either the US or Russia began carrying nukes aboard bombers. The persistence of the B-52 and TU-95 in operational inventories is a tribute to their robustness and capability — despite designs that are now well over fifty years old.