[Poohbah]

But that is not what was described. Nukes can have a very long shelf-life - several years - depending on how they are made.

Initiators do not last several years.

[Campion]

Initiators do not last several years.

I believe modern ones do. The variety used in the Fat Man device used Polonium, which decays in a few months. Modern initiators use Dt-T reactions, and last as long as their tritium does, which is years.