Posted on 11/14/2010 4:26:26 PM PST by bronxville
The Atlantic (and now Wired) is reporting that an entire squadron of nuclear missiles unexpectedly dropped into a "launch facility down" status on Saturday morning, taking a sizable portion of America's nuclear deterrent offline:
President Obama was briefed this morning on a power failure at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming that took 50 nuclear ICBMs, one ninth of the U.S. missile stockpile, temporarily offline on Saturday.
The base is a main locus of the United States' strategic nuclear forces. The 90th Missile Wing, headquartered there, controls 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles. They're on full-time alert and housed in a variety of bunkers across the base.
On Saturday morning, according to people briefed on what happened, a squadron of ICBMs suddenly dropped down into what's known as "LF Down" status, meaning that the missileers in their bunkers no longer could communicate with the missiles themselves. LF Down status also means that various security protocols built into the missile delivery system, like intrusion alarms and warhead separation alarms, were offline.
The White House response to the incident has been jaw dropping. When pressed on the critical security lapse, an unnamed official told Marc Ambinder of the Atlantic (emphasis mine): "to make too much out of this would be to sensationalize it. It's not that big of a deal. Everything worked as planned."
According to Ambinder's report, during the period that the squadron went offline, the 90th Missile Wing had absolutely no communication with 50 nuclear weapons. There was no security available to protect the affected sites, nor was there any way of monitoring if the missiles sprung a leak, had their targeting data wiped, or suffered a mechanical breakdown. This is one of the most concerning and significant lapses in nuclear command and control in memory.
This could have a significant impact on START ratification. Cutting our nuclear arsenal was predicated on the functionality and health of the current strategic arsenal. Republican lawmakers, led by Senator Jon Kyl, have been understandably reluctant to ratify START until their concerns about aging nuclear warheads were answered and mitigated by the Obama sdministration. With this enormous breach in command and control functionality, the condition of our ancient fleet of delivery systems -subs that are 30 years old, missiles that are 40, and bombers that are 50- will have to be closely examined.
When new START hits the Senate floor during the lame-duck session of Congress, lawmakers should make extra certain that there are plans -and resources- on the books to upgrade both our archaic nuclear stockpile as well as our submarines, bombers, and ICBMs.
I'll invoke my own experience as a nuclear launch officer here, having pulled several "alerts" in the affected squadron: nothing worked "as planned." But over the course of four years on Minuteman III missile crew, I saw maybe only three or four incidents where a single missile dropped offline. And having an entire launch-facility down condition is rare, unexpected, and gravely serious. An entire squadron dropping offline is beyond significant. Indeed, the chief of staff and secretary of the Air Force were both fired for less.
Any ideas how this could have happened?
Chinese hacking into the system?
I’m sure there were lots of theories posted in all the threads here when it happened back in October.
;)
I wrote that as a possibility and erased it because I don’t believe they needed to hack. I do have some thoughts but didn’t have the nerve to post them as they’re kinda weird. :)
When things like this happen, having a white house occupant who wants to destroy the United States sure doesn’t help matters.
considering those that wrote the controlling software were from that area of the world, it’s not exactly hacking
more like... logging in
someone should really revoke all clearances to foreign nationals issued pre 9-11. once revoked, all systems should be reviewed (good luck spotting back doors... if they were any good, it’d be a massive headache to try and find)
and yes, some of the people writing the software that controls the missile silos are from asia. sound stupid? of course it is... what’s your point?
everything that fail under this admin just get covered up as its nothing. If GOP was in power, it be covered as a major scandal, national emergency
I think there are just too many coincidences piling up.
My uneasiness grows and grows.
BTW, I have the Dallas/Giants game on in the background. The stadium (Giants home) had a severe power outage, left it totally black and the game had to be suspended for 12 min. First the report said a generator outside the stadium blew, there was smoke in the air. Now the report is they have no idea.
What really struck me is that the sideline reporter said that when the lights went out, all the players hit the ground. Now why would they do that??? It it were me, I would just stand in the same spot until the lights came on or I knew what was going on.
And a generator for a football stadium???? I can’t believe they rely on a generator for lighting, but what do I know.
I was wondering why it wasn’t posted when I did a search. I guess they were all just under another heading. Silly me. I just got back last week after a few months in Ireland and didn’t access the computer except for emails.
America, devolving into breathtaking incompetence.
At least we know someone out there has missles that work.
Who is running this stuff? Barney Fife?
NP, just a little friendly ribbing. I never have any luck with search either.
Just another incidence that shows how far we have declined. That would have never have happened 20-30 years ago...
Kind of like Big Sis saying
the system worked
when the crotch bomber’s bomb didn’t bring the plane down thanks to the passengers.
The sighted missile launches in Phoenix and coastal California. The disabling of a cruise ship off of Mexico and today a fatal explosion at resort in the Mexican Riviera .
Not seemingly connected but makes me go Hmmm.
I think there are just too many coincidences piling up.
My uneasiness grows and grows.
BTW, I have the Dallas/Giants game on in the background. The stadium (Giants home) had a severe power outage, left it totally black and the game had to be suspended for 12 min. First the report said a generator outside the stadium blew, there was smoke in the air. Now the report is they have no idea.
What really struck me is that the sideline reporter said that when the lights went out, all the players hit the ground. Now why would they do that??? It it were me, I would just stand in the same spot until the lights came on or I knew what was going on.
And a generator for a football stadium???? I can’t believe they rely on a generator for lighting, but what do I know.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I agree “too many coincidences piling up.”
It won’t be the first time.
Colonel, USAFR
MUCH AGREE . . .
Tooooooooooooooo many . . . awwww shucks incidents.
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