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May 12, 2023 · The most well-known broken arrow occurred on January 17, 1966, near Palomares, Spain. A U.S. B-52 aircraft carrying four nuclear weapons collided with its refueling tanker, a KC-135, at...
- Marcia Wendorf
A Broken Arrow is defined as an unexpected event involving nuclear weapons that result in the accidental launching, firing, detonating, theft, or loss of the weapon. To date, six nuclear weapons have been lost and never recovered.
Broken Arrow. Broken Arrow refers to an accidental event that involves nuclear weapons, warheads or components that does not create a risk of nuclear war. These include: Accidental or unexplained nuclear explosion; Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a nuclear weapon; Radioactive contamination
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Jun 20, 2016 · As the U.S. and the Soviet Union developed and enhanced their arsenals during the Cold War arms race, both experienced a number of nuclear accidents. Since 1950, the Defense Department has reported 32 Broken Arrows. Three of the most notable U.S. incidents involving thermonuclear weapons are detailed below.
- May 22, 1957: Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Albuquerque residents enjoying a spring day on May 22, 1957, found themselves literally rocked by what felt like a nuclear explosion.
- February 5, 1958: Savannah River, Georgia. When a B-47 carrying a nuclear device experienced a midair collision with an F-86 aircraft during a training simulation in February 1958, officials decided to jettison the bomb into the Savannah River.
- March 11, 1958: Florence, South Carolina. In March 1958, as a team of military divers scoured the Savannah River in Georgia for a broken arrow, another one fell in the southeast quadrant of the United States.
- November 4, 1958: Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. When a B-47 carrying a nuclear warhead catches fire on takeoff, it’s a problem. That’s what happened when a B-47 left Texas’ Dyess Air Force Base in November 1958 to transport a thermonuclear device to another location.
Nov 4, 2019 · On May 22, 1957, a “broken arrow” rattled Albuquerque, New Mexico, frightening residents and killing one very unlucky cow. Used by the U.S. military, the term refers to a thermonuclear bomb that is accidentally detonated or lost.
Apr 24, 2013 · The Stratofortress carried four B28 thermonuclear weapons, three of those hit the land near Palomares: two of them caused a non nuclear TNT explosion, but in their impact with the land they...
