Power Failure Shuts Down 50 US Nuclear Missiles

Pickens writes "The Atlantic reports that a power failure at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming took 50 nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), one-ninth of the US missile stockpile, temporarily offline on Saturday. The 90th Missile Wing, headquartered there, controls 150 Minuteman IIIs. 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 could no longer 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 cause of the failure remains unknown, although it is suspected to be a breach of underground cables deep beneath the base, according to a senior military official."

Comments

Re:This is just embarrassing.

[TheKidWho]

At this rate, is the nuclear arsenal even serving as an effective deterrent?

Seriously? Are you serious? I can't tell if you're just being sensationalist or if you're an idiot.

Re:This is just embarrassing.

[luciferxe]

umm you sound like the USA won the war. i think you need to look a bit deeper. we lost the war. look at the country since and the way it has gone. what better way to take over than to act as tho you lost. then the people will fall to your will easily as they think they are the victor. we lost get over it. that is why our freedoms are going away. just do a bit of research and you too will see. we lost. no hitlers brain/skull etc. why? because hes still alive and in power. sorry but this had to be said

Re:This is just embarrassing.

[siddesu]

Major portion of the reason why SU collapsed was the collapse of oil prices in the 80s, which made it impossible for them to defend geopolitical commitments they have made in earlier decade.

Arms race had relatively little to do with that.

Re:Dick Cheney Located

[Doc Ruby]

Obama was born in Hawaii, and actually won his inaugural election - unlike Bush/Cheney who stole it. You voted for McCain, who was born in Panama.

Obama protected the US economy from the devastation you voted for in Bush/Cheney twice. Health care isn't at all "taken over", just a little less profitable for the insurance cartel. Bush/Cheney/Paulson made TARP necessary, and then they passed it through Congress - Obama just managed to make it work, and recoup nearly all the money spent on it. Oh, and taxes are lower for everyone but the richest 5%, and overall lower than under Bush, while also lowering the deficit compared to the Bush deficit before Obama.

You Teabagger Republicans are really stupid. Not just because you repeat those lies crafted in some Republican PR corp, but because you think repeating them in public will fool anyone but fellow Republicans.

And the "anti-establishment" candidates are trained and funded by Karl Rove and his secret foreign corporate money. Not "anti-establishment" at all, except to fool you fools. And we'll see just how many win anywhere but the usual idiot farms that always elect Republicans.

You Republicans are autards who never learn anything. Even this post won't penetrate your haze of deluded lies.

But yeah, his middle name actually is Hussein. Which makes you a bigot. You should run for Congress, Teabagger. Republicans would vote for you. Once they're told to by some Republican corporate sponsor.