USA’s deteriorating nuclear missile force

U.S. nuclear missiles a force in much distress kdhnews.com, 30 Dec 13 WASHINGTON — Hundreds of nuclear missiles that stood war-ready for decades in underground silos along remote stretches of America, silent and unseen, packed with almost unimaginable destructive power, are a force in distress, if not in decline.

They are still a fearsome superpower symbol, primed to unleash nuclear hell on a moment’s notice at any hour of any day, capable of obliterating people and places halfway around the globe if a president so orders.

But the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles is dwindling, their future defense role is in doubt, and missteps and leadership lapses documented by The Associated Press this year raised questions about how the force is managed.

The AP revealed one missile officer’s lament of “rot” inside the force, and an independent assessment for the Air Force found signs of “burnout” among missile launch crews…….

At the core of the ICBM problem is the reality that the U.S. sees less use for nuclear weapons and aims to one day eliminate them, possibly starting with the missiles. The trend is clear, advanced by President Barack Obama’s declared vision of a nuclear weapons-free world………http://kdhnews.com/military/u-s-nuclear-missiles-a-force-in-much-distress/article_8332fbde-7042-11e3-8788-001a4bcf6878.html

January 1, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized