Senate adds no funds for nuclear security

Senate adds no funds for nuclear security
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 15, 2008 6:23:46 EDT

The Senate Armed Services Committee slammed the Air Force’s and Defense Department’s handling of nuclear weapons but did not provide the Air Force extra money it says it needs to improve nuclear security.

A report accompanying the Senate’s version of the fiscal 2009 defense authorization bill says recent nuclear weapons screw-ups “demonstrate a lack of attention by the Department of Defense … to nuclear issues in general.”

The report, made public Wednesday, criticizes the accidental transfer of nuclear weapons from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., in August 2007; the 2006 shipment of classified nuclear warhead parts to Taiwan discovered in March 2008; and a lack of training and staffing for the nuclear mission.

“Three reviews of the nuclear weapons transfer incident concluded that attention to nuclear matters has substantially eroded over the last decade,” the report says. “This erosion … has led to inattention to nuclear procedures and policies. The three review teams made over 100 recommendations to address the many problems. The committee will be watching closely how DOD and the Air Force implement these recommendations.”

The Minot-Barksdale incident last year led to Minot losing its certification to handle nuclear weapons and prompted two internal reviews and a Defense Department investigation. After the Taiwan incident, Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered a complete nuclear inventory led by a Navy admiral.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/05/airforce_nuclear_budget_051408w/