US reportedly putting nuclear bombers back on high alert

[Saviolo]

Source: CNBC

B-52 bombers rigged with nuclear weapons are being prepared for 24-hour alert for the first time since the Cold War, a senior U.S. Air Force official has reportedly said.

In a report by security news website Defense One General David Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff, said U.S. military leaders are reacting to new threat levels.

"The world is a dangerous place and we've got folks that are talking openly about use of nuclear weapons," he said, according to the report. Goldfein said no official order had been given to put nuclear bombers on alert, but said preparations are underway. The U.S. Department of Defense was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

"This is yet one more step in ensuring that we're prepared," he said during a tour of Air Force bases home to nuclear bombers. "I look at it more as not planning for any specific event, but more for the reality of the global situation we find ourselves in and how we ensure we're prepared going forward."

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/23/us-nuclear-bombers-on-high-alert-as-north-korean-threat-grows.html

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Hey, happy Monday, everyone!

[C_U_L8R]

1. He's a madman.

[malthaussen]

2. Let's see, that airframe is what, 70 years old or thereabouts?

Wonder when the last one was built? Wikipedia sez 1963, but surely that can't be right? Right? I would not feel too sanguine about driving around in a 60 year-old aircraft.

-- Mal

[paleotn]

6. For quite a while now....

the 52 fleet has been older than its pilots. Very old air frames.

[IronLionZion]

7. Ironically, that's been the argument from many Trumpsters

We have all this great stuff that is already paid for and nearing end of life, so might as well use it.

The really crazy ones make that argument for nuclear weapons. Saying we might as well use the small tactical ones since we have them and they are not getting any younger.

[Lurks Often]

16. Production of the B-52 ended in 1962

However when it comes to military aircraft, it is the number of flight hours on the air frame that counts, not the chronological age. For the B-52 I think the limit is 27,000 flight hours and the planes have been upgraded numerous times.

And if the idea of flying in a B-52 makes you nervous due to their age, stay away from DC-3/C-47's, there are approximately 2000 of them still flying, many in military and commercial service and almost all of them were built during and even before WWII.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_DC-3

[Brother Buzz]

20. I thought the number of 'cycles', not actually hours in the air determined the plane's life

Long distant flying planes generally have a much longer life then 'puddle jumpers' simply for the fact they take off and land less.

The B-52 has been upgraded so many times, one could make the argument it's like Grandpa's ax, "The handle has been replaced seven times, and the head three times, but it's still Grandpa's ax". I hear they are even replacing wings on some of the old birds.

[Lurks Often]

23. Commercial airliners use the number of cycles to determine a plane's lifespan

Probably because an airliner flies a fairly predictable flight, so the cycle method works well for the airlines to keep track of maintenance and the remaining lifespan for a plane.

The military still uses the flight hour method and different planes have different flight hour lifespans.

There is a joke that the only original part of the B-52 are the seat cushions for the crew. USAF has certainly upgraded the B-52 multiple times with new equipment, but the basic air frame is mostly original.

[Bengus81]

21. Nah....about 60 but they've been upgraded 100 times......

Despite their age they are still better than those POS B1 Lancers that Saint Ronnie ordered up after Carter killed the program. Those aircraft are worthless and cost taxpayers BILLIONS so Ronnie could keep all his Calif contractors busy.

[workinclasszero]

31. B-52's are still quite capable of dropping nuclear weapons after airspace has been cleared

They are great at carpet bombing with conventional bombs as well.

[ThoughtCriminal]

35. Or launching cruise missiles from outside uncleared airspace

[LongTomH]

3. When he starts raving about 'the purity of our precious bodily fluids'..........

[trusty elf]

11. .....

[C_U_L8R]

29. ...

[pangaia]

26. LOL

[PearliePoo2]

4. It's coming. Unless someone or something stops him.

Remember, this is the dangerous idiot who asked during his security briefings, "Why do we have nuclear weapons if we're not going to use them?"
Three times in an hour briefing, he repeated the question!
He's fucking nuts. HURRY Bob Mueller!

[Oneironaut]

36. "The missiles are flying..."

[paleotn]

5. "and we've got folks that are talking openly about use of nuclear weapons"

Yea....us.

NK isn't going to use their tiny nuclear arsenal to start WWIII. They will only use them defensively if attacked. If they played the first strike card, they're nearly defenseless to retaliation in kind and they know very well what America's capabilities are. That isn't going to happen. Thus, the only one I know of who's seriously contemplating using nukes offensively is our current pResident.

[Turbineguy]

8. Maybe the North Koreans should try a little

honesty.

Like: "We don't want to be bombed as a diversion to a rigged election in the U.S.!"

[AllaN01Bear]

9. from an idiot whos never served. now calling the shots

[Botany]

10. He is gonna get us all killed

[Achilleaze]

12. The republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief lives in a world of fear

Out of soul-chilling perpetual cowardice, he and his republican cronies are threatening the well-being of America and the world. Super sad shit.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. This is what happens when we allow a pattern of

Bullying to go unchecked. It didn't just begin with Trump. This is how conservatives operate.

[PearliePoo2]

14. A critical thing to watch for is if they start moving U. S. military dependents out of South Korea.

Also, as someone noted, watch if the U.S. Hospital Ships ( USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort) deploy to Japan and Guam. If we see any of these moves, then some serious shit is about to begin.

[Ilsa]

19. With trump, I'm not sure they'd bother getting

Military dependants out of harm's way. "They knew what they were getting their families into when then moved them to South Korea," I can hear him say.

[PearliePoo2]

22. I don't know the exact number of people in that status but I heard over 200,000!

Evacuation of that many folks could hardly go unnoticed! North Korea would probably attack if they saw this happening.
Would BLOTUS write them off as sacrificial? Even the unthinkable is a possibility with this madman!
Jesus help us! (and I say this as an atheist)

[Hortensis]

32. Agree about HIM. And what does this mean:

"no official order had been given to put nuclear bombers on alert, but said preparations are underway"?

[workinclasszero]

33. Right

The asshole just said it to a war widow and her kids the other day.

[Girard442]

15. Sounds like red meat tossed out to the Deplorables.

I can't think of any military justification for this, no matter how evil his intentions.

[Bayard]

17. In the words of the president in "4th of July"

When they set off a nuke to try to bring down the aliens,

"May our children forgive us."

[LudwigPastorius]

18. Tick, tock...

Mr. Mueller, please help get that corned-beef-colored maniac out of the White House before he kills us all.

[flotsam]

24. Mount the nukes!

Because what could go wrong???

"On August 29, 2007, six AGM-129 ACM cruise missiles, each loaded with a W80-1 variable yield nuclear warhead, were mistakenly loaded onto a United States Air Force (USAF) B-52H heavy bomber at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and transported to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. The nuclear warheads in the missiles were supposed to have been removed before the missiles were taken from their storage bunker. The missiles with the nuclear warheads were not reported missing, and remained mounted to the aircraft at both Minot and Barksdale for 36 hours."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_United_States_Air_Force_nuclear_weapons_incident

[sprinkleeninow]

39. You know, I remember that. What a shoddy and potentially disastrous minding of warheads.

[NurseJackie]

25. Two-point-five minutes until MIDNIGHT!!

https://www.globalzero.org/blog/trump-moves-doomsday-clock-closer-midnight

?itok=Ofk5u4xL

[lunasun]

27. Why have nukes if you can't use them? Idiocracy minions wifi walk around asking this I suppose

[Irish_Dem]

28. I remember those days. Pilots could have the planes up in the air in minutes.

They took shifts living and sleeping in barracks right on the flight line.

Picnic benches nearby so wives and kids could visit for lunch.

[Hortensis]

34. My husband was in the military during the

Cuban Missile Crisis, but at a base far from cities or missile silos, and his assignment was basically to wait to see if our world was going to end.

I was a child, we didn't have a TV, and my mother didn't explain. But she apparently was too nervous to sit inside all day (Los Angeles!), because she took me for a walk along a street lined with local shops, and the "vibes" from quiet people who did not discuss what was happening in front of me were so...strange that I remember that walk to this day.

[workinclasszero]

30. Lets see...EO giving Dump unlimited power to call up all former military...

...plans to recall 1000 now civilian pilots...and now BUFF's loaded with nukes back on 24hr alert just like at the height of the cold war.

Well nothing to see here folks.

You have friends or family in the military or a vet even, get ready.

A failed draft dodger 'president' is going to try and hold on to power over their dead bodies of our men and women in service and hundreds of thousands of other people around the world.

This is your totally out of control government in the hands of a would be dictator and his traitorous party Trump voters. We tried to warn you assholes what would happened if Dump got his hands on the nukes but nooooo you wanted a white man in charge!!

Enjoy the horror about to unfold assholes!

[snort]

37. Why?

Why let him do this, the ultimate madness? Is the entirety of the white house staff ready to meet jesus? That is what this is, isn't it?

If fuckface von clownstick is enabled I fear this country will face an attack on our shores. The world will know that we are weak and dangerous. Is the US going to be seen as a rabid animal? Atticus Finch shot a mad dog in the street and by all accounts, he was a good man.

[Baclava]

38. "Air Force denies report that it is preparing to put B-52 bombers on high alert"

same link

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/23/us-nuclear-bombers-on-high-alert-as-north-korean-threat-grows.html

[Saviolo]

40. Somehow that's even more terrifying.

That makes it sound like the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. And when those hands are juggling nuclear weapons, I'd love for there to be a coordinated effort to at least keep their stories straight. Just another example of trying their best to sow FUD and keep the populace compliant and scared?