Broken Arrow - Response To A Nuclear Weapons Accident (1980)

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Broken arrow - response to a nuclear weapons accident
Relates the story of a nuclear weapons accident exercise in the Nevada Desert by the defense nuclear agency and involving all four armed services and the department of energy laboratories. Shows how the DOD/DOE forces responded to a realistically simulated crash of a mac aircraft carrying nuclear weapons -- "D" day through the final recovery phase of the 7th day.
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

[@buggyapp]

Was in a nuclear unit in Germany. We had NAIRA (Nuclear Accident Incident Response and Assistance) exercises continually. We moved nukes by Chinook helicopters in country to Ramstein Air Base for retrograde back to the States for depot level maintenance which couldn't be done in country. It would have instantly been an international event if we had a Broken Arrow. I wrote the logistics section that was published. We interfaced with a lot of government agencies back in the States. It was actually amazing to see how things got done at that level. It was by far the most important and enjoyable work I have ever been involved in.

[@TwoPartyIllusion]

Wow! Thank you for sharing your story. Very interesting, I love to hear people's life experiences!

[@buggyapp]

@@TwoPartyIllusion And there are so many more as this was only the tip of the iceberg. To safely facilitate the ground movement, the German government had the remaining section of Autobahn 62 quickly completed after it had set dormant for years. When the two ships were moving the weapons they were not allowed to go through the Panama Canal and struggled to stay afloat around Cape Horn out to Johnston Island for destruction. That would have been a disaster beyond epic proportions. I'm sure a movie would have been made about it. Thankfully that bridge wasn't crossed.

[@monsterx3055]

the logistics had to be mind boggling

[@buggyapp]

@@monsterx3055 We established prepositioned stocks to facilitate a rapid response and trained at the Group level throughout the Brigade.

[@MikeF1189]

I had an important job also. I used to be the sole person in charge of cooking french fries at Wienerschnitzel when the manager had to step away. It was very rewarding.

[@dennissvitak6453]

1978, I was the Base Weather Station Commander at RAF Woodbridge, UK. One of our F-4 Phantoms was doing touch and go's with a nuke on the centerline, as required monthly. He had a hydraulic failure, and had to engage the BAK-12 barrier. The bomb snapped off the plane, and went bouncing merrily down the runway. I was on the secondary crash net...and "BROKEN ARROW, BROKEN ARROW" was announced. Fortunately, the bomb's casing didn't split. With the PAL (permissive action link), there was no real danger of a nuclear detonation, but there was ABSOLUTELY a danger of the fissile material spreading all over the runway. This entire incident was completely covered up.

[@stevepirie8130]

Alpha particles was one of the hazards if it had cracked, easily stopped if you wear a respirator. The actual particles can’t penetrate skin except through cuts. Greater hazard would be the explosives that blast the tail section off when deployed by the aircraft at its target to open the parachute. We had a weapon roll off a trolley at Bruggen and locals were told to shut windows until they confirmed the weapon inside the transit case was ok.

[@dennissvitak6453]

@@stevepirie8130 - The fissile material is the ultimate hazmat..just ask the Russians that dug in the Red Field near Chernobyl. I was the Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protective Officer for my unit..this is right in my wheelhouse.

[@larrysmith6797]

What did you expect, a news release to all media?

[@jiveturkey9993]

@@dennissvitak6453 I clicked on this video because I was thumbing through the B-52 Wikipedia page. According to the accident and incident section there were a whole bunch of them that went down with nuclear weapons on board. I was reading that going DAYUM

[@70stunes71]

I actually worked on tactical nuclear weapons... not that far from your actual location then:-) Declassified or not, I signed a CIA debriefing statement stating that I would never discuss critical nuclear weapons design information or technology associated. They omit such occurrences because of the public Panic Factor... Granted for good reason. I always got a kick out of CND people... campaigners for nuclear disarmament... They worried about United States tactical weapons in England, but most were completely oblivious to the fact that the British had them also LOL

[@Ganiscol]

A decade or two prior, they would have skipped a few steps and moved right on to "Dig a ditch. Brush everything into the ditch. Cover it up nice and tidy and then RTB for lunch, boys!"

[@MrWolfTickets]

"Now we are using REAL radiation" he sounds almost giddy like he personally pushed for it during planning :-)

[@kasel1979krettnach]

good idea in fact

[@nottherealpaulsmith]

as bad as nuclear fallout is after a broken arrow, this exercise proves that it's nowhere near as hard to deal with as the PR fallout

[@Ales.2000]

I like they used real radionuclide, Ra-223. The training is much more effective, since the detection instruments can be used and will really detect something. The air radiation survey done with sensitive detectors could locate Ra-223 as it gives off some gamma rays, but if there was a real nuclear weapon, Pu-239 would be undetecable by air survey, I would say. I read something about military exercises conducted in the former socialist Czechoslovakia where some radioiodine, probably I-132, was used. That has much shorter half-life than Ra-223, about 2.3 hours. And it's a beta and gamma emitter, so it's easily detecable also by less sensitive instruments, I guess. The aim was to practice decontamination after nuclear attack.

[@indigohammer5732]

That Command Post van looks super legit🤣

[@whereswaldo5740]

I have one just like it. 😂

[@Snipedog1978]

Man I remember watching this when I went through NETOPS when I was part of EM in the USAF

[@TwoPartyIllusion]

Is this where slab city came from? Where they set up the 400 temporary sites? I love these declassified archives. I wish I was alive 50 years from now to see what we're doing today... I don't think people could imagine the technology that exists that is hidden from our view. Things that aren't hidden even sound like science fiction! Unfortunately they're usually hidden within hours long boring webinars and scientific lectures, which I just happen to love lol... But If I try to talk about it, well; no one will believe me. Oh well...

[@buggyapp]

Heck, I'm curious about anything I can learn and share about the Cold War as through the years I have encountered many people who were an interesting part of history. Since it was the longest and most costly conflict there is so much to learn that it can never be exhausted.

[@pikant676]

The guy at 1:33 is constantly saying NUCULAR

[@damanigrey8123]

I love KZbin's algorithm. It selects so many good videos for me.

[@BrianClarkpharmd]

Love the dramatic music at the beginning lol

[@tapiten]

Thanks SJA;)

[@Taskforce1]

it must of been fun af for the soldiers roleplaying as civilians. coming up with different scenarios and antics to cause problems 😂

[@russharrison5707]

Trained for that 67-70

[@70stunes71]

I used to work on tactical nuclear weapons.. no BS... For real

[@blueduck9409]

Yep, and at the same time they taught helping hand they also taught a covered wagon. Kinda reminds me of the movie return of the living dead.

[@BeechSportBill]

This is a good lesson that was used to create the INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM (ICS), but it took 9/11 to make ICS the law of the land.

[@willr7849]

I have been working EMS since 1996, it has been the standard incident management system the early 90s.

[@rapman5791]

@@willr7849 you are absolutely right. I’ve been a first responder since 1986 and the ICS was being used as early as 1992

[@hansenkho3835]

Sorry, at We Were Soldier, Col. Moore also call for Broken Arrow. What is that mean? And related to this video what is the different with the Hammer Down protocol? Thanks for the answer and have a good day

[@BluegrassFilmsKY]

I think in that context it means their position has been overrun by the enemy.

[@thecoolestofthe834s2]

broken arrow has afew meaning to soldierso n the ground it means "attack broken possible break throughs in the line contain the threat please!"

[@Mujangga]

Goddamn Cactus League! It's time we settle _their_ hash once and for all!

[@wlsnpndrvs8593]

i use to handle flashes in an air force satellite control facility. exciting subjects, maybe i can say that much.... ill see soon, if not.

[@DirtyLilHobo]

I’ve been associated with the teams that transport and recover nuclear weapons along with nuclear fuel. Those ground transport trucks look exactly like any other truck. At a rest stop, truck stop or other public facilities you can walk around and look at those trucks, even touch them! However, you are always under surveillance and many eyes will be watching you. Several vehicles in inconspicuous cars and trucks accompany these transport trucks with teams intent on securing the nuclear cargo. The truck box is also protected by classified security measures that include foam and electrical protection. If you were to attempt to gain access to these transport trucks you’ll be instantly met by several armed personnel.

[@penroc3]

i worked with the secret services secure transport team a few times back in the day. i only saw the container the warhead(from a MMlll) was in and driven in. not one joke was told that day.

[@buggyapp]

Worked on the removal of chemical weapons from Germany. I understand the security involved. We had infrared satellites overhead, motion detectors on both sides of the Autobahn with armed patrols every kilometer, and Specter gunships (Puff the Magic Dragon) overhead. Every convoy had 80-90 armed soldiers for rapid deployment and there were about 60 various support vehicles besides the trucks moving the weapons. If a gnat farted anywhere along the route at anytime, all hell would be brought to bear without hesitation. There was even a section of the Autobahn which was built just for the movement of the weapons. No detail or expense was overlooked. In total we moved 102,000 artillery rounds of sarin and mustard gas.

[@operatorjeffdeathstar7759]

Woo Woo....Hot ration dinner tonight...Lol

[@reyzamajidnugraha768]

Is ripple device real?

[@joeblough4605]

Opps! A few are still lost around the US

[@aloysiusbelisarius9992]

Not sure of the specific date; but little did anybody know they'd have a really big, real-world incident to deal with that year.

[@TwoPartyIllusion]

Its so amazing nowadays how they do an exercise, roundtable, or game... And literally from almost immediately to a year later later it goes live! NYC gamed a nuclear attack not long ago... I am wondering when that will be? I hate to say it... Just because somebody says it happened, Doesn't necessarily mean I'll believe it actually happened.

[@VideographerExperience]

Robin Williams' *Private Pyle* !!!

[@tigertiger1699]

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@deckape714]

That is how you do it Right!

[@DC4L_86]

Anyone have any radiation for sale

[@joshuamoore8560]

Well, if I learned anything about nuclear weapons from the 1996 movie "Broken Arrow," it's this: do NOT let John Travolta anywhere near 'em.😊

[@danielcruz8347]

SUPREME FEDERAL JURISDICTION!! All civilians citizens including state officials and local fire police medical emergency personnel stand down till official notification!! Film is like a combination of Emergency, six million dollar man, Rambo....

[@tapiten]

Enlisted ordinance, 😊

[@phaiz55]

I'm all for protecting the environment but it's beyond hilarious that an activist group would demand they stop trying to remove the weapons.

[@Rayman1971]

You would be extremely surprised at how odd people can be!!!!!!!!

[@davidhudson5452]

Capt hit the o shit button and i am on leave till this is fixed

[@MajorWolf72]

Nice, they actually contaminated the area. Those were the days…

[@tapiten]

12 on 12 off, I survived it 2 west packs and a world steal beach ⛱ 😎 👌

[@JeffreyWilliams-dr7qe]

F4 NOT nuke capable unless we gave Special dispensation to Winnie us last years as Pm at 10 dowding St.

[@lewismorgan839]

Or UFO recovery

[@sarcasticlollipop]

I find it hilarious that these green peace activists insist on the immediate cessation of clean up and recovery. Like “Oh yeah the military left a couple nuclear weapons in our backyard and we want them to leave them there and go home.” Because that makes TOTAL sense 🙃

[@thecoolestofthe834s2]

greenpeace would do that lol

[@BeechSportBill]

Tony Scheibe

[@davidfisher12865]

Pita, pain in the ass.

[@tapiten]

My Grandads brother retired with airforce.

[@bcbock]

It’s kind of horrifying that they spread real radiation around for this exercise.

[@clintonbarbee3072]

Makes no sense of things took as long as they did even back then you forget we may not have had all the computers that we have today but they definitely had computers and everything back then maybe not like people think of but trust me they are very dependable.

[@almostfm]

Computers can't do a search for the missing components. Computers can't safe weapons that are discovered and package stuff up for transport. Computers can't setup a perimeter and keep out the looky-loos. When stuff needs to be done by actual people it's not going to be much faster now than it was 50 years ago. It's like the people who can't understand why we can't easily go back to the Moon when "computers are so much better". The problem isn't the computers-it's that you still need a big f'ing rocket.

[@git81mm]

Is this a comedy ha. Making easy shit hard. What a cluster🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ilovecops5499]

IS THIS A JOKE?

[@michaelmcgowan7779]

And as the seven day boondoggle concludes, the Shaft music swells on another terrific waste of tax dollars.

[@bostonblackie9503]

Did people actually believe this?

[@0351nick-ch8ee]

Accident....nope. that means one was stolen.

[@luish19779]

In real event, everyone have painfully death 💀

[@ruthieruef2185]

Not necessarily