The extensive nuclear arsenal of the United States has had several of its weapons scattered worldwide, with atomic bombs lost deep in the ocean – potentially awaiting discovery by anyone.
Amidst threats from Donald Trump to unleash “Death, Fire, and Fury” on Iran, concerns are rising once again about nuclear capabilities in the Middle East.
The U.S. has taken the stance that if they cannot locate their missing bombs, known as “Broken Arrow” incidents, neither can their adversaries. Currently, there are six unaccounted-for nuclear warheads from 32 documented Broken Arrow accidents.
The detonation of any of these warheads could devastate a city and result in the loss of millions of lives, raising significant alarm.
One notable incident in 1958 involved a B-47 carrying a Mark 15 hydrogen bomb near Tybee Island, which accidentally dropped its nuclear bomb after a mid-air collision. Despite initial claims that it was a dummy, the weapon was never recovered.
The B-47 was carrying a 7,600-pound Mark 15 hydrogen thermonuclear bomb with an explosive yield 190 times more powerful than the bomb that devastated Nagasaki.
After the bomb was released into the waters near Tybee Island, extensive efforts were made to locate it using sonar, but the search was unsuccessful.
While the Air Force initially stated that the bomb’s plutonium warhead had been removed and replaced with a lead substitute, documents released in 1994 revealed that the Tybee Mark 15 was indeed a live nuclear weapon.
In a separate incident in 1966, a B-28 thermonuclear bomb was lost in the Mediterranean Sea after a collision between two U.S. military aircraft, with its warhead still missing.
These incidents are part of 32 recorded “broken arrow” accidents, which refer to unintended events involving nuclear weapons.
Despite setbacks to Iran’s nuclear program, concerns remain that they could rebuild their capabilities in the future, as highlighted by global security expert Jeffrey Lewis.
The technology for nuclear weapons is not new, and some experts fear that a vengeful Iran might decide to pursue nuclear weapons, following the path of North Korea.
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