Group Slams DoD for Poor Nuke Oversight

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Group Slams DoD for Poor Nuke Oversight
January 08, 2009
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A Pentagon advisory group plans to release a report today criticizing the Defense Department for lack of focus on its nuclear mission, and recommending more oversight after a series of embarrassing incidents that called into question the Air Force's ability to keep track of its nuclear weapons and related materials.

The task force will recommend that the Pentagon create a new assistant secretary position to oversee its nuclear management, a senior defense official said.

The report is the second part of a broad review that in September condemned the Air Force for a dramatic deterioration in managing the nation's nuclear arsenal. It is one of several studies triggered by the Air Force blunders, most notably the mistaken shipment to Taiwan of four electrical fuses for ballistic missile warheads and the flight across the U.S. by an Air Force bomber mistakenly armed with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles.

The missteps prompted Defense Secretary Robert Gates to sack the top civilian and military leaders of the Air Force last year.

The defense official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the report ahead of its release.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/group-slams-dod-for-poor-nuke-oversight.html?col=1186032310810