United States military nuclear incident terminology
Encyclopedia
The United States Armed Forces
uses a number of terms to define the magnitude and extent of nuclear incidents.
directive 5230.16, Nuclear Accident and Incident Public Affairs (PA) Guidance, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
Manual 3150.03B Joint Reporting Structure Event and Incident Reporting, and the United States Air Force
Operation Reporting System, as set out in Air Force Instruction 10-206 detail a number of terms for internally and externally (including press releases) reporting nuclear incidents. They are used by the United States of America, and are neither NATO nor global standards.
OPREP-3 (Operational Event/Incident Report) reporting flagword used in the United States National Command Authority
structure. The term "Pinnacle" denotes an incident of interest to the Major Command
s, Department of Defense and National Command Authority, in that it:
All of the following reporting terms are classified Pinnacle, with the exception of Bent Spear, Faded Giant and Dull Sword. AFI 10-206 notes that the flagword Pinnacle may be added to Bent Spear or Faded Giant to expedite reporting to the National Military Command Center
(NMCC).
A recent Bent Spear example is the August 2007 flight
of a B-52 bomber from Minot AFB
to Barksdale AFB
which carried six cruise missiles with live nuclear warheads.
Examples of Broken Arrow events are:
name=Gibson>Gibson, James N. Nuclear Weapons of the United States – An Illustrated History. Atglen, Pennsylvania.: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1996, Library of Congress card no. 96-67282, ISBN 0-7643-0063-6, page 130.
report revealed that a one-megaton bomb had been lost. Japan then asked for details of the incident.
. Events which may be classified Pinnacle - Nucflash include:
This term (Pinnacle Nucflash) is a report that has the highest precedence in the OPREP-3 reporting structure. All other reporting terms such as Broken Arrow, Empty Quiver, etc., while very important, are secondary to this report. (Reference Air Force Instruction 10-206, dated 4 October 2004)
Examples
Example of a NUCFLASH incident could have been:
. They have not always been used correctly.
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
uses a number of terms to define the magnitude and extent of nuclear incidents.
Origin
United States Department of DefenseUnited States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
directive 5230.16, Nuclear Accident and Incident Public Affairs (PA) Guidance, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...
Manual 3150.03B Joint Reporting Structure Event and Incident Reporting, and the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Operation Reporting System, as set out in Air Force Instruction 10-206 detail a number of terms for internally and externally (including press releases) reporting nuclear incidents. They are used by the United States of America, and are neither NATO nor global standards.
Pinnacle
Pinnacle is a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of StaffChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...
OPREP-3 (Operational Event/Incident Report) reporting flagword used in the United States National Command Authority
National Command Authority
National Command Authority is a term used by the Department of Defense of the United States of America to refer to the ultimate lawful source of military orders. The NCA comprises the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense jointly, or their duly deputized successors, i.e...
structure. The term "Pinnacle" denotes an incident of interest to the Major Command
Major Command
Major Command or Major Commands are large formations of the United States Armed Forces. Historically, a MAJCOM is the highest level of command.There are two types of Major Commands in the United States military:...
s, Department of Defense and National Command Authority, in that it:
- Generates a higher level of military action
- Causes a national reaction
- Affects international relationships
- Causes immediate widespread coverage in news media
- Is clearly against the national interest
- Affects current national policy
All of the following reporting terms are classified Pinnacle, with the exception of Bent Spear, Faded Giant and Dull Sword. AFI 10-206 notes that the flagword Pinnacle may be added to Bent Spear or Faded Giant to expedite reporting to the National Military Command Center
National Military Command Center
Located in the Pentagon, the National Military Command Center houses the logistical and communications center for the National Command Authority of the United States of America. The facility, which is composed of several war rooms, is the principal command and control center of the Department of...
(NMCC).
Bent Spear
Bent Spear refers to incidents involving nuclear weapons, warheads, components or vehicles transporting nuclear material that are of significant interest but are not categorized as Pinnacle - Nucflash or Pinnacle - Broken Arrow. Bent Spear incidents include violations or breaches of handling and security regulations.A recent Bent Spear example is the August 2007 flight
2007 United States Air Force nuclear weapons incident
The 2007 United States Air Force nuclear weapons incident occurred at Minot Air Force Base and Barksdale Air Force Base on August 29–30, 2007. Six AGM-129 ACM cruise missiles, each loaded with a W80-1 variable yield nuclear warhead, were reportedly mistakenly loaded on a United States Air...
of a B-52 bomber from Minot AFB
Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....
to Barksdale AFB
Barksdale Air Force Base
Barksdale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east-southeast of Bossier City, Louisiana.The host unit at Barksdale is the 2d Bomb Wing , the oldest Bomb Wing in the Air Force. It is assigned to the Air Force Global Strike Command's Eighth Air Force...
which carried six cruise missiles with live nuclear warheads.
Broken Arrow
Pinnacle - Broken Arrow refers to an accidental event that involves nuclear weapons, warheads or components, but which does not create the risk of nuclear war. These include:- Accidental or unexplained nuclear detonation.
- Non-nuclear detonation or burning of a nuclear weapon.
- Radioactive contaminationRadioactive contaminationRadioactive contamination, also called radiological contamination, is radioactive substances on surfaces, or within solids, liquids or gases , where their presence is unintended or undesirable, or the process giving rise to their presence in such places...
. - Loss in transit of nuclear asset with or without its carrying vehicle.
- Jettisoning of a nuclear weapon or nuclear component.
- Public hazard, actual or implied.
Examples of Broken Arrow events are:
- 1950 British Columbia B-36 crash
- 1956 B-47 disappearance1956 B-47 disappearanceThe 1956 B-47 disappearance occurred on March 10 over the Mediterranean Sea. Four B-47 Stratojets took off from MacDill Air Force Base in Florida for a non-stop flight to Ben Guerir Air Base, Morocco and completed their first aerial refueling without incident...
- 1958 Tybee Island B-47 crash
- 1965. LTJG Douglas M. WebsterDouglas M. WebsterDouglas M. Webster, a lieutenant junior grade and a U.S. Navy aviator, was the sole victim of a 1965 Broken Arrow in the Pacific Ocean, that went unacknowledged by the Pentagon until 1981...
, a United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
aviatorAviatorAn aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, was the sole victim of a 1965 Broken Arrow in the Pacific Ocean that went unacknowledged by the PentagonThe PentagonThe Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
until 1981. His A-4 SkyhawkA-4 SkyhawkThe Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The delta winged, single-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D...
was lost over the side of the on 5 December 1965 while the attack jet, armed with a B43 nuclear bombB43 nuclear bombThe B43 was a United States air-dropped variable yield nuclear weapon used by a wide variety of fighter bomber and bomber aircraft.The B43 was developed from 1956 by Los Alamos National Laboratory, entering production in 1959. It entered service in April 1961. Total production was 2,000 weapons,...
, was being rolled from a hangar bay onto an elevator during a training exercise off the coast of JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Webster, the A-4E Skyhawk, BuNo 151022, of Attack Squadron VA-56, and the nuclear weapon were lost when the jet rolled off an elevator, of the aircraft carrierAircraft carrierAn aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
in 16,000 feet of water in the Pacific Ocean, 80 miles from Okinawa.
name=Gibson>Gibson, James N. Nuclear Weapons of the United States – An Illustrated History. Atglen, Pennsylvania.: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1996, Library of Congress card no. 96-67282, ISBN 0-7643-0063-6, page 130.
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
report revealed that a one-megaton bomb had been lost. Japan then asked for details of the incident.
- 1966 Palomares B-52 crash
- 1968 Thule Air Base B-52 crash
NUCFLASH
Pinnacle - Nucflash refers to detonation or possible detonation of a nuclear weapon which creates a risk of an outbreak of nuclear warNuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
. Events which may be classified Pinnacle - Nucflash include:
- Accidental, unauthorized, or unexplained nuclear detonation or possible detonation.
- Accidental or unauthorized launch of a nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable missile in the direction of, or having the capability to reach, another nuclear-capable country.
- Unauthorized flight of, or deviation from an approved flight plan by, a nuclear armed or nuclear-capable aircraft with the capability to penetrate the airspace of another nuclear-capable country.
- Detection of unidentified objects by a missile warning system or interference (experienced by such a system or related communications) that appears threatening and could create a risk of nuclear war.
This term (Pinnacle Nucflash) is a report that has the highest precedence in the OPREP-3 reporting structure. All other reporting terms such as Broken Arrow, Empty Quiver, etc., while very important, are secondary to this report. (Reference Air Force Instruction 10-206, dated 4 October 2004)
Examples
Example of a NUCFLASH incident could have been:
- Able Archer An incident in 1983 involving a NATO war game exercise and a near Soviet nuclear reaction.
- Operation RYAN A Soviet intelligence operation that monitored the likelihood of an American-led nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union.
- Norwegian rocket incidentNorwegian rocket incidentThe Norwegian rocket incident refers to a few minutes of post-Cold War nuclear tension that took place on January 25, 1995, more than four years after the end of the Cold War...
Emergency Disablement
Pinnacle - Emergency Disablement refers to operations involving the emergency destruction of nuclear weapons.Emergency Evacuation
Pinnacle - Emergency Evacuation refers to operations involving the emergency evacuation of nuclear weapons.Empty Quiver
Pinnacle - Empty Quiver refers to the seizure, theft, or loss of a functioning nuclear weapon.Faded Giant
Faded Giant refers to an event involving a military nuclear reactor or other radiological accident not involving nuclear weapons.Dull Sword
Dull Sword is an Air Force reporting term that marks reports of minor incidents involving nuclear weapons, components or systems, or which could impair their deployment. This could include actions involving vehicles capable of carrying nuclear weapons but with no nuclear weapons on board at the time of the accident. This also is used to report damage or deficiencies with equipment, tools, or diagnostic testers that are designed for use on nuclear weapons or the nuclear weapon release systems of nuclear-capable aircraft.Popular culture
Several of these terms have, in various forms, entered popular culturePopular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. They have not always been used correctly.
- The John WooJohn WooJohn Woo Yu-Sen SBS is a Hong Kong-based film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard...
action film Broken ArrowBroken Arrow (1996 film)Broken Arrow is a 1996 American action film directed by John Woo, written by Graham Yost, and starring John Travolta and Christian Slater. The original music score was composed by Hans Zimmer, and features guitarist Duane Eddy. It deals with the theft of an American nuclear weapon.The film received...
initially involves an apparent "Pinnacle-Broken Arrow" event, as the nuclear weapons are supposedly jettisoned in an emergency, but as this is a ruse to steal the weapons, it actually depicts a "Pinnacle-Empty Quiver" event by the above definitions. However, the subsequent detonation of one of those weapons constituted a "Pinnacle-Broken Arrow" event.
- "Rogue Spear" is supposedly a means of flagging incidents in which nuclear weapons come under the control of non-governmental groups, but the term is the invention of American thriller writer Tom ClancyTom ClancyThomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
, for the computer game Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue SpearTom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue SpearTom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear is a tactical first-person shooter computer game developed and published by Red Storm Entertainment. It is the sequel to the critically acclaimed Rainbow Six game based on the Tom Clancy novel of the same name....
in place of "Pinnacle-Empty Quiver".
- In the Tom ClancyTom ClancyThomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
novel The Sum of all FearsThe Sum of All FearsThe Sum of All Fears is the best-selling thriller novel by Dan Fogelman and Tom Clancy, and part of the Jack Ryan series. It was the fourth book of the series to be turned into a film. An interesting historical note is that this book was released just days before the Moscow uprising in 1991, which...
, the term "Empty Quiver" is used in reference to loss of an IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i nuclear weaponNuclear weaponA nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
, which falls into the hands of terrorists which results in a Nuc-Flash.
- In the 1994 film True LiesTrue LiesTrue Lies is a 1994 American action-comedy film directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere, Charlton Heston, and Art Malik. Eliza Dushku also appears in the film in one of her first major film roles...
, Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
's character Harry Tasker calls a "Bright Boy Alert" for the impending detonation of a stolen Russian warhead on U.S. soil by terrorists, although this presumably should be termed a "Broken Arrow" event since it involves a nuclear incident unlikely to result in nuclear war.
- Eric L. Harry's novel Arc LightArc LightArc Light is the debut novel by Eric L. Harry, a techno-thriller about limited nuclear war published in 1994 and written in 1991-2.As China and Russia clash in Siberia in June 1999, nuclear missiles strike the United States. The U.S. retaliates against Russia, and World War III begins...
, uses several of the U.S. nuclear incident terms when the Russians launch a counterforceCounterforceIn nuclear strategy, a counterforce target is one that has a military value, such as a launch silo for intercontinental ballistic missiles, an airbase at which nuclear-armed bombers are stationed, a homeport for ballistic missile submarines, or a command and control installation...
strike against the United States: the Commander-in-Chief of NORADNorth American Aerospace Defense CommandNorth American Aerospace Defense Command is a joint organization of Canada and the United States that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and defense for the two countries. Headquarters NORAD is located at Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, Colorado...
orders an "OPREP 3 PINNACLE NUCFLASH 4" be sent to the National Command AuthorityNational Command AuthorityNational Command Authority is a term used by the Department of Defense of the United States of America to refer to the ultimate lawful source of military orders. The NCA comprises the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense jointly, or their duly deputized successors, i.e...
after the Russian launch was detected, and "OPREP 3 PINNACLE NUDET" was used to report the nuclear detonations as the warheads impacted.
- In the movie We Were SoldiersWe Were SoldiersWe Were Soldiers is a 2002 American war film that dramatizes the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965. The film was directed by Randall Wallace and stars Mel Gibson. It is based on the book We Were Soldiers Once… And Young by Lieutenant General Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L...
, during the battle at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang ValleyIa Drang ValleyThe Ia Drang Valley is a valley located about 32 miles south west of Pleiku in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. It is mostly known for the Battle of Ia Drang that happened there during the early days of the Vietnam War....
during the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, the code name "Broken Arrow" was used for calling in all available aircraft for an air strike, to support a ground unit facing imminent defeat in a battle.
- In the television series NCISNCIS (TV series)NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
, an episode features a plot involving a missing nuclear weapon. It is referred to in the episode as a "Broken Arrow" incident (also the name of the episode). The episode implies the warhead was one of the ones lost in the 1956 B-47 disappearance1956 B-47 disappearanceThe 1956 B-47 disappearance occurred on March 10 over the Mediterranean Sea. Four B-47 Stratojets took off from MacDill Air Force Base in Florida for a non-stop flight to Ben Guerir Air Base, Morocco and completed their first aerial refueling without incident...
.
- In a second season episode of NCIS Los Angeles, a nuclear warhead is stolen to attempt to cause a panic about a possible nuclear terrorist attack. The Theft is correctly labeled an "Empty Quiver" Incident.
- The TV series JAGJAG (TV series)JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
has an episode called "Empty Quiver" about the theft or loss of a nuclear weapon, which is accidentally jettisoned from a submarine. The loss is correctly labeled an "Empty Quiver" incident.
See also
- Lists of nuclear disasters and radioactive incidents
- Nuclear and radiation accidentsNuclear and radiation accidentsA nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility...
- United States and weapons of mass destructionUnited States and weapons of mass destructionThe United States is known to have possessed three types of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear weapons, chemical weapons and biological weapons. The U.S. is the only country to have used nuclear weapons in combat. The U.S. also used chemical weapons in World War I...