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1,000 items not tracked in nuke investigation

The Air Force failed to correctly track more than 1,000 “classified items” during an inventory ordered by Adm. Kirkland Donald as part of his investigation into the service’s handling of nuclear materials, said a government official, who spoke on condition of not being named.

The report blamed the problem on paperwork errors, the official said.

Despite the tracking error, another official confirmed that no nuclear weapons or nuclear components are missing, and the Air Force still has “100 percent positive control” over its nuclear stockpile.

“Record keeping of [nuclear] component parts was identified as a weakness,” said Bryant Whitman, a Defense Department spokesman. “There is a difference between missing items and not having a full and complete auditable paper trail for every component.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates tapped Donald, director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion, to investigate the Air Force’s handling of nuclear materials following revelations that the service mistakenly shipped top-secret nuclear nose cone assemblies to Taiwan.

Donald presented his investigative report June 18 in a closed hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Gates fired the Air Force’s two top leaders because of the eroded nuclear standards and widespread loss of focus on the mission. The classified report has not been publicly released, but the official who spoke to Air Force Times anonymously has seen it. It’s not clear what specific classified items the Air Force didn’t track properly.

Senators at the hearing described Donald’s report as “thorough and comprehensive.” However, concerns remain over the Air Force’s ability to maintain its nuclear stockpile — especially in Europe.

A separate, recent servicewide review by the Air Force of its entire nuclear enterprise found that most nuclear sites didn’t meet Defense Department security standards, the result of “inconsistencies in personnel, facilities and equipment.”

“Examples of areas ... in need of repair at several of the sites include support buildings, fencing, lighting, and security systems,” according to the released report, “Blue-Ribbon Review of Nuclear Policies and Procedures.”

7 bases in Europe with nukes

The exact number of nuclear weapons stored overseas has not been officially released, but seven bases in Europe store between 200 and 350 nuclear weapons, which are overseen by the Air Force, according to military records compiled by Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists.

U.S. Air Forces in Europe Commander Gen. Roger Brady visited two of the bases — Kliene Brogel Air Base, Belgium, and Volkel Air Base, Netherlands — to observe how airmen in the 701st and 703rd Munitions Support squadrons protected their nuclear stockpiles.

Both bases store nuclear warheads to arm host nations’ F-16 fighter jets in case of a nuclear war.

After the visit, Brady said he found no security problems.

“I have concerns because of our mission, and I have concerns because it’s human beings doing it,” Brady said in a statement. But “I have no questions about our security.”

As Defense Department and Air Force officials continue to root through their nuclear mission and procedures, Kristensen said he expects more errors to be found.

In light of the tracking errors found during Donald’s inquiry, Kristensen questioned whether the Air Force had enough checks and balances within its nuclear depot inspections.

“When you lift up the rug, you are going to find all types of stuff under it,” he said. “Given how many nuclear weapons we have, there is a lot of material to be accounted for, but at the same time there is no excuse when it comes to nuclear weapons.”

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