NEWS: Lost Hydrogen Bomb Possibly Found

This story is interesting. The air force dropped a nuclear bomb in an accident and "lost" it while doing some practice runs in 1958. They did a study in 2001 saying that if the bomb were to be found, it would be safer to leave it where it is. This is due to the fact that the bomb contains 400 pounds of conventional explosives, along with some uranium. Supposedly the bomb does not have the plutonium trigger required to set off a thermonuclear explosion.



Somehow the idea of leaving it where it lies does not really appeal to me. Although moving it may be more dangerous, couldn't they pour some cement on it or something?



[edit on 9-13-2004 by William One Sac]

I actually thought it was the other way around. The trigger is the nuclear bomb that goes off X-rays fly out and then initaites a fusion reaction that takes off beofre the nuclear blast can blow out the rest of the bomb.

people.howstuffworks.com...

Tecnical issues asside one has to wonder how many "mistakes" from both sides are lying on the ocean floor?

Originally posted by FredT

Tecnical issues asside one has to wonder how many "mistakes" from both sides are lying on the ocean floor?

The United States lost 11 nuclear bombs in accidents during the Cold War that were never recovered, according to the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

An estimated 50 nuclear warheads, most of them from the former Soviet Union, still lie on the bottom of the world's oceans, according to the environmental group Greenpeace.

From the article. Thats what they are admitting to anyhow.

Originally posted by William One Sac
An estimated 50 nuclear warheads, most of them from the former Soviet Union, still lie on the bottom of the world's oceans, according to the environmental group Greenpeace.

From the article. Thats what they are admitting to anyhow.


I think "admitted" is the key. DSRV's are not beyond the capacity of alot of nations. One has to wonder if a nuclear wannabe could try to put togehter thier own "Project Jennifer" and try to pick one up?

Just when I start to think that our species may be capable of redemption... LOL!

Originally posted by FredT

Originally posted by William One Sac
An estimated 50 nuclear warheads, most of them from the former Soviet Union, still lie on the bottom of the world's oceans, according to the environmental group Greenpeace.

From the article. Thats what they are admitting to anyhow.

I think "admitted" is the key. DSRV's are not beyond the capacity of alot of nations. One has to wonder if a nuclear wannabe could try to put togehter thier own "Project Jennifer" and try to pick one up?

I've always wondered about those 'free' nukes out there.

Sorry WOS and those interested, but in doing a bit of digging on this, it has become apparent that this news has been known for years. I happened to find this old article mentioning such and in a Pravada article to boot....
ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED BY US BOMBER NEAR GEORGIA US STATE COAST (2001)

US bomber has dropped an atomic bomb near to US shores, which is 100 times more powerful than that one dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. The bomb has fallen on sea bottom, at the distance of 10 km from Georgia State.
Its exact location is not known, -The Australian- writes declassifying 40-year-old secret documents of Pentagon. According to the newspaper, the bomb -Marc 15- which weighs 3450 kg was dropped from bomber B-47 Stratojet in 1958, after its collision with fighter F-86 during training flights near to Sylvania. Major Howard Richardson piloting the plane received command-s order to drop the bomb, otherwise he could not land.

Also here:
The TYBEE Bomb: ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED BY US BOMBER NEAR GEORGIA US STATE COAST (2001)

And here:
U.S. Nuclear Weapons Accidents: Danger In Our Midst

And again, here:
The Case of the Missing H-Bomb (2001)

IMHO, though we are talking a fairly massive bomb for the time period that it was created in, the most that really concerns me is not necessarily the uranium, nor the trigger device, but the 400lbs of explosives utilized. Then again, we can leave it were it lies, keep a close eye on it, and pray that at best, 'it' doesn't create one of these?!





seekerof

[edit on 14-9-2004 by Seekerof]

Large levels of rad?

I though a "h" bomb only used a small "normal nuke" to set the Hydorgen off.

I guess the "small normal nuke" could give off "large levels of rediation"?

Any nuke experts here to clear this up?