U.S. nuclear weapons short of security upgrades: report

Washington, Jul 2 (PTI) Most U.S. nuclear weapons
stored overseas, particularly in Europe, are short of security
upgrades drastically needed for the safety of the arsenal,
according to a top Pentagon review report.
"Most sites require significant additional resources
to meet DoD security requirements," according to the final
report of the U.S. Air Force Blue Ribbon Review of Nuclear
Weapons Policies and Procedures. It said upgrades are needed
in "support buildings, fencing, lighting and security systems"
at several European sites, 'The Washington Post' reported
Wednesday.
Chaired by Air Force Major General Polly A. Peyer, the
review was conducted after it was earlier found that a B-52
bomber had flown across the United States without the pilots
or the crews aware that they were carrying nuclear warheads,
'The Post' said.
U.S. recently dismissed its top air force officials,
including the Chief of Staff and Service, after a probe raised
concerns about American nuclear safeguards in the light of the
inadvertent shipment of nuclear missile nose cones to Taiwan.
The Air Force Blue Ribbon Review report, completed in
February, was made public last week by Hans M. Kristensen,
director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation
of American Scientists, who obtained it under a Freedom of
Information Act request, the daily said.
A disturbing finding was that one of the three wing
commanders who controlled facilities with more than 100
nuclear-armed strategic missiles did not have a nuclear
weapons background, it said.