It was about 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 30, 2007, when a team of five munitions airmen pulled up to a B-52H parked on the flight line at Barksdale AFB, La., thinking they were about to do a routine weapons unloading. The big bomber had ferried in a dozen AGM-129 cruise missiles-each capable of carrying a nuclear warhead-from Minot AFB, N.D., around 11:30 that morning. The Air Force was consolidating its inventory of the stealthy weapons at Barks-dale for eventual elimination under arms treaties. Each wing of the B-52H carried a pylon loaded with six missiles apiece.
展开▼
