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Pentagon Admits Mistaken Missile Shipment
Email
ShareMarch 25, 2008 11:52 AM
ABC News' Jonathan Karl and Luis Martinez Report: In a morning briefing, the Pentagon announced that it had accidentally sent sensitive technology used in the US nuclear program to Taiwan.
The devices were returned to U.S. territory this morning.
Watch a portion of the briefing HERE.
At the briefing, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said the Defense Department learned last week that "four non- nuclear nose cone assemblies and their associated electrical components" used to ignite a warhead in an intercontinental ballistic missile were mistakenly sent to Taiwan in lieu of a sales order for a battery shipment.
The fuses only work on the Mark-12 weapons package/warhead and are not nuclear, but are electrical fuses. Wynne said they are "the electrical firing mechanism that allows the rest of the system to detonate."
Wynne said the assembly 'does not contain any nuclear or fissile material'.
Taiwan notified the United States that they sent the wrong items. Informed of the mistake, the military immediately ordered a Navy cargo ship to pick up the devices and return them to the U.S.
Ryan Henry, a senior adviser to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, said "all our dealings with the Taiwan authorities have been up-front, and they have in no way tried to be uncooperative in any sort of way."
Henry described the shipment as "a system that was built and designed in the '60s, and so theretofore the technology that is in there is quite dated."
Still, he said "we're taking this extremely seriously, and we feel quite confident we'll be able to determine if there has been any tampering or exploitation."
Concerned about how China will take the news, Henry went to great lengths to say that China had been quickly notified and that the shipment was an "error" and a "mistake" and was in keeping with US defensive military sales to Taiwan. "This specific incident was an error in process only and is not indicative of our policies, which remain unchanged. Our policy on Taiwan arm sales have not changed."
Henry said that both the Gates and the president were notified on Friday of the shipment mistake and the actions in place to recover it.
Said Henry, "The department will determine the facts and take appropriate corrective action regarding this regrettable incident. " He also said that Gates has made the incident a "personal priority." .
Gates has also ordered the Air Force and the Navy "to conduct a comprehensive review of all policies, procedures, as well as a physical site inventory of all nuclear and nuclear-associated material and equipment across their respective programs."
The investigation will be headed by Admiral Kirkland Donald, director of the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
March 25, 2008 in Romney, Mitt | Permalink | User Comments (33)
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There are NO mistakes..............
Posted by: Attitude Dude | Mar 25, 2008 6:05:31 PM
The Taiwan government has been telling the Pentagon for months they had these fuses in letters and email and nobody listened..And all Cheney can say is "SO"..
Posted by: Pat M | Mar 25, 2008 8:57:38 PM
Mistake? I doubt it. Bill Clinton “gave” sensitive nuclear information to a group of Chinese businessmen just after they made “donations” to his campaign. Same folks that donated money to Hillary. Last year China tested several missile delivery systems, shooting some of them over Japan and some over Taiwan. Since China is getting more aggressive I’m sure the “mistake” was made to either let China know we intend to help Japan and Taiwan or the shipment was announced as a mistake after the Chinese found out about it.
Posted by: jijalagi | Mar 25, 2008 9:23:08 PM
The incompetence of the military lately is incredible no wonder they cant win in Iraq, they can't even keep up with equipment.
Posted by: Christopher | Mar 25, 2008 9:28:48 PM
This was not an accident, the US has just told China that Taiwan now has NUKES, an to keep their island dreaming minds OFF!!! What better way to say NO.
Posted by: wothah | Mar 25, 2008 10:10:37 PM
Oh well, that's kool. Mistakes happen.
Posted by: Dave Guimont | Mar 26, 2008 1:04:37 AM
And Cheney says SO???? 298 more days of these two..
Posted by: Pat M | Mar 26, 2008 2:08:44 AM
mistake? how ridiculous it is !
Posted by: MMM | Mar 26, 2008 3:10:47 AM
Eventually we will have to repay China billions of dollars we borrowed from them for the Iraq war. Those missles could have been the first installment payment.
Posted by: AJ | Mar 26, 2008 4:49:02 AM
so remind me why I go to work, pay bills, pay taxes. but you definitly don't have to tell me why I dislike society
Posted by: william fearn | Mar 26, 2008 7:21:10 AM
Dan ..China??? China is the one lending us money, you should be on your knees thanking them, just like Bush.
Posted by: RayzrX | Mar 26, 2008 7:28:15 AM
Those four Mark-12 "nose cones" are not
just "fuses" they are MIRV re-entry vehicles. The fuses attach to each individual warhead within the Mark-12 housing. They weight hundreds of pounds.
They are about six feet long and 22 inches in diameter, not 22 inches long.
What are these guys talking about?
Notice they do not say if any high explosives were present.
Posted by: rex | Mar 26, 2008 5:57:27 PM
i know it is boring, however, we do have to and must get along, because we are so little, so small in the scheme of all things...and actually, we, me, i, you, all have something to offer as the solution for all these stupid, irresponsible, greedy mistakes that have been made for generations...SO - one thing: don't mistakenly send nuclear components to those who are neighbours, and are afraid of each other!!!...is that rocket science? - i don't think so...well, perhaps, i am wrong...apparently it is rocket science, because, for the love of all, we act as we cannot understand this very simple equation...we are quicker, more brilliant, more complete than any machine that has ever been built...if i were to say to you: do you remember when...???...when you had your first... who knows whatever...you could go back to that quicker than you can retrieve information on line...!!!...i love that about being human...we have all of our intelligence at our disposal/retrieval at any given time, moment...and we definitely know what is not right and what is right..for our survival...anyway, prove me wrong if you can..am open to suggestions...
Posted by: idunno | Mar 28, 2008 1:29:16 AM
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