美国50枚核导弹失控45分钟 核控制力量遭到质疑

2010年10月28日 06:36   来源：广州日报   韩杨
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这些导弹约占美国洲际弹道导弹的11％
初判核弹短暂“失控”由“硬件故障”而起
本报讯 美国空军发言人26日透露，美国空军上周末与其控制下的50枚洲际导弹失去联系近一个小时，这些洲际导弹占到美国洲际导弹总数的九分之一。
突然断线45分钟
美国空军发言人26日称，这一事件发生在23日早上,位于美国怀俄明州的沃伦空军基地核弹发射控制中心与其管辖的50枚“民兵3型”洲际导弹，与指挥中心失去联系约45分钟。
据报道，这些洲际导弹23早上突然处于所谓“断线”状态，这意味着管辖这些导弹的指挥控制中心无法联络上导弹。在这种状态下，这些导弹技术上仍然可发射，但只能通过其他指挥控制平台。
约1小时后，指挥控制中心才恢复了与这些洲际导弹的联系。美国空军还派出人员前往这些导弹的发射井检查，确信所有50枚核弹全部安然无恙。
美国目前拥有450枚“民兵3型”洲际导弹，发生此次故障的沃伦空军基地管辖其中的150枚，其余的由蒙大拿州和北达科他州的两个空军基地管辖。此次断线的50枚洲际导弹占到了美国洲际导弹总数的九分之一。
并非网络袭击
事件发生后，沃伦空军基地指挥官向位于蒙大拿州和北达科他州的另外两个核弹指挥中心发警告，并立即上报美军参谋长联席会议主席迈克尔·米勒，米勒则迅速报告给了美国国防部长盖茨。26日，美国总统奥巴马得到了事件简报。
目前，这故障原因仍在调查中。仍在由洲际导弹项目办公室的工程师作现场分析。美国军方已排除有人故意破坏的可能，也排除了遭遇网络黑客袭击的可能，称这一故障的原因并非外部因素。
还有报道称，调查人员发现，12年前，曾有一个硬件问题引发类似故障，因此，这次，硬件问题成为首要“嫌疑”。还有报道称，是连接洲际导弹和指挥控制中心的地下电缆出了问题。不过，这些说法都没有得到证实。 （韩杨）
事故影响
美国核控制力量遭质疑
本报讯 数名美国军方官员表示，在这一事件中，沃伦空军基地无法监控、联络上这些洲际导弹，也无法在美国总统下令发射这些洲际导弹时完成发射任务。
还有一名军方官员表示：“我们从未发生过如此大的问题，偶尔会有一两枚导弹失去联系，有几枚核弹退出现役处于维修状态；极端情况下，可能会有数枚核弹出问题，但我们从未完全失去对50枚洲际导弹的控制指挥。”
美国科学家学会核武器信息项目主管汉斯·克斯斯坦森说，这一事件降低了人们对美国核力量在危机中表现的信心。
不过，美国政府官员表示，总统控制核武器的能力在任何时候都没有削弱，美国总统对核武器的控制“一如既往”。
“任何时候，只要总统想要发射这些导弹，他都可以做到。”一名军方官员说。他还表示，导弹本身一直受到多重安全措施保护，美国公众不会因此受到任何威胁。
（韩杨）
新闻背景
美国核武管理漏洞不少
本报讯 该事件再度暴露了美国空军在核武器管理方面的漏洞。此前，美国空军就曾接连被爆在核武器管理上“捅娄子”。
2007年8月，美国空军的一架B52战略轰炸机搭载6枚核弹头巡航导弹，飞跃数州、飞行3小时后，降落在路易斯安那州的基地。但整个飞行途中，机上人员竟不知机上载有核弹，其爆炸当量为15万吨TNT，相当于1945年投掷到广岛的原子弹当量的10倍。直到轰炸机降落后，才发现这一重大失误。五角大楼还披露，美国空军曾在2006年将4个核弹头引信夹在一批直升机电池中运往他国。这两起事件让国防部长盖茨大为恼火，下令展开调查。
（责任编辑：马艺文）
US nuclear missiles go offline, hardware glitch cited
(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-10-27 09:23 Comments(10) PrintMail  Large Medium Small
WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama has been briefed about a suspected hardware glitch that took 50 of America's 450 nuclear inter-continental missiles (ICBMs) off-line for about 45 minutes, US officials said on Tuesday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said this appeared to be very similar to two previous incidents, both of which occurred more than a decade ago.
The latest incident took place on Saturday morning at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, one of three bases hosting the US arsenal of Minuteman III ICBMs. The other two are in the US states of North Dakota and Montana.
"We think it has happened before. How often or whether this is the biggest ever, I don't know. That's why we're looking into it," the official said.
No computer virus or outside actors were believed to be behind the glitch and the missiles could have been launched, if necessary, by activating back-up systems, the official added.
"We have no indication that this was intentional," the official said, dismissing the chances it was the result of a cyber attack or sabotage. "There's no indication of anything like that."
One of the five launch control centers responsible for the 50 missiles operated by the 319th Missile Squadron apparently tripped up communications signals between the missiles and the centers.
The official blamed a hardware problem investigators have broadly identified but are still trying to pin down.
It took 45 minutes for the first launch control center to re-initiate contact with the missiles, and another 15 minutes for the other four centers to do the same.
'HARDWARE ANOMALY'
"It was a hardware anomaly in the communications system that caused these signals to step on each other," the official added.
Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists in Washington, said the incident could have implications for war planners.
"That really downgrades what you can expect the (nuclear) force to be able to perform in a crisis," Kristensen said, adding that, backup systems or not, the incident would affect the reliability statistics war planners use.
Still, the official described the incident as a glitch that could be resolved without affecting overall reliability.
A second US official, also speaking on background, said Obama was briefed on the incident, but did not offer details, including on when the president was briefed.
The first US official said previous reports showed the same problem happened "twice in the past that we know of at different missile fields at different bases."
Asked about the number of missiles affected in those cases, the official said: "It was probably about the same magnitude." But he declined to offer specifics.
Kristensen said he had not heard of an incident like this happening before.
Obama has outlined plans to spend $80 billion on the aging US nuclear stockpile, which would come on top of more than $100 million in additional investments in nuclear delivery systems.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2010-10/27/content_11463233.htm