United States military nuclear incident terminology

The United States military uses a number of terms to define the magnitude and extent of nuclear indicents. Several of these terms have, in various forms, entered popular culture. http://www.deadprogrammer.com/?p=1469 http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/the.bomb/broken.arrows/intro.html

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They derive from the United States Department of Defense directive 5230.16, Nuclear Accident and Incident Public Affairs (PA) Guidance, http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/html/523016.htm and the United States Air Force Operation Reporting System (AFOREPS), as set out in AFMAN 10-206. http://www.fas.org/spp/military/docops/usaf/10-206.htm The terms are used in press releases, accident reports, and internal DoD communications.

Related Topics:
Department of Defense - DoD

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These terms include but are not limited to the following. Any incident falling under PINNACLE is of "national-level interest":

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BENT SPEAR - "...incidents involving nuclear weapons that are of significant interest but are not categorized as PINNACLE NUCFLASH OR PINNACLE BROKEN ARROW";

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PINNACLE - BROKEN ARROW - "...an accidental event involving nuclear weapons or nuclear components but does not create the risk of nuclear war";

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PINNACLE - NUCFLASH - "...the actual or possible detonation of a nuclear weapon which risks the outbreak of nuclear war";

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PINNACLE - EMERGENCY DISABLEMENT - "...operations involving the command disablement or nonviolent disablement of a nuclear weapon";

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PINNACLE - EMERGENCY EVACUATION - "...reports the evacuation of nuclear weapons";

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PINNACLE - EMPTY QUIVER - "the seizure, theft, or loss of a nuclear weapon or nuclear component";

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FADED GIANT - a "nuclear reactor and or radiological accident and incident" which does not involve nuclear weapons.

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DULL SWORD is an Air Force reporting term which does not appear to be derived from a single source. It is used to mark reports of minor incidents involving nuclear weapons, components or systems, or which could impair the deployment of same.

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In popular lore, ROGUE SPEAR is supposedly a means of flagging incidents in which nuclear weapons come under the control of non-governmental groups. It is however entirely an invention of American thriller writer Tom Clancy; the correct term is EMPTY QUIVER.

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The John Woo action film Broken Arrow is partially correct, as it features an "unauthorized detonation ... of a nuclear weapon", albeit that it is not accidental, and is as part of an 'Empty Quiver' incident.

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The above are used by the United States of America, and are neither NATO nor global standards.

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