The incidents are referred to as "Broken Arrows" And there's been a LOT Broken Arrows: Nuclear Weapons Accidents | atomicarchive.com There have been 32 officially recognized Broken Arrow incidents since 1950.A Broken Arrow is defined as an unexpected event involving nuclear weapons that results in the accidental launching, firing, detonation, theft, or loss of the weapon, but does not create a risk of nuclear war https://www.bing.com/th?id=ODF.G_0qdNmYYWlIA7HWFZlvsQatomicarchive.com+1. These incidents include aircraft crashes carrying nuclear bombs, accidental weapon drops during handling, electrical or arming failures, fires and explosions, weapons lost at sea, transportation accidents, missile mishaps, and other handling errors https://www.bing.com/th?id=ODF.9vbo3dcIjJzq6983MO6RgQcommonplacefacts.com. Of the 32 incidents, six nuclear weapons were lost and never recovered, highlighting the potential dangers of these accidents https://www.bing.com/th?id=ODF.G_0qdNmYYWlIA7HWFZlvsQatomicarchive.com+1. Notable examples include the 1961 Goldsboro, North Carolina incident, where a B-52 bomber broke apart midair, dropping two hydrogen bombs, one of which nearly detonated with only a single safety mechanism preventing a nuclear explosion https://www.bing.com/th?id=ODF.UbV3pcdxOljbJce5WiTeYwnewspaceeconomy.ca. While 32 incidents are officially acknowledged, declassified documents suggest that hundreds of other, less severe nuclear mishaps occurred, often classified under different categories such as Bent Spears or Dull Swords, which involved minor accidents or safety deficiencies https://www.bing.com/th?id=ODF.UbV3pcdxOljbJce5WiTeYwnewspaceeconomy.ca. These events underscore the risks associated with the handling and transportation of nuclear weapons during the Cold War and beyond. In summary, 32 Broken Arrows have been officially recorded, with additional unclassified incidents
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