Those atom bombs which went missing and were never found, they can explode anytime and create...
However, there are many nuclear weapons in the world that no one knows about to this day, and hardly anyone seems to be concerned about them.
All of this happened during World War II and Cold War when superpowers like the United States and Russia were almost ready to attack each other with nuclear bombs. During this time, several planes were flying in the air loaded with nuclear bombs, ready to wreak havoc at the slightest signal.
During this period, after various issues arose in some planes, many nuclear bombs had to be dropped. However, while some of those weapons were recovered later, many went missing despite extensive searches and were declared lost. Some bombs also exploded upon falling.
According to a report, more than 30 such accidents have occurred since 1950, where nuclear weapons were dropped from aircraft and either exploded on impact or went missing. However, no one has confirmed such incidents.
The reason behind this is that knowledge of the damage and adverse effects of such accidents would instill fear in the world. Despite this, some incidents have come to light. These types of accidents are referred to as 'Broken Arrows.'
On February 5, 1958, a Mark 15 thermonuclear bomb was dropped near Tybee Island, Georgia. It is said that it was dropped to reduce weight for a safe landing of the aircraft. After the bomb was dropped, searches were conducted, but it was not found. Even underwater detection devices using sonar were deployed, but they were unsuccessful. Eventually, it was declared missing.
In 1965, a B43 thermonuclear bomb fell into the Philippine Sea off the coast of Japan. It is said to have slipped and fallen, and it was never found again after the fall. Not only that, but a Navy officer from the United States also went missing with this bomb. A considerable amount of money was spent on the search operation, but to no avail.
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India Today
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News18
a day ago
- News18
Navy Day 2025 To Be Celebrated In Thiruvananthapuram, Mega Event Planned Post-Op Sindoor
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The Wire
2 days ago
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End of an Era: MiG-21's 62-Year Service Owes Less to Soviet Engineering, More to 'Desi Jugaad'
MiG-21's farewell won't just signal the retirement of a Cold War relic, but the departure of a fighter that, over decades, became thoroughly Indian in spirit. New Delhi: Few combat aircraft globally can match a service life as prolonged – and improbable – as the MiG-21's 62 years in the Indian Air Force (IAF), whose final two squadrons of around 30-odd platforms are being retired at a formal ceremony in Chandigarh on September 19. This extraordinary longevity was underpinned almost entirely by jugaad, the Indian military's inimitable culture of improvisation, ingenuity, and engineering fixes that kept these single-engine fighters flying far beyond expectations and well outside their original flight envelope and mission parameters. Through a mix of technical improvisation and squadron-level ingenuity that included integration of improved radars, indigenously developed and off-the-shelf avionics and modern missile systems, the IAF's numerous MiG-21 (NATO designation: 'Fishbed') variants evolved operationally far beyond their original Soviet design. Few supersonic jets of any era have operated such a broad mission spectrum And, over time, entire IAF base-level ecosystems grew around supporting these fighters, doing more with less to transform the MiG-21s into multi-role workhorses capable of flying reconnaissance, ground-attack, interception, precision-strike missions and air policing roles, all acknowledged admiringly by fighter pilots from around the world. Few supersonic jets of any era, let alone those from the 1960s, have operated such a broad mission spectrum, with MiG-21 fighters serving effectively in the 1965, 1971, and 1999 wars with Pakistan, in the Balakot strikes of 2019, and more recently in Operation Sindoor. Beginning with the first Mikoyan-Gurevich-designed MiG-21F-13/Type 74 in 1963, some 870 variants of the fighter entered IAF service thereafter, the majority licence-produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bangalore. MiG-21 inductions continued until the mid-1980s, with this fighter type eventually comprising nearly 60% of the IAF's combat fleet till the 1990s. The MiG-21s performance envelope was notable for its era: a top speed of Mach 2.1, operational ceiling of over 50,000 feet, and a rapid climb rate. But its range and payload were modest, and its early variants had rudimentary avionics, limited visibility, and posed challenging handling at low speeds. Veterans said the fighter was primarily a 'pilot's aircraft' – unforgiving of error and with minimal tolerance for laxity. Over the decades, some 450 MiG-21s had crashed, killing between 170 and 200 pilots – as well as several civilians on the ground – according to official statistics, earning the fighter ignominious labels in the Indian media such as 'flying coffins' and 'widow makers'. Multiple investigations had revealed that, apart from pilot error, many of these crashes had stemmed largely from ageing airframes, engine failures, and the relentless demands placed on a platform long past its technological prime. But eventually it was compulsion, not choice, that kept the IAF flying MiG-21s despite mounting mishaps – mainly to sustain squadron numbers. 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These upgraded MiG-21 Bisons are the ones finally being retired in September, and their exit will reduce the IAF's fighter fleet to just 29 squadrons, well below the sanctioned strength of 42.5, underscoring the mounting strain on its operational efficiency. And though the fighters' original Tumansky R-25 engines were not replaced, they were modified with enhanced accessory drives and ancillary systems to support the heavier, electronics-laden platform. Its avionics too saw a significant boost with the integration of the lightweight Russian 'Super Kopyo' multi-mode radar and the Totem 221G ring-laser gyro inertial navigation system from France's Sextant Avionique. These were linked to a locally developed navigation and attack computer, with weapon delivery cues displayed to the pilot via a modern Head-Up Display (HUD). The upgrade also included EWS-21 radar warning receivers from Thales, Israeli countermeasure dispensers, onboard video recording systems, and indigenous electronic countermeasures (ECM). The MiG-21 Bison was also capable of deploying a much wider range of ordnance, including Russian R-73 and R-77 air-to-air missiles with ranges of 40 to 100 km, Kh-31 medium-range air-to-surface missiles, and the GSh-23 twin-barrel 23mm cannon. Meanwhile, Wing Cdr Amit Giri, a veteran MIG-21 pilot, declared that though designed as a short-range interceptor, the IAF had 'upped the game by using the MiG-21 in almost every role imaginable'. Writing in the Financial Express in late 2021, he stated that these missions had included bombing, interception, reconnaissance, providing escort to bombers over enemy territory and also training rookie pilots. He said MiG-21s had even comprised part of large force engagements (LFEs), executed to deceive the enemy and conceal the real intent regarding intended targets, thereby forcing the opposing side to deploy a large defending package to its operational disadvantage. IAF's skills in operationalising technical and operational 'jugaad' 'Let alone Western air forces, even the Russians could never have imagined the role of a MiG-21 in LFE,' Wing Cdr Giri said in a silent tribute to the IAF's skills in operationalising technical and operational 'jugaad' and optimising its war-fighting skills. However, he conceded that the IAF's continued reliance on the MiG-21 was driven more by necessity than by tactical preference. With a 'humongous amount of sky to protect,' a trickle of fighter acquisitions from abroad, and delays in indigenous development, the IAF had little choice but to shape its strategy and tactics around platforms like the MiG-21. In short, the Soviet fighter remained an analogue survivor in a digital age, but one that had stayed too long. And, as the MiG-21 takes its final bow in Chandigarh in a few weeks, its farewell won't just signal the retirement of a Cold War relic, but the departure of a fighter that, over decades, became thoroughly Indian in spirit. Its 62-year service owes less to Soviet engineering and more to the power of desi jugaad – the Indian military's unsung force multiplier. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
