I’m assuming that there is some care and feeding necessary for keeping atomic weapons and their delivery missiles in in tip top shape. Do atomic weapons require a lot of maintenance or not?
That thread contains excellent posts by Davekhps and Stranger on a Train.
Expanding on previous thread above.
Manpower is a big cost on the maintenance and movement side. The warheads and adaption kits (the AKs (Army term) fit the warhead to the delivery vehicle [bomb, missile, torpedo, etc…] all have periodic inspection cycles just in storage. Any movement brings another set of inspections. It’s never one person; it’s a fair sized team with workers, inspectors, readers. Inspections may be cursory; just visual exam of the device to confirm serial numbers of all components; or be a complete teardown. All hardware; screws, nuts, washers; are replaced rather than being reused. Everything has a torque specification. There is lots of safety wiring done. Every step is announced, confirmed, and may have a special inspection performed as well.
Besides the actual maintenance, the crews have to do periodic proficiency training. They also have to do special inspections in conjunction with “visits” from upstairs.
There are mulitple security personnel present any time access is made to a storage or uploaded area. There are also multiple security layers looking at the local security. There are immediate response forces on duty to respond to any unusual situation (damn lightning strike 10 miles away on a fence line would prompt troops in full battle rattle to stop operations until everything and everyone were sorted out).
Any change of custody, associated with movement, brings in another set of personnel. Forms, identification checks, material screening, etc… The complexity of this make the accidental flying of live cruise missiles to Mississippi such an egregious error. Must have been 20+ personnel involved in the custody transfer with no one doing the actual monitoring/checks.
http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/1997/0326weapons_schwartz.aspx The cost of maintaining nukes is more than 34 billion a year. Approx. 13 percent of defense budget. It is very draining and a huge waste.