More U.S. nuclear missile officers implicated in cheating scandal

A U.S. Air Force investigation into exam cheating by America's nuclear missile officers has widened, with roughly double the original 34 officers now under review, a U.S. official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The investigations also come just months after the head of the ICBM force, Air Force Major General Michael Carey, was fired for getting drunk and carousing with women last year while leading a government delegation to Moscow for talks on nuclear security. (Read more)

Michael Carey, US General in charge of nuclear missiles, sacked

The Air Force fired the general in charge of its nuclear missiles on Friday, just two days after a Navy admiral with top nuclear weapons responsibilities was also sacked. In this case, the general in charge of the US Air Force's long-range nuclear missiles has been sacked due to "loss of trust and confidence", officials have said.

Major General Michael Carey was serving since June 2012 as the commander of the 20th Air Force, and has been under investigation for several months over allegations of personal misbehaviour. The two-star general was responsible for maintaining a total of 450 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) at three bases across the US. The Air Force said the investigation did not relate to operational matters or readiness of America's nuclear missiles and there was no indication of criminal activity.

The U.S. has been shrinking the size of its nuclear arsenal for many years; it is comprised of long-range missiles aboard submarines, long-range bombers and ICBMs. As of Oct. 1 the U.S. had 1,688 deployed strategic nuclear warheads, which Washington is obliged to reduce to 1,550 by 2018 under the New START treaty with Russia.