Declassified footage shows how B-52 crews would conduct nuclear strikes during Cold War

Declassified footage from 1960 revealed how the US Air Force would launch nuclear strikes if needed during the Cold War.

The video, Nuclear Effects During SAC Delivery Missions, released by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration on March 20, helped prepare bomber crews flying B-52s.

At the time, the planes carried nuclear missiles ready to be launched if the US was attacked by the Soviet Union.

The beginning of the 30-minute training video reads, “Secret – To be shown to authorized personnel ONLY,” which helped military personnel understand the effects of the weapons and how to safely return to their bases after deploying the missiles.

US officials released the video as Russian leaders warned of an “apocalypse” if the West continues to send weapons to Ukraine to help the country fight invading forces.

The video ran through training exercises for bomber crews aboard B-52. The crew would be notified of a mission, but wouldn’t know if it was a real search or not until they reached their goal.

Footage of crew members reviewing maps and targets showed a narrator reassuring the viewer that plans for launching a nuclear strike had been extensively reviewed by experts in laboratories and in the field.

Perfecting the time was essential to an accurate test procedure to ensure crew members were safe in combat.

The narrator explained the three effects of a nuclear strike in sequence, including blast, heat, and radiation.

These three effects are explained in detail as the narrator looks at what might happen during the different stages.

To prepare bombers for the most ideal attack, the narrator explained nuclear radiation and how crews can position themselves at a safe distance to avoid negative consequences.

The training provided examples of nuclear tests from Operation Crossroads in 1946, Operation Greenhouse in 1950 and Operation Teapot in 1955.

Several examples were shown to explain the studies behind nuclear detonations, including the effects, and helped create training and combat procedures.

Close-up footage showed crew members moving through a test mission in an airplane. The soldiers in the video followed procedural instructions until they deployed the ‘missile’.

The narrator then explained the tasks to the viewers and told them that there will be six people on board the plane and they will have no outside contact for a few hours.

Footage then showed the test crew going through mountains and bodies of water until they reached their target.

A dramatic countdown from a crew member then led to the mock missile being deployed before the narrator quickly agreed that it was time for the crew to quickly distance themselves from the blowout.

Aside from quickly leaving the scene of the blast, the crew members placed a cover over the plane’s windshield to prevent thermal heat.

The narrator then warned viewers that they could find themselves in the middle of a nuclear strike mission.

‘This could happen. If this nightmare ever materializes, you may have a real bear by the tail, but at least you’ll be sure to escape the nuclear effects of our own weapons,” the narrator said.