Bent Spear
n.— «At least five U.S. Air Force commanders are facing criminal charges for allowing armed nuclear cruise missiles to be flown across America.…The incident sparked a so-called “Bent Spear” nuclear alert, one step down in military terms from a “Broken Arrow.” A “Broken Arrow” is triggered if a nuclear missile has been lost or detonated in a way that does not create the risk of nuclear war.» —“Air chiefs face court after ARMED nuclear missiles were flown across U.S.” by Barry Wigmore Daily Mail (United Kingdom) Oct. 19, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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