Broken Arrow

Treaty gesture for tribes

Broken Arrow is U.S. military terminology for an incident involving nuclear weapons—an accident, theft, loss, or unauthorized detonation.

The term covers mishaps from dropped bombs to missing warheads: The Pentagon acknowledged several Broken Arrow incidents during the Cold War.

In a different military context, Broken Arrow is a radio call requesting immediate air support when a unit is being overrun.

Related

accident · nuclear weapon · warhead · bomb · lost · Cold War · tribal lands · Top Gun · action movie · ordnance · fractured · breakdown · reservation system · nuclear accident · land allotment · Indian Territory · regional history · radioactive contamination

Opposites
nuclear safety status

Broken Arrownuclear safety

Preventing harmful radiation release

nuclear security · all clear · positive control · safe storage · controlled detonation

peace and conflict symbolism

Broken Arrowpeace pipe

Ceremonial smoking instrument

peace treaty · wampum belt · olive branch · treaty signing

nuclear thriller narrative outcome

Broken Arrowmission accomplished

Task finished, goal met

happy ending

Family

broken, arrow, break, breaks, breaking, broke, unbroken, breaker, breakage

Familiarity
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Profile
Mostly American · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Rated PG