Nuclear arsenal to be inventoried

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered a complete inventory of the nation’s nuclear arsenal and all associated components after the discovery last week that four secret nuclear missile parts had been mistakenly sent to Taiwan, an error that went unnoticed for more than 18 months.

Gates has ordered the Air Force, the Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency to take inventory of and assess control measures for all nuclear weapons and their associated parts within 60 days, “to verify positive control and accountability of all such materials,” according to a memo released Thursday. While the United States has tight control procedures, the missile nose cones were shipped overseas without anyone noticing.