Planning for diversion is a necessary part of preparation for all kinds of flight, but for aircraft carrying hazardous cargo, this is especially important.
2.9.1. Each calendar year, the 618 AOC will conduct a table-top exercise encompassing a PNAF aircraft divert scenario. (T-2) The table-top exercise should alternate between continental and outside continental United States (U.S.) divert scenarios...
2.9.2. At least once every 24-months, AMC A3/10 Tasked Nuclear Airlift Mission Support bases will conduct a PNAF Divert Exercise supporting a simulated nuclear laden aircraft...
The quotes above are from the official document "AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 13-527" dated 2022-11-22.
Let's look at the known diversions during PNAF operations in the first two years after that document's publication:
| departure date | aircraft serial | departure airfield | published destination | diversion airfield | mission category | mission number | emergency squawk | notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-12-01 | 10-0217 | McChord AFB | RAF Lakenheath | RAF Prestwick | 0/E | [not available] | no | Diverted after holding due to fog at destination airfield. Continued to destination after 75 minutes on the ground. |
| 2023-03-23 | 09-9211 | Kirtland AFB | [unknown] | Kirtland AFB | 0/P? | [not available] | no | Aircraft turned back towards Kirtland AFB after 45 minutes in the air. Movements at Kirtland AFB / Albuquerque Sunport were frozen for the duration of the emergency. Fuel on board would have been sufficient to reach Whiteman AFB or Dover AFB. Or this could have been a flight test or simulation. |
| 2023-04-17 | 09-9210 | Dover AFB | Büchel AB | Ramstein AB | 1 | [not available] | no | Diverted due to low cloud at destination airfield. Destination was inserted into the itinerary for the following day. |
| 2023-11-12 | 08-8197 | Kirtland AFB | Kleine Brogel AB | Dover AFB | 0/P | PAM112371309 | no | Diverted after air refuelling was aborted due to "equipment failure". Mission continued after ground refuelling. |
| 2023-12-11 | 09-9210 | McChord AFB | NS Rota | Dover AFB | 2 | PEN05TZ04345 | no | After diversion, a replacement aircraft was adopted onto the mission, then cancelled. Diverted aircraft then flew to RAF Lakeneath; this may have been another diversion within the context of the exercise. |
| 2024-01-23 | 08-8203 | NS Rota | Incirlik AB | NS Rota | 2 | PES05TH04020 | no | Aircraft turned around after only twenty minutes of flight, and returned to departure airfield. |
| 2024-05-28 | 10-0216 | Büchel AB | Kirtland AFB | Whiteman AFB | 0/P | PAM111871146 | no | Diversion was ordered by C2, and described to ATC as "an operational divert". |
| 2024-08-13 | 09-9209 | Incirlik AB | Büchel AB | Ramstein AB | 2 | PES05TH04222 | yes | Aircraft turned towards Ramstein, later began squawking 7600 ('no radio') then 7700 ('emergency'). |
For each of the Category 2 missions above, the aircraft stayed on the ground at the eventual destination for an extended period (14 days or more), aircraft and crew presumably taking part in further training using a variety of scenarios. It seems reasonable to conclude that the list of TNAMS bases mentioned in the second quote above includes Dover Air Force Base, RAF Lakenheath, Ramstein Air Base and Naval Station Rota.