US nuclear bomb command forced to apologise for boastful tweet about bombing on New Year's Eve

'Times Square tradition rings in the New Year by dropping the big ball ... if ever needed, we are ready to drop something much, much bigger'

The tweet sparked criticism on social media (Getty Images)

The US military unit that controls nuclear weapons has attracted widespread condemnation for a tweet boasting about its destructive capabilities sent as the country was celebrated New Year’s Eve.

As New Yorkers gathered beneath the giant ball that traditionally descends a flagpole in Times Square to mark the approach of midnight on December 31, Strategic Command sent a message saying it was prepared to drop something “much, much bigger”.

By way of illustration, it posted footage of a B-2 stealth bomber racing across the sky before firing two GPS-guided bombs that exploded into a giant ball of fire. Music pounded in the background as the words “Stealth,” “Ready” and “Lethal” flashed across the screen.

“#TimesSquare tradition rings in the #NewYear by dropping the big ball...if ever needed, we are #ready to drop something much, much bigger,” it said.

It added the hashtags: “#Deterrence #Assurance#CombatReadyForce #PeaceIsOurProfession.”

The tweet sparked disbelief on social media. Walter M Shaub Jr, who resigned in 2017 from his position as the head of the Office of Government Ethics, asked: “What kind of maniacs are running this country?”

Perhaps after the unit’s social media team saw some of the reaction it was generating, the message was swiftly deleted and an apology put out in its place.

A spokesperson said the post was “part of our recap of command priorities” and had been intended to reassure people in the US the military is always prepared – even on New Year’s Eve.

But the unit’s apology admitted the initial message had been “in poor taste” and insisted it was not reflective of their values.

The video in the initial tweet had shown the dropping of “a pair of conventional Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) at a test range,” a spokesperson for the US Strategic Command unit explained to NBC News.

MOPs are 14,000kg bombs meant for hitting underground bunkers.