WASHINGTON (AP) - The Air Force has issued detailed new procedures and requirements for the handling of nuclear weapons in the wake of the blunder last August when six nuclear-tipped missiles were flown across the country.

The 153-page instruction requires that a single munitions officer be responsible for custodial duties involving the weapons, and it adds new inspection mandates. It also clarifies storage and labeling requirements on all nuclear and non-nuclear munitions, and details procedures for transportation or changes in custody of the weapons.

The new procedures outlined in the order, dated Jan. 17, will be implemented within 45 days of that date.

The August incident is not mentioned in the new procedures. But they come after months of investigations, reviews, and disciplinary actions for what Air Force Secretary Michael W. Wynne described as an "unacceptable mistake and a clear deviation from our exacting standards."

During the Aug. 29-30 incident, a B-52 bomber was inadvertently armed with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and flown from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana without anyone noticing the mistake for more than a day.