So, were the explosive part dates 'best before' or 'do not use after'?
Was there a chance (or a certainty) that the explosive parts would not work?
The fact that recovery was delayed until 'safety checks' were carried out, suggests that these items might have been 'unreliable'.
Last edited by G-CPTN; 21st Dec 2015 at 20:41.
Reason: Deletion of incorrect deduction (by me).