WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (Xinhua)-- US Strategic Command apologized Monday evening for a New Year's Eve tweet demonstrating its capacity to drop catastrophic bombs.

File photo: VCG

The unified command, which oversees the US nuclear arsenal, boasted in a tweet earlier in the day that it was ready if ever needed to drop "something much, much bigger" than the New Year's Eve ball in New York City, whose descent at Times Square marks the arrival of the New Year.

The tweet also showed a video of an aircraft releasing bombs and explosions on the ground.

The message was deleted later from the Strategic Command's twitter feed, while a new message said the previous one was "in poor taste."

"We apologize," the subsequent tweet said. "We are dedicated to the security of America & allies."

Twitter users responded to the New Year's Eve message with confusion and unease.

"Are we freaking BOMBING tonight????" One user asked. The other tweeted: "You are people with direct control of nuclear weapons. Never forget the gravity of mission. Tweet professionally, forever."