Nuclear war-games call: great idea

[ORAC]

[ExRAFRadar]

The UK Defence secretary has called upon NATO nations to conduct co-ordinated military exercises with our nuclear deterrent

Just out of interest how does one perform 'co-ordinated military exercises with our nuclear deterrent' ?

I thought the boomers stay hidden at very deep level, at very secret locations,their sole purpose to receive a launch message, get to firing depth and unleash retribution.

Nearly all the exercises I went through ended with 'ESCALATION TO GLOBAL EXCHANGE'. Well some of them did. Think it was the planners way of saying Game Over.

Is it true one of the reasons to fire the buckets was if Radio 4 was off the air? Hope they pay their license fee.

[MAINJAFAD]

Is it true one of the reasons to fire the buckets was if Radio 4 was off the air?

Yes, though it was just one of the things that had to be checked that initiated the Captain of the boat to open the letter of last resort from the Prime Minister on what He / She wished to be done if the UK was destroyed by a nuclear strike.

Most of the historic and current operation of the UK nuclear firing chain was covered in a very good Radio 4 programme made in 2004 which is linked below.

[Lonewolf_50]

Originally Posted by Joint****eFighter

Rhino power, one would presume that weapons will be released (in a remote area) during these exercises.

Uh, nope.

Any tactical nukes assigned to NATO are US controlled.

GHW Bush, aka Bush 41, pulled the tactical nukes back the early 90's. However, as I am not a ground pounder, someone may still have some in storage in Europe ... all of the nuke stuff I worked on was maritime in NATO, and we haven't had tactical nukes on US ships for almost two decades. (Granted, we still know how to use them ... )

Just out of interest how does one perform 'co-ordinated military exercises with
our nuclear deterrent' ?

Based on the last one I had to play in, it's mostly a comms and coordination exercise against a time line. Craploads of work on the staff side. Not as much on the "down in the weeds" side.

[Pontius Navigator]

Lonewolf, assigned does not mean positioned or deployed.

[Lonewolf_50]

Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator

Lonewolf, assigned does not mean positioned or deployed.

Got it, NATO allocations, force offerings by nations, etc.

[ExRAFRadar]

Good documentary MAINJAFAD thanks.

Great quote "I signed for my first Nuclear Weapon at age 23" by the V Force chap.

[ExRAFRadar]

Letter of Last Resort

Re the above that the Trident Skippers would open.

If retaliation is a national policy why on Earth would we give a potential enemy the thought that we might not retaliate?

I mean if we allow a single person to decide if we launch or not does that give an enemy the ability to guess/analyse what that person has written long before any conflict starts?

Surely that might make a Nuclear Attack more likely?

Take it to its extreme. Corbyn has already said he would not retaliate. So when he writes he's letter the whole world knows what it says.

Might as well dry dock the Tridents while he is in power if he gets in.

Jeremy Corbyn: I would never use nuclear weapons if I were PM | Politics | The Guardian

[skippedonce]

Originally Posted by Pontius Navigator
Caz, our independent nuclear deterrent is a weapon of last resort as is, I believe, France's. Any tactical nukes assigned to NATO are US controlled.

Now, without coordination you could have UK considering launch of our strategic missiles (unlikely I know) when NATO tactical deterrence may prevail.

Not quite: the UK and USA participate in NATO's Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) along with 25 other allies who do not own their own nukes. France does not participate in the NPG and retains a truly independent nuclear deterrent.