Re: Fw: Risk of accidental nuclear attack said rising

["Scott D. Kniffin" <Scott.D.Kniffin.1@gsfc.nasa.gov>]

The sub captain would have no problem launching the nukes aboard, the keys
and codes are already on board the ship, he just needs orders from the sub
command HQ.  The reality is that the risk has diminished since the Russians
can't keep their entire fleet operational all the time anymore since they
don't have the money to maintain it.  The truth is we've always been able
to tell where their subs are for the vast majority of the time anyway, even
if their subs could dive deeper than ours.  When you fire a SLBM, you have
to come up to fairly shallow depth, setting off all kinds of alarm bells
for our guys.  The likely scenario in a situation like this is for only a
fraction of the total missiles on board to be launched before they get
taken out.  Something about the tendency for the sub to get pushed below
crush depth if it fires all the missiles at once.  It still sucks but
that's just the way it works.  Ain't armageddon planning a hoot?

Scott Kniffin

mailto:Scott.D.Kniffin.1@gsfc.nasa.gov
RSO, Unisys Corp. @ Lanham, MD
CHO, Radiation Effects Facility, GSFC, NASA, Greenbelt, MD

The opinions expressed here are my own.  They do not necessarily represent
the views of Unisys Corporation or NASA.  This information has not been
reviewed by my employer or supervisor.  


At 06:44 05/01/98 -0500, you wrote:
>	I don't have a big problem believing that a submarine commander 
>could launch a nuclear weapon.  The way I see it, the plant manager 
>of Chernobyl didn't run into any problems, why would the submarine 
>commander have any.  What I do have a problem believing is why anyone 
>would want to launch.  Although, you can never say never (or die, as 
>the reference may be.)
>******************
>Peter Skeels
>Rutgers University
>REHS Department
>732/445-2550
>******************