If things get more interesting, what targets in the UK might Putin nuke? An interesting video, and some backup data:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYWcgF4Wwog
Well that was depressing.
I suspect much of Europe, and probably the US, will catch some juicy EMP waves under such an eventuality. However, while an EMP strike could well trash the economy of a continent, it'll likely do FA against the actual military, which should be fairly well shielded. And now, quite enthusiastically pissed off.Russia's on record as saying London's at the top of the list for a nuclear strike. There's no mention of a deliberate EMP effects strike which you'd think would be one of the options too.
An end to the Test Ban Treaties would itself be interesting. I know that the nuclear forces of the United States would certainly like the opportunity to set off some nukes... just to see if the damned elderly things still work. It would depend very much upon the President, but if the Russian popped a nuke somewhere out in the tundra, setting off a B61 seems a not unlikely response. I imagine the US would still do it underground, but above-ground testing would be interesting. hell, if the treaties are out the window... have USSF and SpaceX detonate the thing on the Moon.Personally I suspect a atmosphere test first to ramp up the pressure short of combat use.
If the goal is to drive a wedge through NATO, the scenario works a lot better if the Russian's know where the UK's SSBNs are and take them off the board at the start.With only one Vanguard submarine at sea the UK would have to decide whether to take part in a NATO measured counter force response or use its national option of removing Moscow and St Petersburg from the map.
Re a strike on rotterdam, Fortunately, and unlike Russia, NATO has the ability to make a non-nuclear strike on Russia.To me, as a Brit, there’s only one response to such an attack, an all out U.K. counter value strike against Russia, together with sinking as many of their SSBN as possible….. with the suggested targets, the Royal Navy SSN crews will be properly motivated.
Although, with a quick check I can’t find the source, I’m sure I’ve seen that both France and the U.K. have two SSNB at sea during this crisis.
Also the former USSR euro war plan;- “14 days to the Rhine” specifically excluded nuclear weapon use against UK and France because of their strategic arsenals. In the current scary situation I would have thought a hit on say Rotterdam had more to gain ….. thereby really testing if the US (maybe others) really would trade it for one of their cities.
IAI Arrow 3 currently feels like good value for money.
Who would have thought that a year ago we would be thinking like this?
Probably still laughing at the 'pork opportunities' speech on their recordings of 'Have I got news for you'Just an idle thought, I wonder if the SSBN (or SSBNs) currently on patrol have Liz's Letter of Last Resort aboard yet?
... which sets out, on the best evidence at present available [blast casualties from applying Blitz casualty data as a function of house damage to nuclear test data showing the amount of house damage versus distance from a nuclear explosion, which automatically takes account of the duration of the blast wave in nuclear explosions], the proportions of seriously injured, trapped and untrapped, to be expected at different distances from ground zeroes of bombs of varying power. ...
They should have 3 each at sea 24/7. 4 ships with dual crews allows you to have (roughly) 3 ships at sea all the time. Though the French might have to suffer a lower number due to the LEU reactors needing to be refueled every 7 years or so.To me, as a Brit, there’s only one response to such an attack, an all out U.K. counter value strike against Russia, together with sinking as many of their SSBN as possible….. with the suggested targets, the Royal Navy SSN crews will be properly motivated.
Although, with a quick check I can’t find the source, I’m sure I’ve seen that both France and the U.K. have two SSNB at sea during this crisis.
I'd be surprised if they ever went out to sea without it.Just an idle thought, I wonder if the SSBN (or SSBNs) currently on patrol have Liz's Letter of Last Resort aboard yet?
The point being made there was that the UK had just had a new PM (Liz Truss), so it was entirely possible, based on patrol schedules, that the duty bomber would have sailed before she was elected, so would still have been carrying Johnson's Letter.I'd be surprised if they ever went out to sea without it.
Ah, I'd missed that detail. Mea culpa!The point being made there was that the UK had just had a new PM (Liz Truss), so it was entirely possible, based on patrol schedules, that the duty bomber would have sailed before she was elected, so would still have been carrying Johnson's Letter.
It's also inevitable that either Liz Truss's Letter never went to sea, or that her instructions for nuclear retaliation outlasted her entire premiership by a factor of three or four.
That's not RN practice, largely because we don't double crew the boats any more. We can barely find enough people to provide one crew per boat, for that matter.Side note, there are usually 3 boats out at all times. (Roughly, the math is a bit different when you use days instead of months to track patrol and refit lengths)