Where do our Leaders hide when the going gets tough?

uk 75

ACCESS: Above Top Secret
Senior Member
Joined
27 September 2006
Messages
5,642
Reaction score
5,537
We all know that when the going gets tough the US President takes to the sky in Air Force One. But during the Cold War other Western leaders were supposed to hide in various underground bunkers.
The British have since learned that HM The Queen accompanied by a senior Cabinet Minister (Andrew Marr suggests it would have been the Home Secretary) would have stealthily cruised Scotland's Lochs in the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Britannia has long since retired while the government bunkers are decommissioned and in some cases open to the public.
So while President Biden can still fly off in Air Force One, what would HM and her cabinet do today? Or for that matter President Macron or Mrs Merkel.
I am assuming that Presidents Xi and Putin still have their Cold War built deep bunkers. Now that there are no Titan missiles left to bust these, they are safer than the likes of Mao or Breshnev.
I can her the tut tutting of those asking how does this relate to secret projects?
Well, none of us knew about Britannia's real role until the excellent Prof Hennessy told us.
Are those pretty Airbuses used to ferry Bojo or Emmanuel around also equipped to keep them out of harm's way while the rest of are left to our grizzly fates.
 
Macron has a rock-solid bunker 70 meters below the Elysée palace, called (no kidding - the coincidence has just striken me as absolutely hilarious !) Command Post Jupiter.

It was created in 1940 for President Albert Lebrun in case of massive LW bombings on Paris, and then found a new life under President Giscard.

Best part is this

Se rendant compte que les outils permettant le déclenchement de l'arme nucléaire étaient dans une armoire en fer au rez-de-chaussée de l’Élysée

Newly elected Président Valérie Giscard d'Estaing realized (probably to his horror) that the French nuclear football was merely stored in an iron cabinet on the Elysée ground floor (!!) - and moved it into the former air-raid bunker.
 
Last edited:
According to the excellent Prof Hennessy the UK equivalent is the oddly named Pindar bunker below the Ministry of Defence Main Building in Whitehall. The building also contains the remains of Henry VIII's wine cellar from the old Whitehall Palace.
The UK PM as far as I know has never had a football equivalent. But at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis we had a very English alternative
 
We all know that when the going gets tough the US President takes to the sky in Air Force One.
So while President Biden can still fly off in Air Force One,

Wait. I'm confused. Are you interested in the escape routes for our leaders, or for our politicians? The Venn diagram of those two groups does not overlap.
 
We all know that when the going gets tough the US President takes to the sky in Air Force One.
So while President Biden can still fly off in Air Force One,

Wait. I'm confused. Are you interested in the escape routes for our leaders, or for our politicians? The Venn diagram of those two groups does not overlap.
As usual I am too Brit centric. you are of course right. One of the two is my unelected leader (in the version I had on the wall of my office) the other is my elected leader, a politician. Confused? I certainly am
 

Attachments

  • 1627672663650.jpg
    1627672663650.jpg
    37.4 KB · Views: 6
  • 1627672705181.jpg
    1627672705181.jpg
    90.4 KB · Views: 7

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom