"For the time being, we have no Prime Minister."

[Sysman]

The Times

7.45pm Brown leaves the Palace

Gordon Brown and his family have left Buckingham Palace.

For the time being, we have no Prime Minister.

[AtW]

Sounds like it's ze perfect time for a pre-emptive disarming nuclear strike

[Troll]

So who has the launch codes?

[centurian]

Sounds like it's ze perfect time for a pre-emptive disarming nuclear strike

According to this article, it wouldn't make any difference - as the actual weapons are deep under the sea.

Victory at last, now for the hard part: deepest cuts in a generation - Times Online

One of Mr Cameron’s first tasks will be to answer two vital questions about national security.

The first will be the decision — placed in a sealed envelope and handed to the commanders of Britain’s nuclear submarines to be put in a safe — over whether to retaliate in the event of a nuclear strike.

Presumably Gordon Brown did the same - essentially standing instructions to sub commanders in the event that government is wiped out. Of course, we don't know what GB's instructions were...

I would hazzard a guess that 'launch codes' are really just like an SSL certificiate / hash key, so the sub commander can be assured that an execute order (fire, abort, stand down etc.) is really coming from the PM. I would think that the launch control systems on the sub are entirely independent from these 'launch codes'.

Therefore if government is wiped out - and the 'launch codes' lost with it - the sub commander can open the PM's standing instructions, which presumably states that he should nuke whoever was deemed responsible...

[MrMark]

Therefore if government is wiped out - and the 'launch codes' lost with it - the sub commander can open the PM's standing instructions, which presumably states that he should nuke whoever was deemed responsible...

Of course the sub commander may not have a clue who bombed Britain, especially if it was a "false-flag" terrorist attack.

[Doggy Styles]

Of course the sub commander may not have a clue who bombed Britain, especially if it was a "false-flag" terrorist attack.

Can't he use his periscope?

[Sysman]

Of course the sub commander may not have a clue who bombed Britain, especially if it was a "false-flag" terrorist attack.

This idea has been used in more than one spy thriller to get the former USSR and the West to wipe each other out, and let the baddies take over.

[OwlHoot]

Of course the sub commander may not have a clue who bombed Britain, especially if it was a "false-flag" terrorist attack.

I think Yank submarine captains have standing orders to launch their nuclear missiles if they stop receiving regular orders not to, specifically if they receive no signal for 48 hours on their TACAMO link.

Not sure of the details though, and these may change over time.

[BolshieBastard]

According to this article, it wouldn't make any difference - as the actual weapons are deep under the sea.

Victory at last, now for the hard part: deepest cuts in a generation - Times Online



Presumably Gordon Brown did the same - essentially standing instructions to sub commanders in the event that government is wiped out. Of course, we don't know what GB's instructions were...

I would hazzard a guess that 'launch codes' are really just like an SSL certificiate / hash key, so the sub commander can be assured that an execute order (fire, abort, stand down etc.) is really coming from the PM. I would think that the launch control systems on the sub are entirely independent from these 'launch codes'.

Therefore if government is wiped out - and the 'launch codes' lost with it - the sub commander can open the PM's standing instructions, which presumably states that he should nuke whoever was deemed responsible...

Since one of the RN's nuclear strike subs should always be at sea, I'd imagine they operate in a similar method to the USN's nuclear strike subs.

That is they come near the surface at set time intervals (every 4 or 5 hours, I think) and if they dont or cant receive an 'everything is OK' type message, confirm strike target and activation codes, fire their load and bring the end of the world about!

[centurian]

This idea has been used in more than one spy thriller to get the former USSR and the West to wipe each other out, and let the baddies take over.

"The Sum of All Fears" springs to mind as a recent (past 10 years) example.

It was released shortly after the WTC attacks, so I think they toned down the scenes involving the nuclear blast.