Fingers on the Nuclear Trigger!

[Vintage_SEngO]

I've just watched a Newsnight report about the security applied to our nuclear weapons, with particular reference to the Cold War days, which has left me somewhat incandescent! Having been involved on V-Force with relevant WE177 duties I have to say that despite the relative simplicity of having a "key", a two-man principle and a go-nogo launch code it was at least functional security built on responsibility - rather an old-fashioned word these days.

This is of course a non-story built on shock-horror ignorance. The only comment I can bring myself to utter is that if anybody's finger had to be on the trigger I'd much prefer it to have belonged to any of the Vulcan crews I knew then than Tony B***dy Bliar, whose only qualification for that job was to pursuade enough poor misguided sods to vote for him - at least we were positively vetted!

And please, Newsnight, don't ever draw comparisons between the RAF and the American contract guys, bless 'em.

Sorry for the rant, but I'll sleep better for it...

[greycoat]

and one I prepared earlier

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff8/greycoat_2007/IMG_1798_1.jpg

they may be much the same as present bike keys, but they do pre-date them by several decades

[Exnomad]

Years ago I worked on weapon release units. On at least one type of US air force unit the locking pin was solenoid operated, and if withdrawn could not be reset in flight. The RAF system was more complicated.

[Nige321]

they may be much the same as present bike keys, but they do pre-date them by several decades

Oh dear:D
Bike locked - picked with a BIC... (http://www.engadget.com/2004/09/14/kryptonite-evolution-2000-u-lock-hacked-by-a-bic-pen/)

[3rd_ear]

Well it can't have been any less secure than the PAL code until 1977.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permissive_Action_Link

[Al R]

How to launch a nuclear missile (http://youtube.com/watch?v=E2gZdnb09BE).

[Pontius Navigator]

and one I prepared earlier

they may be much the same as present bike keys, but they do pre-date them by several decades

Greycoat sorry to disabuse you about the uniqueness of the SEF Key decades ago.

The key was on sale in Motor Sport even as the weapons were being delivered to the units.

As for each weapon having a unique key, I had assumed this applied to all weapons including the training round. Best I got was 3 weapons all with the same key!

[Yellow Sun]

they may be much the same as present bike keys, but they do pre-date them by several decades

Maybe not a bike key, but it did bear a remarkable similarity to the ones used on the fruit machine in the mess at Waddington.;)

YS

[ORAC]

So if you got 3 Yellow Suns did you get a prize.... :ooh:

[Yellow Sun]

So if you got 3 Yellow Suns did you get a prize....

Yup, a load of ball bearings tumbled out into a dustbin!!:D

YS

[Pontius Navigator]

Remember running around the dispersal trying to catch the dust cap?

[Yellow Sun]

Remember running around the dispersal trying to catch the dust cap?

Shhh:= you'll give away the real secret about the key!

YS