Tim, at the time we are talking about there was no consideration of gradual it was pure trip wire.
The only consideration was Alert Condition 3 - covert - go for it - all eggs on one basket.
Alert Condition 2 - prepare for dispersal.
Alert Condition 1 - overt - disperse the force. Force dispersal was the requirement and the longer the decision was defered the less credible the UK independent deterrent.
Remember, force generation would be taking place in the USA and USSR too. In the case of one Fallex exercise, as often cited by Professor Hennessy, the NATO startex was something like 0800 on a Monday morning. CinC Bomber started his exercise 4 days earlier and brought Bomber Command to a dispersed posture before the declaration of NATO Simple Alert.
OK, paper exercise, but gives you an idea.
PS, just a note on paper exercises if you will forgive the drift:
The aircraft, crew and manning states for the exercise were determined by the actual, real-time, status at startex. If an aicraft was u/s at Offutt then that was its startex state. If real world recovery action had begun then that would be factored in. For the exercise any 'peacetime' action would then be accelerated and the aircraft staged back through Goose rather than night stopping. If it went u/s at Goose then that fault might be transfered to the aircraft which was not assumed to be at home base.
Similarly crews would be recalled on paper, no actual recall taking place, and realistic times assumed. Crew X, living near Waddington, would, if not on leave, be assumed to be available at H+1:50. Whereas Crew Y, with several ex-Scampton crew members, might not be available until H+3:00 as they had to negotiate Lincoln traffic pre-Pelham Bridge and so on.
At about H+4 the exercise clock kicked in with 30 minutes = to one hour and ended at about 1700 which, exercise time, was in the early hours of the following morning.
Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 17th Apr 2009 at 07:41.