Dresden Prize
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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Dresden Prize
AW&ST - 18th Feb 2013: Hero of the Soviet Union
A former Soviet officer yesterday was awarded the Dresden Prize for saving the world from nuclear armageddon. On the night of 25-26 September 1983, then Lt.-Col. Stanislav Petrov, commander of a Soviet air defense command bunker close to Moscow, rightly recognized the satellite warning that the United States had launched five intercontinental ballistic missiles against the USSR as a false alarm. He informed the Soviet general staff that it was a false alarm, avoiding a retaliatory strike, because "I didn't want to be blamed for the Third World War."
It turned out that the satellite had mistaken sunlight reflecting off cloud tops for U.S. missiles. The incident was not made public until 10 years later, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and is still not officially admitted by Moscow.
Whenever I hear that story, I wonder where we would all be now if Petrov had not used his common sense.
A former Soviet officer yesterday was awarded the Dresden Prize for saving the world from nuclear armageddon. On the night of 25-26 September 1983, then Lt.-Col. Stanislav Petrov, commander of a Soviet air defense command bunker close to Moscow, rightly recognized the satellite warning that the United States had launched five intercontinental ballistic missiles against the USSR as a false alarm. He informed the Soviet general staff that it was a false alarm, avoiding a retaliatory strike, because "I didn't want to be blamed for the Third World War."
It turned out that the satellite had mistaken sunlight reflecting off cloud tops for U.S. missiles. The incident was not made public until 10 years later, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and is still not officially admitted by Moscow.
Whenever I hear that story, I wonder where we would all be now if Petrov had not used his common sense.
I doubt anyone would have decided 5 missiles was a valid first strike.
As the man himself said, this doesn't make him a hero. I certainly make sure he never had to buy a drink if he visited though.
Says more about the jumpy senior Officers who might have ordered a strike.
As for the consequences, well..
As the man himself said, this doesn't make him a hero. I certainly make sure he never had to buy a drink if he visited though.
Says more about the jumpy senior Officers who might have ordered a strike.
As for the consequences, well..
Indeed. Remember the revelations about Vasili Arkhipov last year (captain of the Soviet sub during the Cuban Missile Crisis) who also appears to have saved us from nuclear war. Makes you wonder how many more times it almost happened. On both sides. I would guess very many. I would also guess we'll never really know.
Last edited by Courtney Mil; 19th Feb 2013 at 12:14.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
CM, the Bomber Controller was on the phone to CinC Bomber when the BMEWS tote started to chatter until it reached 99. He brought the QRA force up to cockpit readiness.
As he had been on the phone his assistant had not warned him that there was a BMEWS test about to happen.
As he had been on the phone his assistant had not warned him that there was a BMEWS test about to happen.
Because then the paper would have become classified and would have to have been entered in the book, signed out, returned and then formally destroyed, the destruction certificate completed and filed and all for a two word message.
Far easier to wait until he'd stopped talking and then send clean underwear round to the Q Shed.
Far easier to wait until he'd stopped talking and then send clean underwear round to the Q Shed.
I can't recall whether it was BMEWS or DEW on start up, but wasn't there a huge panic when a massive return rising over Russia looked like a wave of ICBMs on their way?
It turned out to be the moon rising.
It turned out to be the moon rising.
This would have occurred at the nadir of Soviet paranoia; at about the same time, the Soviets mis-read the NATO ABLE ARCHER exercise as a pre-emptive tactical nuclear strike; moreover, Soviet Rezidenzes were being asked to confirm that senior politicians and civil servants in Western Capitals were decamping to their war HQ (see Chris Andrew's history of MI5). London based spies were asked to confirm that Bloodbanks were stockpiling in anticipation of mass casualties. Meanwhile I was enjoying being a Plt Off and trying to complete my first degree, when camps and flying were much more fun!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
There was a certain amount of muttering followed by discussion whether to go directly to Ops in civvies or go and change into uniform. Uniform won and minutes later aircrews from the mess and quarters started streaming in and the off-base recall was started.
After a few minutes it was declared a false alarm and we were stood down. The QRA crews however would not revert until a properly authenticated relaxation of readiness message. The Bomber Controller resisted issuing the authenticated RelRed message as it would have necessitated opening the authentication envelopes which would then have needed to be replaced. Clearly until we received new RelRed envelopes no more readiness relaxations could be authorised.
When OC Ops and the Stn Cdr both went to the aircraft and were duly recognised the crews still refused to revert. Eventually the Bomber Controller issued the proper message.
I think the crews believed it was a sophisticated attempt to get them to disobey the standard procedures.
Even after that Charlie Uniform they never thought to issue more than one set of authenticators for each readiness state. With hindsight there were lots of things we got wrong
It must have been around the same time in 1983 when a similar BMEWS test caused us some concern at Suffolk's Phinest Phighter base.
Sitting on the Ops Desk as a deputy Ops Off, twiddling my thumbs and chatting with the Ops Off about the usual topics of girls, beer and fast cars, our reverie was rudely shattered by the BMEWS alert going off (actually it was called something else, however I don't know whether the system is still in use and it may well be classified).
We got straight through to the Neatishead MC, to ask WTFIGO? Meanwhile, Q1 and Q2 reported at cockpit readiness. We told them to maintain, then told Neat that Q would probably self-scramble if no readiness state reversion was received in the next couple of minutes..... They rapidly confirmed that it was a system test which even they hadn't been warned about, so cleared Q to revert to normal readiness. An angry call then came in from the Duty Force Commander - I told him that we'd been equally surprised and that the Ops Off was investigating further.
It turned out that 'a line technician' had decided to test some telephone line continuity, but hadn't realised that the test would generate an alert. Subsequently, he was robustly rebriefed by his line manager and told to follow the established procedure!
Sitting on the Ops Desk as a deputy Ops Off, twiddling my thumbs and chatting with the Ops Off about the usual topics of girls, beer and fast cars, our reverie was rudely shattered by the BMEWS alert going off (actually it was called something else, however I don't know whether the system is still in use and it may well be classified).
We got straight through to the Neatishead MC, to ask WTFIGO? Meanwhile, Q1 and Q2 reported at cockpit readiness. We told them to maintain, then told Neat that Q would probably self-scramble if no readiness state reversion was received in the next couple of minutes..... They rapidly confirmed that it was a system test which even they hadn't been warned about, so cleared Q to revert to normal readiness. An angry call then came in from the Duty Force Commander - I told him that we'd been equally surprised and that the Ops Off was investigating further.
It turned out that 'a line technician' had decided to test some telephone line continuity, but hadn't realised that the test would generate an alert. Subsequently, he was robustly rebriefed by his line manager and told to follow the established procedure!
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1989 and sitting in a NATO E-3A that was monitoring the annual Warsaw Pact Spring Exercise - however, this one was diferent. The iron curtain was about to collapse. Gorbachov was making soothing noises to the west; refugees were starting to enter the west from Hungary, and the Soviet Union seemed about to end. The exercise was bigger than usual with many aircraft on the other side of the border. Every scenario about the start of WW3 was the collapse of the CCCP and the hardliners decide to have a go, and the E-3A crew was more attentive than usual. In charge of the mission crew of the E-3A was a brand new Greek Tactical Director who's command of English was still developing although he had been signed up as competent to operate.
Here I must digress to explain that the E-3A's primitive computer system had a protection feature to prevent damage in case of a large pulse of electric current suddenly appeared in the system - when it activated, it triggered what was called the "EMP" alert to the console of the Display Technician who was responsible for keeping the computers on board the aircraft working. I must also add that if the aircraft generators gave a cough then this too would trigger the EMP alert - a not too infrequent occurrance except that the Greek TD had not seen it before.... back to the story.
We were in the middle of the sortie, tracking close to a hundred non-squawking aircraft at the other side of the border, when the generator coughed and the Display Technician (who was italian) followed procedure.
"TD, This is the DT on net one. I have just had the EMP alert".
"DT/TD - what is this EMP alert?"
"TD/DT - its the pulse that you get from a nuclear explosion".
The TD glanced at his check list for this event and kicked into action on his TACON radio:
"Flyfish this is Magic... we have just witnessed a nuclear explosion".
The E-3A crew looked on in disbelief as the Surveillance Controller quickly tried to put things right. Telling the TD "My Radio - stay quiet"
"Flyfish this is Magic - negative negative - I authenticate .... disregard the last transmission etc".
TD was taken down the back and debriefed on the EMP alert and the use of the word "witnessed". It is humerous now, and the chances of the TD's message getting further without question were slim - however, everything in NATO followed procedure and check lists - any thought away from procedure was frowned upon, even if common sense dictated otherwise. It was an interesting time.
Here I must digress to explain that the E-3A's primitive computer system had a protection feature to prevent damage in case of a large pulse of electric current suddenly appeared in the system - when it activated, it triggered what was called the "EMP" alert to the console of the Display Technician who was responsible for keeping the computers on board the aircraft working. I must also add that if the aircraft generators gave a cough then this too would trigger the EMP alert - a not too infrequent occurrance except that the Greek TD had not seen it before.... back to the story.
We were in the middle of the sortie, tracking close to a hundred non-squawking aircraft at the other side of the border, when the generator coughed and the Display Technician (who was italian) followed procedure.
"TD, This is the DT on net one. I have just had the EMP alert".
"DT/TD - what is this EMP alert?"
"TD/DT - its the pulse that you get from a nuclear explosion".
The TD glanced at his check list for this event and kicked into action on his TACON radio:
"Flyfish this is Magic... we have just witnessed a nuclear explosion".
The E-3A crew looked on in disbelief as the Surveillance Controller quickly tried to put things right. Telling the TD "My Radio - stay quiet"
"Flyfish this is Magic - negative negative - I authenticate .... disregard the last transmission etc".
TD was taken down the back and debriefed on the EMP alert and the use of the word "witnessed". It is humerous now, and the chances of the TD's message getting further without question were slim - however, everything in NATO followed procedure and check lists - any thought away from procedure was frowned upon, even if common sense dictated otherwise. It was an interesting time.
I digress, a bit.
B......k, 1981/82 time. I was SDO and asleep in the SDO room in the OM. 00silly and phone wakes me - some voice asks if I am SDO and then utters 2 words, I ask him to repeat and for some reason write the words down. Check words agains those in the SDO book, and ring Ops - pass the words on and call "Station Alert". Execs come in and start ringing 11Gp etc, and no one can confirm the alert!
I spent the morning very unpoular with just about everyone (story quickly got around that some idiot from Handbrake House had got it wrong),bouncing from OC Admin to OC Ops then Stn Cdr (DC! - VERY not amused), and round again, but fortunately I had the written evidence. Turned out some duty officer at 11GP had made the phone call to test there was an SDO about, but picked the wrong code words out of his book. I got a grudging apology from DC, I gather the 11 Gp guy had a one-sided with the AOC.
B......k, 1981/82 time. I was SDO and asleep in the SDO room in the OM. 00silly and phone wakes me - some voice asks if I am SDO and then utters 2 words, I ask him to repeat and for some reason write the words down. Check words agains those in the SDO book, and ring Ops - pass the words on and call "Station Alert". Execs come in and start ringing 11Gp etc, and no one can confirm the alert!
I spent the morning very unpoular with just about everyone (story quickly got around that some idiot from Handbrake House had got it wrong),bouncing from OC Admin to OC Ops then Stn Cdr (DC! - VERY not amused), and round again, but fortunately I had the written evidence. Turned out some duty officer at 11GP had made the phone call to test there was an SDO about, but picked the wrong code words out of his book. I got a grudging apology from DC, I gather the 11 Gp guy had a one-sided with the AOC.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Which chimes very nicely with a story about the stn cdr of, I think, Scampton visiting the bunker at SAC.
Their world-wide communications system was being demonstrated. It was something along the lines of the controller sending out a call request which was acknowledged by a lamp appearing against each SAC unit called. In seconds every lamp on the panel was illuminated and the SAC Controller could then issue any message eg This is a test broadcast. Receipt then acknowledged by the lamps extinguishing, or something along those lines.
The stn cdr was impressed. The SAC controller then said he could call any RAF base too.
At this point the stn cdr made a stupid error: "Get me the SDO at Scampton" with predictable and embarrassing results
PS, it was around that time that I saw Gp Capt Ops at BCO in the mess at High Wycombe with a mobile telephone. It was a standard black GPO telephone mounted on a case around half the size of a car battery. Very impressive.
Their world-wide communications system was being demonstrated. It was something along the lines of the controller sending out a call request which was acknowledged by a lamp appearing against each SAC unit called. In seconds every lamp on the panel was illuminated and the SAC Controller could then issue any message eg This is a test broadcast. Receipt then acknowledged by the lamps extinguishing, or something along those lines.
The stn cdr was impressed. The SAC controller then said he could call any RAF base too.
At this point the stn cdr made a stupid error: "Get me the SDO at Scampton" with predictable and embarrassing results
PS, it was around that time that I saw Gp Capt Ops at BCO in the mess at High Wycombe with a mobile telephone. It was a standard black GPO telephone mounted on a case around half the size of a car battery. Very impressive.
Last edited by Pontius Navigator; 20th Feb 2013 at 08:28.
Zenith or nadir? I did have about a 5 second debate with myself trying to decide whether Soviet paranoia could reach a zenith, or was it plumbing new depths... ISS C.
However, I commend that PPruners interested in Soviet machinations read 'Defence of the Realm' (Chris Andrew) p709 onwards, about the KGB and GRU OP RYAN - (Raketno-Yadernoye Napadenie - Nuclear Missile Attack).
However, I commend that PPruners interested in Soviet machinations read 'Defence of the Realm' (Chris Andrew) p709 onwards, about the KGB and GRU OP RYAN - (Raketno-Yadernoye Napadenie - Nuclear Missile Attack).
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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our reverie was rudely shattered by the BMEWS alert going off (actually it was called something else, however I don't know whether the system is still in use and it may well be classified).