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Yes - I was just wondering if this American permission thing is literally that the missile won't launch without a physical permission from US (in some form).
christianSpaceman-
It's a myth, there is no US permission needed. We do own missiles it's just that we own them in pool with the US and they are maintained at an American facility. It's cheaper this way.
We use a key launch system, missiles cannot be launched by anyone outside the missile room/bridge onboard the submarine. We rely on the chain of command to launch them alone.
UK defence journal did a debunk piece on this myth last year, I'd have thought by now one of you would have found it.
Ramsaye
Captain unable to contact command opens safe with a letter from the PM in, which tells him what to do. Letter stays sealed and is destroyed when new PM starts office.