In the news

something something "Special relationship"

we need permission from the US of A to fire the damn things

Really?

Like a BDSM relationship where the UK is the sub who pays the USA domme :/

And we are the gimps :p

That's not a problem, everyone knows their unlock code is 0000.

Like a BDSM relationship where the UK is the sub

this is a pun, right?

I'm here all day ;)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/government-bury-rape-clause-child-tax-credit-donald-trump-inauguration-victim-sexual-abuse-evidence-a7540351.html

So basically if you have more than 4 kids and want child tax credit you need to prove one was out of rape, instead of just accepting most ppl don't lie about something as horrible as that.

Class Cuntishness.

we need permission from the US of A to fire the damn things

Is it literal, functional permission - like, they have to push a big red button as well as us to allow a launch, or a political thing, but they could technically be used.
I've read that in the event of nuclear event, one of the options is to allow the captain of the subs the option to make a judgement call on what to do - it doesn't make sense that he'd have to call people to get his missiles enabled.

I don't know why I think you'd know this by the way!

Passed over this comment as a weak joke. Three hours later found out this is actually true. The UK's nuclear fleet really does run a version of Windows XP branded 'Windows for Submarines'. XP hasn't been supported by Microsoft since 2014. Government won't say if they have support for Windows for Submarines. Could the misfire be a result of a hack? Fleet has an airgap but had just been serviced.

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.

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).

Ha! Yeah, I wasn't joking. I imagine the MOD probably handles the security themselves though. It's probably a very cut-down version of XP.

Doubt it was hacked. The only way would be with a USB a la stuxnet but I'm really not qualified to say if the subs even have USB ports.

Far more likely it misfired because rockets are tricky and go wrong sometimes.

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.

Everyone should read Command and control.

It's astonishing we haven't blown ourselves up yet.

Everyone should play Command and Conquer: Red Alert.

With Trump in office the lines around permission will probably be a little blurred.

He'd have to check with Mad dog.

Far more likely it misfired because rockets are tricky and go wrong sometimes.

When all's said and done isn't this what testing is all about? Does anyone have a guesstimate of the cost of Trident test?
Wikipedia states in 2011 that each missile has effectively cost $70M.

The overwhelming view seems to be, it malfunctioned which means that maybe people would have voted that we shouldn't be spending more on it rather than it malfunctioned but the vote was to invest more as it needs renewing and new technology will be built.

In many ways the malfunction would have as much positive as negative effect on the vote I'd have thought.

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.

If you "own" something that needs constant maintenance, and you can't maintain it but have to pay someone else to do so or you can't use the item how truly would you say that you own it?

i.e. if Trump refused to maintain our warheads, or delayed giving them back we'd be filling the pointy end of Tridents with swear words and bricks.

Chain of Command - do you believe (truly) that we'd act independently of the US? That we'd launch on Russia without them?

are you talking about rockets or porsches?
#threadcrossover

Hahaha

If you "own" something that needs constant maintenance, and you can't maintain it but have to pay someone else to do so or you can't use the item how truly would you say that you own it?

Who owns your cars then?

radio 4 - pm
taking the piss out of the mod, quite funny really

This Trident is a bit like a car where somebody tells you when you can drive it and when, no? ;)

Lease with a lot of T&C ;)