Lets take a moment to give thanks to the things in our lives, the people we love and the fact that we made it this far. In the early 80's tensions between the US and the USSR reached a boiling point that nearly resulted in all out nuclear war and consequently global destruction. It is estimated that in the 1980's 40+,000 nuclear warheads were active which is equivalent to 1 million Hiroshima Atomic Bombs! That Said the world adopted the "MAD" protocol (Mutually Assured Destruction) which ment that if one side released its nuclear arsenal, rest assured the other would release theirs and their would be no victors. War games, paranoia, miscalculation, deceit and fear nearly cost everyone their lives. Had those weapons been released, most if not all the world population would have been obliterated and the land would have been transformed into an toxic uninhabitable wasteland - and would have remained so for hundreds of years. Keep in mind that the radiation levels in Chernobyl will not be completely dissolved for another 800-1,000 years! So lets stop bitching about how ****ty our lives are and this and that, lets stop bickering and gossiping and just give thanks that we are still alive and that we made it to the new year of 2014! Lets be thankful that we can still go outside in the freezing cold to wrench on our Land Rovers! Nothing quit like busting a knuckle while tooling, but not nearly as bad as Nuclear War!


To give you an idea of nuclear warhead stockpile during the cold war:
File:US and USSR nuclear stockpiles.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A 2014 study estimates that there are still 17,300 nuclear weapons active in the world today:
World Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Report | Ploughshares Fund

 

I've told my whiny friends "stop bitching just be glad no one sneezed during the cold war" they don't get the reference...i fear for our future. Those are some sketchy Wiki links...

 

Two words: Nuclear Deterent

 

At Kings Bay Georgia the fine folks at Lockheed make some mighty fine Trident missiles, which go in those subs. 24 missiles for 14 subs, with multiple MIRV per missile (by treaty, max is 12), and each of those 400 kiloton (OR BIGGER), Hiroshima was about 20 kiloton. Brits have some of the same on some of their subs.


Missiles have a CEP of 90 meters publically, but scuttlebutt has it much better.


I hope we don't have to find out just how good they are.

 

Experts on the Cold War claim that the supposed "deterrents" employed by the US did NOT help matters nor did they deter the Soviets. Apparently the actions employed by the US only fueled Soviet fears that the US would inevitably launch a nuclear strike first, and that the US had advanced technology. Some reports even claim that members within the USSR even tried to launch lone wolf operations where Soviet missiles would be launched without authorization or knowledge from the leaders. Their motif was fear that the US would strike first so better to hit the enemy before they strike us! Fortunately for you and the rest of the world, these individuals were caught and likely executed in time.

The Cuban missile crisis should have taught us that using intimidating methods to scare the enemy into not launching their nuclear weapons is potentially a very bad idea. Creating more fear creates superstition and paranoia which could very well have cost of everything! In the end the top leaders of both nations came to an agreement and shortly thereafter Soviet Russia collapsed under itself.

PS: To date the USSR holds the record for engineering the largest and most powerful nuclear ballistic submarine in the world - The "Akula" Typhoon Class. Twice the displacement of the US Ohio class. Typhoon-class submarine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

You are right TRIAR, we are all very lucky not to be vapour today. Even back in 1961 things could have been very dodgy Bay of Pigs Invasion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It would only take one wrong or stupid move - a sneeze - and we would have all been toast. Now it all is centralized on the middle east and the Indian continent one of which is where the next big one will probably start.

 

I've been on board an SSN for a Tomahawk launch, so I could only imagine being on for the launch of one of those guys. As for packing power, I would not want to be on the other side of that argument when one of those is fired. They pack some serious "**** you".

I don't know about the CEP of a Trident, but I know Tomahawks are [and these are in Janes, so take them as you will] less than 5 meters CEP. I know someone who is more into the weapons would know about the exact unclassified numbers. I didn't exactly work in that realm.

TRIARII, As for the Ruskies making "largest and most powerful nuclear ballistic submarine in the world" I'd completely agree on that... however being the largest and most powerful doesn't means its the quietest, safest or best. I know I'm biased, but I'd probably say that the best submarines are the Sturgeon/637 Class or the Collins Class submarine. The Sturgeon for its versatility and being superior in so many ways to Los Angeles/688 Class.

I've was on board a 688 class submarine as a crew member as well as a Ohio class SSGN as a member of a SDV Team.

 

As far as I know the Typhoon Class are quieter and more maneuverable than their predecessor. Capable of staying submerged for over 120 days if needed. Capable of long range launch even while docked. Sub also features multi pressure hulls which enhances survivability in the event one of the hulls is breached. Can reach a depth of 1,300 ft.

Russia has since decided to replace the Tyhpoon Class since its specs do not obide by the guidelines set forth by the powers that be (presumably the UN) for how many nukes permitted aboard a vessel etc. The successor being the all new Borei Class which is smaller and the specs follow the rules of the waters.....

People often brag how the US could launch all its nukes before Russia ever picked anything up on radar but I argue that Russian more than likely had their own systems advanced enough, plus spies which would lead to an immediate counter missile strike. If Russians are as ruthless as depicted in US propaganda than I imagine they would have launched all 45,000 nukes. Nobody would be left on either side to brag. When it comes to Nuclear War, there should be no bias because its a no win scenario. Nuclear bombs dont take sides nor do they favor the innocent people not involved in the conflict.

Believe it or not, it would not be all that difficult to paralyze key points in the US. A strike on Hoover dam and the fresh water supply and the crops out west would have a catastrophic effect on us...... sometimes its good to remember that we are not invincible because it makes us feel humble instead of cocky.

 

While I was up in Seward Alaska last season I learned that during World War II a Japanese submarine managed to sneak past all US Naval defenses and sneak all the way into Resurrection Bay! Neither Intelligence nor radar was able to pick anything up and only after the war did we find out via Wartime documents that were seized by the US. Apparently the sub just came in and poked around than left without raising any awareness to its presence.... Seward is right on Resurrection bay and its a main port partly because it is one of the few ports in Alaska that does not freeze over in the colder months. Lots of large ships make their way into the bay so there was undoubtedly alot of water traffic. Ironically Resurrection bay is even today littered with abandoned Military lookout posts which were all active during WWII....

 

The beach I chill out at all the time (Bellows Air Force Base) had a Japanese Mini Sub wash up on it a few days after the attack.