They should have used a Kryptonite. It's guaranteed everywhere except New York City.
Posted on 11/24/2007 2:52:07 PM PST by billorites
There was no other security on the Bomb itself.
While American and Russian weapons were protected by tamper-proof combination locks which could only be released if the correct code was transmitted, Britain relied on a simpler technology.
The Dr Strangelove scenario
The British military resisted Whitehall proposals to fit bombs with Permissive Action Links - or PALs - which would prevent them being armed unless the right code was sent.
| UK nuclear weapons are designed first and foremost to be secure and safe |
President Kennedy ordered that every American nuclear bomb should be fitted with a PAL.
The correct code had to be transmitted by the US Chiefs of Staff and dialled into the Bomb before it could be armed otherwise it would not detonate.
Safeguards
Crews in missile silos also had a dual key arrangement so one man could not launch Armageddon.
They are familiar from numerous Hollywood films such as Broken Arrow with John Travolta, The Peacemaker with Nicole Kidman and various James Bond films.
Under control
Papers at the National Archive show that as early as 1966 an attempt was made to impose PAL security on British nuclear weapons.
The Chief Scientific Adviser Solly Zuckerman formally advised the Defence Secretary Denis Healey that Britain needed to install Permissive Action Links on its nuclear weapons to keep them safe.
"The Government will need to be certain that any weapons deployed are under some form of 'ironclad' control".
The Royal Navy argued that officers of the Royal Navy as the Senior Service could be trusted:
"It would be invidious to suggest... that Senior Service officers may, in difficult circumstances, act in defiance of their clear orders".
Neither the Navy nor the RAF installed PAL protection on their nuclear weapons.
The RAF kept their unsafeguarded bombs at airbases until they were withdrawn in 1998.
Bicycle lock key
With the help of Brian Burnell - a researcher into the history of the British nuclear weapons programme who once designed bomb casings for atom bombs - Newsnight tracked down a training version of the WE 177 nuclear bomb at the Bristol Aero collection at Kemble.
Tornado and earlier V-bomber crews trained with these, which were identical in every way to the live bombs except for the nuclear warhead.
To arm the weapons you just open a panel held by two captive screws - like a battery cover on a radio - using a thumbnail or a coin.
Inside are the arming switch and a series of dials which you can turn with an Allen key to select high yield or low yield, air burst or groundburst and other parameters.
The Bomb is actually armed by inserting a bicycle lock key into the arming switch and turning it through 90 degrees. There is no code which needs to be entered or dual key system to prevent a rogue individual from arming the Bomb.
Jeeeze, those things don’t even protect BIKES!
I’ve got some old bike lock keys lying around somewhere..... I wonder if any of them will work???
—guess it worked okay—
You had a nuclear bike?
Mine only was a 454.
It worked, didn’t it? Now upgrade, you nervous nellies.
“—guess it worked okay—”
LOL! That what I was thinking too.
Besides, this is from the BBC. BBC means this is what the commie rat bastages want us to think happened. Any resemblance to actual reality is purely accidental and not the fault of the authors or producers.
I don’t really see a problem, since they used Lucas gauges as well.
Brilliant observation, It wasn’t bike locks but Classically British technology that saved the world from catastrope.
Actually I had a Triumph Tiger Cub, and now realize I am alive today due to the Lucas guages.
Yeah right. Some Jihadi who spent 20 years weasling his way to the rank where he could have control the bicycle lock key can be trusted?
Good lord!
They should have used a Kryptonite. It's guaranteed everywhere except New York City.
Just like the US Muslim Officer that fragged his comrades just before Gulf War II.
Observe, the frame is still locked to the pole by the trusty bicycle lock!
English wiring of the period being what it was, they really only needed to put a button on the bomb and mark it “Start.” It would have required an electrical wizard with years of arcane experiences to make it go off after that button was pushed.
It’s obvious now that they used motor vehicles to perfect this method. Brilliant!
Guess the criminal didn’t have a Bic......
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/09/64987
Our locks had electronic components, the Brit's didn't. Knowing what we do about the British and electical systems, it sounds like the Brit's wanted to be able to use their nukes if necessary. ;)
Cheers
The reason for this apparent lack of security is obvious. The British felt no need for additional security, given that the electrical system in the bomb was built by Lucas, making the bomb impervious to detonation, deliberate, accidental, or otherwise.
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