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0 pointspps438y ago0 comments

If you rely only on submarines for deterrence then you don't need satellites detecting launches in the first place. I don't think UK or France have (or need) that capability.

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avar8y ago

That's not how it works. The US also relies on the ability to promptly respond to a first strike, which say the UK does not.

What I'm pointing out is that you've conflated two things. Just because one aspect of your deterrence is the ability to launch your land-based ICBMs within 30 minutes, that doesn't mean that the inability to do so (e.g. because you don't know who struck you) means that you're out of options.

Besides, there's no way someone could amass enough SLBMs in the Pacific to take out two aspects of the US's nuclear triad without the US knowing who owns those submarines.

pps43OP8y ago

I was trying to explain why it is more important for the satellites to quickly detect launches from land.

With SLBMs you have other options. You can have your attack submarine shadowing enemy's ballistic missile submarine, or surface ASW ships patrolling the area that can detect the first launch and try to sink the ballistic missile submarine before it can launch its remaining missiles.

avar8y ago

Sure, I'm just replying to your question of "Who do you nuke? [if you don't know who launched a missile against you]", which it seems to me is implicitly assuming that if someone nukes you you must nuke someone back right then and there.

That's nobody's nuclear posture, it's just a subset of the posture of the US, Russia, China etc.

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avar8y ago

That's not how it works. The US also relies on the ability to promptly respond to a first strike, which say the UK does not.

Besides, there's no way someone could amass enough SLBMs in the Pacific to take out two aspects of the US's nuclear triad without the US knowing who owns those submarines.

pps43OP8y ago

I was trying to explain why it is more important for the satellites to quickly detect launches from land.

avar8y ago

That's nobody's nuclear posture, it's just a subset of the posture of the US, Russia, China etc.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse