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Very well said. Of course, I couldn't help but notice your username too :-) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis
by rdtsc 6y ago
Very well said. Of course, I couldn't help but notice your username too :-)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov
It was interesting how the Soviets had built a dead-hand system caller Perimeter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Hand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Hand, but then didn't seem to advertise its existence to the West, which would make sense to do typically. And some believe (wiki has a quote from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Zheleznyakov https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Zheleznyakov) that it was to give the people at the top a better chance to react more rationally. In a way, it was to allow the possible "Petrovs" in their midst to do the right thing.
- 082349872349872 6y agoBeware the Doomsday Gap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yfXgu37iyI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yfXgu37iyI
- baybal2 6y agoAdding some context: The perimeter seem to be not some individual system, but a feature grafted into all C3 gear that gives the launch officer a clear indication that the strategic command has been taken out, and an automatic decision making about what target plan to follow (remember, up until late 80s, all ICBMs had to be programmed at the factory, and the memory was scarce) Soviet ICBM infrastructure, and staff that was left outside of Russia confirm this, it had no provision for fully automated launch. Stationary launch positions especially were stuffed with all kinds comm gear to ensure that the silo is not cut off from the superior officers under any circumstances. At most, it is an automated target designation, and "fire at will" switch.