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Original poster

nuclear attack on britain- how likely

284 replies

blackbunny · 13/04/2017 21:10

Posting this in AIBU for traffic.
With all the current unrest in the world, I've found myself obsessing today about the possibility of Britain being attacked.
Now, I suffer from depression and anxiety that is controlled by ADs. My husband has serious health issues, undergoing chemo atm and I'm naturally worried about the outcome. Till today, I've been coping with my feelings and emotions well. But today, seemingly out of the blue I'm haunted by the fear of a nuclear attack, can't seem to shake off the feelings of dread and fear.
I know in my head the reality is remote, but I suppose what I need to hear is that that is right.
Can anybody reassure me? Please help.

OP posts:
Bigblug · 13/04/2017 21:17

I came on here to post this exact type of thread. I'm terribly anxious. It doesn't help that my partner is an avid follower of politics/doom spreader and messages me at random at work saying we're fucked and going to war. I'm genuinely googling bomb shelters right now.

Bigblug · 13/04/2017 21:18

But, I don't think it will happen. I hope.

Maudlinmaud · 13/04/2017 21:19

I've just read the preppers thread on this subject and I'm quite shaken, I then googled. Don't google.

Slackdad01 · 13/04/2017 21:20

I would say the chances are fairly low, going back tot the height of the cold war good old Mutually Assured Destruction kicks in and mo one with the button on their reach wants to be the one to "turn the lights out". In fairness when my son was born I had the same sudden fear and for about three days scared myself witless looking at the news and... well actually just looking at the news is enough.
As my other half reminded me, there is nothing I can personally do to stop it, so rather than worrying about it worry about something I can effect, like dinner- not being flippant just relaying g a comment that I found useful!

CaveMum · 13/04/2017 21:21

It's very, very unlikely. There are 8 states known to have nuclear weapons. 5 are signed up to the non-proliferation agreement:

USA
Russia
China
France
UK

Plus 3 who are not members of the NPA
India
Pakistan
North Korea

Additionally Israel is suspected of having nuclear weapons but have never confirmed this.

So, of the key 5 states we are one and 2 are our allies (USA and France). Of the others I doubt any of them have the capability to deliver a nuclear weapon from the other side of the world, so that just leaves Russia.

Russia are highly unlikely to ever use a nuclear weapon, they know that to do so would sign their own death warrant - exactly what M.A.D. Is about.

All that aside, we're really not that important on the global stage anymore. I can't imagine anyone seeing us as a primary target these days.

propertypriceguide · 13/04/2017 21:21

Stop reading all that stuff and stick on Gardener's World instead Smile

SherlockPotter · 13/04/2017 21:22

Derby would be most likely the first place to be attacked because of Rolls Royce... but who knows what could happen in the future?

mumonashoestring · 13/04/2017 21:22

my partner is an avid follower of politics/doom spreader and messages me at random at work saying we're fucked and going to war

Fucksake. Turn your phone off and/or tell them they're welcome to panic themselves with half-formed ideas about politics but to keep them to themselves. We're no closer to nuclear attack now than we have been any number of times since nukes were created. Entire wars have been fought between then and now without anyone going trigger happy with the nuclear arsenal.

meditrina · 13/04/2017 21:24

Who do you think would attack UK (a nuclear power) with nuclear weapons?

The other nuclear powers are: the US, Russia, France, and China.

The other countries who have conducted tests are India, Pakistan, and North Korea. And then there's Israel.

Which of these worry you?

Not asking to be arsey - but to try to help you work out exactly what is bothering you.

DimpleDumpling · 13/04/2017 21:25

A nuclear attack on Britain is not going to happen. Tbh it is exceedingly unlikely that nuclear weapons will be used anywhere. The bomb that's been dropped by America is the largest ever non-nuclear weapon so any repercussions will be pointed to them.
The world is pretty screwed up currently but there won't be any nuclear attacks. Try not to worry about it

dontbesillyhenry · 13/04/2017 21:26

Why rolls Royce?

Original poster
blackbunny · 13/04/2017 21:26

Thanks everyone(especially you, Cave mum) for doing their best to reassure me, feel bit better now, will be able to sleep tonight.

OP posts:
histinyhandsarefrozen · 13/04/2017 21:26

Not likely Flowers

propertypriceguide · 13/04/2017 21:27

I wouldn't say never with Trump and Putin at the helm if I'm honest

Wando1986 · 13/04/2017 21:27

I wouldn't be concerned about us being a primary target. I'd be more concerned about us being used as a warning shot Blush

notyummy · 13/04/2017 21:30

Agree it's not going to happen.

But why Derby and not the Royal Navy shipyards where active submarine and or ships might be?! Or the places the missiles are taken to be serviced? If it's an actual nuclear war I am not sure that targeting the facility that builds parts for submarines years before they are actually used would be the first target. If there is anything left of the country after the first 2 or 3 exchanges they might work their way down the list to it ;-)

dangermouseisace · 13/04/2017 21:31

we've got mutual assured destruction so I wouldn't worry about nuclear attacks. If someone fired something at us, it's highly likely it would be intercepted before it managed to hit our shores AND the country of it's origin could expect to have the same fired straight back at them. So, if a country were to target us, they'd almost certainly be sure of their own demise instead of, or at best, as well as ours, therefore it would be pointless. And anyway, conventional weapons these days can be either pretty evil or very targeted (nuclear weapons can't be so precisely targeted) so there is no real 'need' to use nuclear weapons. We still have the nuclear ones though as it's meant to put people off attacking us.

wowfudge · 13/04/2017 21:33

It isn't going to happen. The end.

SilverdaleGlen · 13/04/2017 21:33

The thing that made me feel calm for a completely unreasonable reason was on another thread where someone said they weren't worrying about it because as prepped as the preppers are they'd only be smug up until scoffing their last tin of nectarines Grin

Rationalise it that's all you can do, everyone had the "fear", google stats are currently showing "WW3" as one of the trending search terms. People cope and get on with life by rationalising.

Could it happen? Possibly but highly unlikely.

Can I do jack about it? No.

What will happen if it does? No fucking clue.

Shall I chalk it up with other things I can do nothing about like alien invasion, being hit by a comet or getting run over by a bus (more likely)? Yes.

Bigblug · 13/04/2017 21:34

Thanks for that nightmare wando 😂

mpsw · 13/04/2017 21:38

Uk - a nuclear power, NATO member, and close dependable ally of US - isn't a warning shot. You may as well hit US directly as hit us.

Nuclear war is way less likely than it was at the time of the Cuban missile crisis..

I would expand on my reasoning, but it might not be terribly reassuring!

TheFifthKey · 13/04/2017 21:40

Realistically any sort of nuclear attack on the uk above a single strike will be pretty catastrophic - being an island nation, densely populated, small area etc would mean that the majority of the population would be affected, if not by attack damage, fallout or drifting radiation then by the effect on infrastructure/food/power/communications. If you live in the highlands or perhaps some parts of northern England you might be ok if you're fairly self sufficent but in general nowhere is far enough away from probable targets to escape without some sort of impact.

It's not worth prepping for a nuclear attack, basically. Or worrying about it. The country could come back ok from one or two bombs, though, so if we're not a major target, just used as a warning for the US (as we're closer and easier to attack) it wouldn't necessarily end up in a post-apocalyptic scenario.

Livelovebehappy · 13/04/2017 21:42

I don't worry about the ones we know about tbh (apart from North Korea maybe), but it's the countries who might have them who we don't know about, that worry me. We can't do anything about it though, and have to leave it to our world leaders to ensure a nuclear war will never happen.

RancidOldHag · 13/04/2017 21:45

Which countries do you think might have acquired nuclear weapons with no other country noticing, Livelovebehappy ?

Genuine question - given how every Iranian nuclear scientist's fart seems to be known.

TheFifthKey · 13/04/2017 21:45

I don't think anyone has them we don't know about, though. It's massively difficult to procure the "ingredients", the people with the knowledge, the equipment and so on to make a nuclear bomb, they're often not successful once made, finding places to test them is very difficult and the tests are dectected quite quickly via seismographs and so on. Very hard to make and very hard to keep secret, hence why we know about North Korea.