Can Putin launch nukes at several NATO countries at once?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

Obviously, I am completely ignorant about everything to do with nuclear bombs but I have googled, and my tiny mind just doesn't grasp how this works.

In theory, could the UK/ US/ France/ Germany/ several other countries all suffer hits seconds apart?

Or would Putin have to choose one to be the first? How would he choose targets?

I understand the idea of mutual assured destruction if there are just two entities battling it out - but I don't understand how the dynamics of MAD work if it is Russia vs numerous countries, and Putin can only target one area at a time?

Is the nuclear capacity at his disposal really so huge he could take out many major cities and all military bases in Europe and the USA all at once?

@Deliberateplanning I just feel like it would be bound to be Croydon!

Like they’d be aiming for central London but, oh whoops, it actually landed on Croydon

He wouldn't bomb all of the US. He would focus on economic, military or strategic centres - New York, DC, London, Brussels etc.

I thought he would target all major cities on east and west coasts plus all key military bases - which would be a lot and essentially wipe out the US.

I live in New York so I'm not being cavalier when I wonder what would happen to the United States!

But, being a European, I'd hoped that there was somehow a glimmer of hope that if he hit us here we could retaliate quickly enough to prevent a hit on European cities. Or vice versa.

I am aware I am repeating myself but find it difficult to get my head around the fact that yes, he could theoretically hit so many key targets in the US and Europe at once.

I know it's true but my brain doesn't want it to be true

North Korea test the delivery system. They don't arm them for testing.

@Notanotherwindow

Time to move to Wales I think…

I hear Zanzibar is nice...

Sucks to be in Albania though.

@Notanotherwindow

Time to move to Wales I think…

I hear Zanzibar is nice...

Or Zimbabwe

@samyeagar

"Strategic" above should have been "tactical". Strategic use of tactical nuclear weapons.

Yes that's the word I was looking for

Liz Truss would probably be the first target, so we need to deport her immediately for national security.

[quote GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing]@Deliberateplanning I just feel like it would be bound to be Croydon!

Like they’d be aiming for central London but, oh whoops, it actually landed on Croydon[/quote]
If they hit central London, Croydon would be wiped out anyway. As would most of the South East in the fallout/radiation.

What a calming nighttime thread to read before you go to bed 🍵

@AbsentmindedWoman

Obviously, I am completely ignorant about everything to do with nuclear bombs but I have googled, and my tiny mind just doesn't grasp how this works.

In theory, could the UK/ US/ France/ Germany/ several other countries all suffer hits seconds apart?

Or would Putin have to choose one to be the first? How would he choose targets?

I understand the idea of mutual assured destruction if there are just two entities battling it out - but I don't understand how the dynamics of MAD work if it is Russia vs numerous countries, and Putin can only target one area at a time?

Is the nuclear capacity at his disposal really so huge he could take out many major cities and all military bases in Europe and the USA all at once?

Research major attack option one,

Basically as I understand it, multiple silos can have different world targets

Op, he has multiple nuclear war heads which he can launch simultaneously from both land and sea. Every nuclear country has this ability. So yes, he could launch at multiples. On land he has multiple silos across Russia Aimed at different countries as well as nuclear submarines ready to strike. They all do. Russia is not unique in this.

If it helps there is a treaty in place op which means none of them are allowed to target land targets, they target splash targets, Ie out at sea. There is nothing to say these targets have been changed,

All nuclear missiles have a time line of 15 mins. They are all ready to strike in 15 mins. That’s the time it takes to travel to the nearest target. So if anyone launched, someone else’s missile would already be launched and in the air before it struck. It’s mutually destructive. If Putin launched, Russia would be hit mins later.

@Kingharoldshairstyle

Op, he has multiple nuclear war heads which he can launch simultaneously from both land and sea. Every nuclear country has this ability. So yes, he could launch at multiples. On land he has multiple silos across Russia Aimed at different countries as well as nuclear submarines ready to strike. They all do. Russia is not unique in this.

Sorry I shouldn’t have said Aimed at different countries, I should have said he could have. Right now they are aimed at splash targets.

If we suddenly had 500 on their way across the world I assume just enough time to programme them (?) to send 500 back. Isn’t that the whole point of having nuclear, any fired would get just as many back so nobody wins. Yes we would die first but not going to be much in it

I'm thinking Albania might be better on balance than Zanzibar - although C for Croydon might be high on Mutant Putin's list... I don't want to hang around if we get nuked. Where does Liz Truss live? She's deffo at the epicenter...

Anyone else quite relieved/surprised to wake up every morning atm?

Just follow wherever his British based cronies go. You’ll know you’ll be safe there.

Yes this is the point

If Putin launched an attach the nuclear missile would be launched in return before it landed. The missiles would pass each other in the air.

It’s really not as simple as Putin attacks and that’s it. If Putin launched, Russia would literally be hit a max of fifteen mins later. It’s a lose lose situation

And Putin generals know this, you need a number of codes as well. One man can’t do it, Putin nuking another country is one hundred percent the same result as Putin nuking Russia. It’s the same end result.

An idiot’s question: if he did press the big red button – or 6,000 red buttons, like whack-a-mole – how would we actually know in time to retaliate for MAD? Is there a feller up a tower somewhere with binoculars whose sole job is to yell “Warhead, sir, dead ahead!”? Or do we have double agents in Russia watching what’s going on with secret devices in their shoes to tell us we’d better press our red button?

I really should not have opened this thread when my anxiety is sky high already.

Me neither!

@stuntbubbles

An idiot’s question: if he did press the big red button – or 6,000 red buttons, like whack-a-mole – how would we actually know in time to retaliate for MAD? Is there a feller up a tower somewhere with binoculars whose sole job is to yell “Warhead, sir, dead ahead!”? Or do we have double agents in Russia watching what’s going on with secret devices in their shoes to tell us we’d better press our red button?

No it’s done by satellite, there’s thousands of satellites looking at the earth and looking for rocket flares. They would know immediately and I mean immediately.

That is why the Cold War never got hot

MAD is Mutually Assured Destruction

Start throwing buckets of sunshine around, trust me, no one wins and I mean no one

The BBC programme Threads summed up what would happen

I suppose it puts PartyGate into perspective though 😳

Is there a feller up a tower somewhere with binoculars whose sole job is to yell “Warhead, sir, dead ahead!

Oh man, you gotta laugh haven't you !

Wouldn't all the fall out from a hit anywhere in Europe also affect Russia though? Even if he managed to just hit Liz Truss?