Nuclear war in 2001……

Say that Russian early warning satellites, many of which were basically pieces of junk in orbit, falsely detected ten nuclear launches from the U.S……..would nuclear war be possible???

What I’m interested in is how the modern world (or relatively modern) would fare in nuclear war, since with the Cold War over, everyone’s sitting back and relaxing……
 
In this scenario, it would have to take a combination of a very itchy trigger finger on the Russian's behalf as well as being as stupid as a pile of potatoes for a nuclear exchange to break out.
 
Ten nuclear launches is quite small amount of bombs for the first strike and there's no any great power crisis going on so I think Russians would be very stupid to start the WW3 over it.
 
Ten nuclear launches is quite small amount of bombs for the first strike and there's no any great power crisis going on so I think Russians would be very stupid to start the WW3 over it.

With MIRV's that could theoretically be 112 nuclear weapons heading towards Russia. Newly minted President Putin could keenly retaliate. In saying that, hard to judge without closely analyzing the political situation at the time.
 
Say that Russian early warning satellites, many of which were basically pieces of junk in orbit, falsely detected ten nuclear launches from the U.S……..would nuclear war be possible???

What I’m interested in is how the modern world (or relatively modern) would fare in nuclear war, since with the Cold War over, everyone’s sitting back and relaxing……

The book "Arc Light" lays out a post cold war nuclear war scenario.
 
In saying that, hard to judge without closely analyzing the political situation at the time.


The relationship between the United States of America and the Russian Federation was fairly decent during the early 2000s, compared the early 2010s. The Russians would take every step they could to avoid launching their ICBMs and SLBMs just because of some phantom space junk. This means, contacting the U.S. government via the Moscow–Washington hotline, aka Red Phone, running diagnostics checks on their radar early warning systems, etc. Hell, George W. Bush (who was president of the USA at the time) and Vladimir V. Putin (who was president of Russia at the time) were fairly good friends, despite being political adversaries.

Even during the darkest days of the Cold War, the USSR and NATO didn't just randomly launch ICBMs and SLBMs at each other for the hell of it.

The book "Arc Light" lays out a post cold war nuclear war scenario.

The premise for war seems ASB, but are the procedures and techniques laid out in the book fairly realistic?
 
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A better scenario would say have say the Chechnyans get their hands on a nuke and hit Moscow, this triggers Dead Hand and a junior officer with an itchy trigger finger could be the cause of war if he blames the Americans, so multiple nukes would be better for this

Maybe, not quite sure how Dead Hand works
 
If Moscow is nuked things will go to hell anyway even if they won't launch a nuclear strike at the USA right after. Cold war will just start all over again.
 

iddt3

Donor
If Moscow is nuked things will go to hell anyway even if they won't launch a nuclear strike at the USA right after. Cold war will just start all over again.
What do you mean? You just crippled Russia for the foreseeable future, Moscow Is like their NYC (Big Wealthy, Financial center), Boston (Old, educational center, historic) and Washington (political capital) all rolled into one. If they lose it, the only "Cold War" if there is one, is going to be a civil war.
 
The relationship between the United States of America and the Russian Federation was fairly decent during the early 2000s, compared the early 2010s. The Russians would take every step they could to avoid launching their ICBMs and SLBMs just because of some phantom space junk. This means, contacting the U.S. government via the Moscow–Washington hotline, aka Red Phone, running diagnostics checks on their radar early warning systems, etc. Hell, George W. Bush (who was president of the USA at the time) and Vladimir V. Putin (who was president of Russia at the time) were fairly good friends, despite being political adversaries.

Even during the darkest days of the Cold War, the USSR and NATO didn't just randomly launch ICBMs and SLBMs at each other for the hell of it.



The premise for war seems ASB, but are the procedures and techniques laid out in the book fairly realistic?

You saying our relations are worse now than during Bush's terms? :confused:
 
You saying our relations are worse now than during Bush's terms?

Absolutely.

U.S.-international relations went sour after the U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003. Before then, 2000-2002, it wasn't as bad. Don't forget, after 9/11, even the Iranians and North Koreans were sending condolences. Since then, the U.S. has been involved in several armed conflicts and military interventions, on President George W. Bush's watch. Not to mention the fact that those interventions have increased tenfold on President Barack H. Obama II's watch.

And let's not forget the NATO-CIS missile shield issue from 2007-2009, the South Ossetian War in Georgia, etc.
 
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Absolutely.

U.S.-international relations went sour after the U.S. invaded Iraq in March 2003. Before then, 2000-2002, it wasn't as bad. Don't forget, after 9/11, even the Iranians and North Koreans were sending condolences. Since then, the U.S. has been involved in several armed conflicts and military interventions, on President George W. Bush's watch. Not to mention the fact that those interventions have increased tenfold on President Barack H. Obama II's watch.

And let's not forget the NATO-CIS missile shield issue from 2007-2009, the South Ossetian War in Georgia, etc.

I guess you have a point. Bush DID fuck-up our international relations quite a bit. :( Obama seems to have done okay so far(it's under this administration that Bin Laden was taken out). Let's hope he really gets in gear soon. ;)
 
I guess you have a point. Bush DID fuck-up our international relations quite a bit. :( Obama seems to have done okay so far(it's under this administration that Bin Laden was taken out). Let's hope he really gets in gear soon. ;)

Honestly, you missed the point of her post. The Russians and the Chinese were vastly dissatisfied with NATO interverntion in Libya, and both remain cordial with Iran. The Caucasus disputes remain. Only on missile defense has the Obama administration improved relations with Russia over his predecessor. Furthermore, overthrowing a dictator you talked into disarming not 10 years prior sets a nasty precedent that sets back necessarily further disarmament efforts elsewhere.
 

BlondieBC

Banned
Honestly, you missed the point of her post. The Russians and the Chinese were vastly dissatisfied with NATO interverntion in Libya, and both remain cordial with Iran. The Caucasus disputes remain. Only on missile defense has the Obama administration improved relations with Russia over his predecessor. Furthermore, overthrowing a dictator you talked into disarming not 10 years prior sets a nasty precedent that sets back necessarily further disarmament efforts elsewhere.

Quadaffi said he was going to not sell oil to Europe who was interfering in his internal affairs and ship the oil to the Far East. Within 48 hours, NATO is bombing Libya. China will remember this action. Also, China has complained a lot about US monetary and fiscal policies, and Obama/Benanke are ignoring them. The Obama administration is making the Chinese leaders life more difficult.
 
Honestly, you missed the point of her post. The Russians and the Chinese were vastly dissatisfied with NATO interverntion in Libya, and both remain cordial with Iran. The Caucasus disputes remain. Only on missile defense has the Obama administration improved relations with Russia over his predecessor. Furthermore, overthrowing a dictator you talked into disarming not 10 years prior sets a nasty precedent that sets back necessarily further disarmament efforts elsewhere.

Some very good points you make there there, although I'm a he, not a she. ;)
 
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