What if, during the Norwegian Rocket Incident, Yelstin doesn't hesitate to activate the cheget and responds to the threat with force? With the Russian nuclear weaponry as it was in 1995, how badly would the world be effected? And who would be hit?
Yelstin dosen't hesitate in 1995?
- Thread starter Enigmajones
- Start date
Cheget?
Anyway, the Russian strategic forces were not on a hair trigger in 1995 like they were in 1984; there would have been a waiting period sufficient to determine that a rocket start wasn't a missile launch against Russia. After all, with the exception of the antimissile shield around Moscow there is no way to stop the missile before it hits, and if it hits something it pays to find out exactly against whom to retaliate. And a single missile is not going to destroy or cripple Russia's ability to retaliate even if it has a Tsar Bomba as a warhead.
Cheget?
I believe a codeword in Russian for Soviet counterpart to American nuclear footbal briefcase. Basically a device that can be used to contact rocket forces.
It is hard to imagine that Soviet would believe that in 1995 Amercans would excute BOOB attack on them. OTOH, if Yeltsin was suficiently drunk, who knows...
I suspect they installed a breathalyzer on the cheget to ensure it remained locked until the user's blood alcohol reading fell to cognitively safe levels.
Him being drunk works. And yes, I think it sounds unlikely, but apparently they were ready to launch, Yelstin merely held back. But this was the question, what happens if Russia launches its nukes? Are there any confirmed targets?