How to meet a nuke
January 27, 2008 8:54 AM Subscribe
What's the closest it's possible for a civilian to get to a live nuclear weapon?
"A civilian" or "you as a civilian, easily"? For the first, Secretary of Defense is a civilian and can probably get as close as he wants. For the second, maybe Fleet Week tours.
posted by smackfu at 9:27 AM on January 27, 2008
posted by smackfu at 9:27 AM on January 27, 2008
About 75 yards from the missile silos scattered around Montana and North Dakota.
Also here and here.
I've been out there and it's kind of weird. You can drive right up to the silos and there may not be anyone around for 10 miles in any direction. Not that guards are necessary since there are 20 feet of reinforced concrete and all sorts of electronic security. The helicopters would be there before you could even put a shovel in the ground.
posted by JackFlash at 11:31 AM on January 27, 2008
Also here and here.
I've been out there and it's kind of weird. You can drive right up to the silos and there may not be anyone around for 10 miles in any direction. Not that guards are necessary since there are 20 feet of reinforced concrete and all sorts of electronic security. The helicopters would be there before you could even put a shovel in the ground.
posted by JackFlash at 11:31 AM on January 27, 2008
Take a tour of a Trident submarine. You walk right by and in between them.
Indeed. In fact, the enlisted men's berth spaces are located right between the missile tubes -- when you sleep, your feet and head can touch two tubes.
Moreover, when I took a tour of an Ohio-class submarine, I was allowed to walk on the top deck, on top of the missile tube doors themselves. Since the warheads are at the top of the missiles (which I didn't actually see, as ctmf indicates), I figure I was just a few feet away from them.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:36 PM on January 27, 2008
Indeed. In fact, the enlisted men's berth spaces are located right between the missile tubes -- when you sleep, your feet and head can touch two tubes.
Moreover, when I took a tour of an Ohio-class submarine, I was allowed to walk on the top deck, on top of the missile tube doors themselves. Since the warheads are at the top of the missiles (which I didn't actually see, as ctmf indicates), I figure I was just a few feet away from them.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:36 PM on January 27, 2008
Since they are not allowed to be flown around the country, they are are presumably moved by train or truck. So the semi bearing down on you on the highway might be carrying one.
posted by beagle at 12:50 PM on January 27, 2008
posted by beagle at 12:50 PM on January 27, 2008
Since they are not allowed to be flown around the country ...
Except when they are by accident.
posted by JackFlash at 1:00 PM on January 27, 2008
Except when they are by accident.
posted by JackFlash at 1:00 PM on January 27, 2008
Wait, so how exactly do people take tours of active subs?
posted by smackfu at 3:56 PM on January 27, 2008
posted by smackfu at 3:56 PM on January 27, 2008
Trident warheads, seperated from the missiles, in transit?
I've been very close to some of those in my time, and these people still regularly are.
A section of the M25 outside London was sealed for about 18 hours in the early 90s when the brake cable failed on one of them and immobilised the truck.
They do, to be fair, get a bit touchy about it. Write your lawyer's phone number on your arm first.
posted by genghis at 7:09 PM on January 27, 2008
I've been very close to some of those in my time, and these people still regularly are.
A section of the M25 outside London was sealed for about 18 hours in the early 90s when the brake cable failed on one of them and immobilised the truck.
They do, to be fair, get a bit touchy about it. Write your lawyer's phone number on your arm first.
posted by genghis at 7:09 PM on January 27, 2008
Wait, so how exactly do people take tours of active subs?
My tour was arranged by a former officer who maintained good relations with his old crew, and a group of us from our office went. So, it was a had-to-know-the-right-person kinda thing.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:24 PM on January 27, 2008
My tour was arranged by a former officer who maintained good relations with his old crew, and a group of us from our office went. So, it was a had-to-know-the-right-person kinda thing.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 7:24 PM on January 27, 2008
Wait, so how exactly do people take tours of active subs?
All submarines have a public affairs officer. It's a collateral duty, which means he's also the public affairs officer, in addition to his real job (so speed of reply may not be the best). If you write him, he may be able to arrange it. Better if you're a group instead of a single person. Even better if you were a group/company that might come bearing gifts (though that would be illegal, I think. All I know is we drink Starbucks coffee on our boat instead of the even fouler stuff in the supply system.)
You could also write the COMSUBPAC/COMSUBLANT public affairs officers or the PAO for the submarine squadrons.
posted by ctmf at 9:58 PM on January 27, 2008
All submarines have a public affairs officer. It's a collateral duty, which means he's also the public affairs officer, in addition to his real job (so speed of reply may not be the best). If you write him, he may be able to arrange it. Better if you're a group instead of a single person. Even better if you were a group/company that might come bearing gifts (though that would be illegal, I think. All I know is we drink Starbucks coffee on our boat instead of the even fouler stuff in the supply system.)
You could also write the COMSUBPAC/COMSUBLANT public affairs officers or the PAO for the submarine squadrons.
posted by ctmf at 9:58 PM on January 27, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ctmf at 9:06 AM on January 27, 2008