Sunday, July 1, 2012

Russia's Unique Nuclear Launch Code Backup Procedure

Russian Missile Forces Have ‘Safe Busting’ Sledgehammer. © RIA Novosti. Sergei Piatakov

Russian Missile Forces Have ‘Safe Busting’ Sledgehammer -- RIA Novosti

Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces are equipped with a special ‘safe-busting’ sledgehammer that can be used in an emergency to break open the safe containing launch codes if it fails to open, a spokesman for the Rocket Forces, Col. Vadim Koval said on Wednesday.

The sledgehammer's existence first came to light in 1980, when a group of inspecting officers from the General Staff visiting Strategic Missile Forces headquarters asked General Georgy Novikov what he would do if he received a missile launch order but the safe containing the launch codes failed to open.

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My Comment: An urban legend .... maybe. But the Russian in me tells me that this story is probably 100% accurate.

2 comments:

  1. Doesn't seem all that safe
    of a safe if a sledge
    hammer can open it.

    ofs

    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally agree ofs. But to my Russian cousins .... this makes sense.

    ReplyDelete