[QUOTE]Sometime before he's sworn in Friday, President-elect Trump will sit down with the top military officers who control America's massive military arsenal and get "THE Briefing," the one that provides him with an understanding — and the tools — of how he would wage nuclear war.
According to those who have witnessed it previously, the briefing is both daunting and sobering. When Donald J. Trump raises his right hand and asks, "So help me God" during the inauguration, he really does become the most powerful man in the world — with control of America's nuclear "triad" and more than 4,000 nuclear warheads.
Little is known about the briefing, which traditionally takes place early on Inauguration Day and is conducted by the Strategic Command, the Omaha-based joint military command responsible for the strategic nuclear arsenal, and the White House Military Office. None of the parties involved will discuss its particulars or its timing.
But some details are known, as detailed in William Arkin's 1999 book "American Coup." The "football" — an oddly shaped 45-pound briefcase — is at the center of the President's command and control of the arsenal, in nuclear submarines patrolling the Arctic; in missile silos on the Great Plains and in bombers on runways and aloft in the skies.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/donald-trump-getting-nuclear-football-n709006[/url]
Welp the reckoning day is upon us. I wish all of us the best of luck for these next 4 years.
45 pound briefcase? Wow, I never guessed it, or any briefcase could weigh that much
Eh, I'll just try to stay optimistic, hope things just to get better and not worse.
It takes a minimum level of competence to realize that there is no power in ruling over ashes. I hope Trump understands at least this much.
[QUOTE=Zombinie;51696705]45 pound briefcase? Wow, I never guessed it, or any briefcase could weigh that much[/QUOTE]
[t]http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54db863c6da811d613326d75-1200-800/football%20with%20antenna.png[/t]
For those curious, I assume it's a heavy-duty laptop with lots of concussive/blast protection.
[QUOTE]When Donald J. Trump raises his right hand and asks, [B]"So help me God"[/B] during the inauguration, he really does become the most powerful man in the world[/QUOTE]
God help us all, more like.
Here, Putin. Catch!
[sp]Jokes.[/sp]
As much as I dislike Trump I seriously doubt nuclear warfare will happen during his administration. Global Warming is a more immediate problem.
I wouldn't trust Trump with a pair of safety scissors, but I'm pretty sure even he isn't dumb enough to do anything, so I wouldn't worry there.
[QUOTE=Lambeth;51696735]As much as I dislike Trump I seriously doubt nuclear warfare will happen during his administration. Global Warming is a more immediate problem.[/QUOTE]
99% of people who say this are doing it in the context of a joke.
1% are overly-pessimistic.
[QUOTE=ROFLBURGER;51696742]99% of people who say this are doing it in the context of a joke.
1% are overly-pessimistic.[/QUOTE]
Poe's Law is gonna be invoked a lot in the next few years.
American football would be less boring if they played with a nuclear activation device
[QUOTE=ScottyWired;51696752]American football would be less boring if they played with a nuclear activation device[/QUOTE]
That activates a low yield tactical nuclear weapon in the losing teams city.
[QUOTE=Raidyr;51696765]That activates a low yield tactical nuclear weapon in the losing teams city.[/QUOTE]
So the damage will be about the same as any other loss
The Sum of All Fears Bowl.
[QUOTE=AkujiTheSniper;51696772]So the damage will be about the same as any other loss[/QUOTE]
More loss of life, but greatly lowered property damage.
[QUOTE=Lambeth;51696735]As much as I dislike Trump I seriously doubt nuclear warfare will happen during his administration. Global Warming is a more immediate problem.[/QUOTE]
It isn't as much "Donald Trump is a moron and will kill us all!!!", as it is "A man like [i]him[/i] can be put into the position where he has the capability to do something along those lines". It's more of a commentary on our current culture.
One thing to take comfort in is he can't just pop it open and put codes in and hit launch. There are actual checks in place that mean its not so simple.
Right, this is normally what happens when a new president is sworn in. How is this news?
I bet North Korea will take this opportunity to test Trump's temper and provoke him to push the button.
[QUOTE=RocketSnail;51696888]Right, this is normally what happens when a new president is sworn in. How is this news?[/QUOTE]
Capitalizing on the wellsprings of shock and dread coming from the "not my president" crowd.
[QUOTE=Doctor Zedacon;51696845]One thing to take comfort in is he can't just pop it open and put codes in and hit launch. There are actual checks in place that mean its not so simple.[/QUOTE]
I might be mistaken but I think those were put in place after Nixon. :v:
[QUOTE=TurtleeyFP;51696718][t]http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/54db863c6da811d613326d75-1200-800/football%20with%20antenna.png[/t]
For those curious, I assume it's a heavy-duty laptop with lots of concussive/blast protection.[/QUOTE]
The weight is probably a powerful radio transmitter and receiver.
[QUOTE=download;51696925]The weight is probably a powerful radio transmitter and receiver.[/QUOTE]
a hilariously powerful one, I imagine. it can probably broadcast a signal equivalent to that of a state-wide radio station, if not stronger.
[QUOTE=Egevened;51697112]a hilariously powerful one, I imagine. it can probably broadcast a signal equivalent to that of a state-wide radio station, if not stronger.[/QUOTE]
In a tiny box? I doubt it.
[QUOTE=DogGunn;51697114]In a tiny box? I doubt it.[/QUOTE]
but the government has physics defying alien technology they don't show us, obviously
[QUOTE=DogGunn;51697114]In a tiny box? I doubt it.[/QUOTE]
You could make a solid state radio transmitter that can put out a few 10s of kilowatts that size I think. The issue is an antenna capable of utilising that power being small and lightweight enough.
It might be a kilowatt or so with a large whip antenna. Add in a battery capable of supplying that load for long enough plus the computer and probably an old analogue backup system.
Didn't think I'd be seeing this headline four months ago.
[QUOTE=download;51697455]You could make a solid state radio transmitter that can put out a few 10s of kilowatts that size I think. The issue is an antenna capable of utilising that power being small and lightweight enough.
It might be a kilowatt or so with a large whip antenna. Add in a battery capable of supplying that load for long enough plus the computer and probably an old analogue backup system.[/QUOTE]
I'd bet the following:
A radiation hardened old-style processor, thing INTEL 8080 or the like. Something that is well understood, tried and tested over decades and decades and very reliable.
at least 3 of the control computer, acting as backups for each-other for redundancy, likely only linked at the transmitter end and at the (probibly) up/down rotary HEX / DEC input.
The transmitter is probibly a pulse transmitter... say a good megawatt or the like, it's likely designed to transmit world wide. (Don't forget the football has to work from another country & the airforce 1)
I'd bet the signal is literally a series of pulses that are very short, but need to be with a very specific time delay between them (in the micro / nanosecond accuracy). It only needs to transmit once, power source is likely Lithium or lead acid batteries with pulse capacitors as the low impedance power source for the transmitter's pulses.
A megawatt transmitter is pretty feasible if designed to output say.... 100 nanosecond pulses over a few seconds.
You could have say, 50 high voltage high density pulse capacitors with a spark gap trigger on each of them + a tuned aerial, inductor & capacitor. The control circuit only needs to operate each of them in a well timed sequence to be picked up.
You could probibly do it all with ceramic / customised vacuum tubes. No digital circuity. (just like the missile control tech itself)
The idea of needing all this fancy encryption and all is overrated, this is a one time code. All you have to do is select a very specific frequency and pulse delay and you'd have something that is nigh incrackable.
I'd dare say it's impossible to hit the exact frequency and pulse duration without knowing it.
That's how I'd do it and it makes good sense.
Let's see how close I am to the truth, if anyone comes knocking at my door and I'm not online again.... you know what happened.
And then you turn it on and find out that it connects only to : Wifi@TheWhiteHouse
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