Just a virtual scenario about unmanned missile launch

[Curious George]

Hello dear members,

This is my first post and I hope not the last. :type
I was a reader of this forum for quite a while.

So just imagine some country (of course with a nuclear arsenal) developing a top secret WMD system.
It consists of number of fully autonomous launch platforms submerged in the ocean and drifting freely (a somewhat freely) in the depth of somewhat 1000-2000 feet underwater.
The platforms are not pressurized meaning their internal pressure in equal to the environment. So they drift and wait for a signal (similar to HAARP) for a launch. When signal received the platform emerges to close to the surface start position and launch a missile. Each platform is relatively small and carries only one missile making detection very hard.

Don't judge me strongly. This is just a concept idea. What is your opinion about a feasibility of such program and your opinion on entrusting a launch key to a robotic platform?

 

[Kilo 2-3]

Hello dear members,

This is my first post and I hope not the last. :type
I was a reader of this forum for quite a while.

So just imagine some country (of course with a nuclear arsenal) developing a top secret WMD system.
It consists of number of fully autonomous launch platforms submerged in the ocean and drifting freely (a somewhat freely) in the depth of somewhat 1000-2000 feet underwater.
The platforms are not pressurized meaning their internal pressure in equal to the environment. So they drift and wait for a signal (similar to HAARP) for a launch. When signal received the platform emerges to close to the surface start position and launch a missile. Each platform is relatively small and carries only one missile making detection very hard.

Don't judge me strongly. This is just a concept idea. What is your opinion about a feasibility of such program and your opinion on entrusting a launch key to a robotic platform?

The technology to do this is still a few years away on this one, but the concept seems entirely do-able. The problems with it would stem from political concerns over entrusting nukes to an autonomous vehicle, and over fears of the sub simply having a massive failure and sinking with a nuke still onboard and loads of sensitive electronics (which could fall into enemy hands)

 

[t68]

Interesting idea
I don’t know how feasible it would be to place it in international water’s ,it would need some defensive measure of some sort as when a sub comes to close it can move under it own power, or it will take it for a ride home if it’s not declared.

If it is in deep enough water’s in your own 12 mile exclusion zone it would be doable in the future, but would still need a self defence measure to protect itself from nosey subs

 

[Feanor]

How would this unmanned platform respond if it was somehow discovered by the enemy before it got a launch order?

It would have to be more then just a submerged launch platform. It would have to be a full unmanned submarine.

 

[Spetsznaz]

Another factor is that how would the WORLD respond to Nuclear weapons just hang'n out in the ocean, we already have submarine capable of making ICBM launches, but putting a platform with A Nuke and just leaving it there would be Something that will piss everyone off ESPECIALLY SINCE ITS UNMANNED

 

[Kilo 2-3]

Another factor is that how would the WORLD respond to Nuclear weapons just hang'n out in the ocean, we already have submarine capable of making ICBM launches, but putting a platform with A Nuke and just leaving it there would be Something that will piss everyone off ESPECIALLY SINCE ITS UNMANNED

The unmanned concern is a valid one. However, sub crews are expensive to train and if cost and manning concerns continue to grow, an unmanned platform might recieve more and more consideration.

On a related note. If I recall rightly, during the Cold War, John Craven's Navy Office of Special Projects briefly did contemplate unmanned underwater missile silos. The water pressure was thought to offer extra protection since it would compress and strengthen the hull of the silo, making it less vulnerable to attacks.

 

[Feanor]

Iirc the USSR had similar projects on paper, but they never took off.

 

[t68]

Iirc the USSR had similar projects on paper, but they never took off.

So it's not unheard of then,any more info out there some where as to what they thought of?

 

[Salty Dog]

The missile itself would have to be kept in a pressurized vessel. A missile airframe could not withstand the pressures of such depths and can not be exposed to the corrosive environment of seawater. You would also have to workout a replacement/maintenance schedule. Since the missile silo remains in a relatively fixed position and presumably international waters, an adversary can drop some autonomous hunter killer sub bots to seek out and destroy the missile launchers. Since they are not crewed, there may not be any sovereignty issues.

 

[Feanor]

So it's not unheard of then,any more info out there some where as to what they thought of?

Iirc it was more along the lines of secret underwater ICBM silos. I'll see what I can dig up online. The info I found was in Maksim Kalashnikov's book, Battle for the Skies (Битва за Небеса). And while Kalashnikov is hardly a reputable source in regards to his analysis, his ability to dig up obscenely obscure facts often comes in handy.

 

[Spetsznaz]

Iirc it was more along the lines of secret underwater ICBM silos. I'll see what I can dig up online. The info I found was in Maksim Kalashnikov's book, Battle for the Skies (Битва за Небеса). And while Kalashnikov is hardly a reputable source in regards to his analysis, his ability to dig up obscenely obscure facts often comes in handy.

Hey feanor sorry to get off topic, but is that book available in English?:smokie

 

[dragonfire]

Why is the structure freely drifting, it shd be fixed to avoid inadvertant accidents. Also do you intend it to have propulsion, the vehicles will change drasticaly depending on this. Nuclear tipped weapons would be very dangerous to leave out like tht, since it is unmanned it can be considered risky for the warheads to fall into wrong hands