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Comment by kneebonian | Hacker News Reader

For those who doubted this... one of the main components of a strategic nuclear arm is submarines, even more than ICBMs to an extant, a nuclear strike might be able to wipe out all your launch facilities, but it isn't going to take out your subs, which are going to be around for a 2nd strike.

Because of that being able to detect anything in the ocean anywhere within a reasonable distance of your coastal regions is a matter of life and death for a strong nuclear power, so the USN definitly new about this. Heck the USN probably knows the location of every single whale in 50% of the Earth's oceans.

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One might say that subs are the only truly strategic component of nuclear arms.

> subs are the only truly strategic component of nuclear arms

I used to think this. But land-based missiles are essential for MAD, as a nuclear sponge and by being cheap. They also protect against a technological horizon over which subs are unmasked. (There is a great scene in The Expanse which contemplates such a horizon.)

What I can’t get my head around are nuclear bombers, which largely seem to be for posturing [1].

[1] https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/SSQ/documents/Vo...

> What I can’t get my head around are nuclear bombers, which largely seem to be for posturing

Posturing is super important, strategically, though. Also, nuclear-capable bombers double as conventional bombers, so there’s that.

> They also protect against a technological horizon over which subs are unmasked.

I’ve read speculation that Russia boomers are followed at all times by at least one fast attack, and they can listen for sounds like missile bay doors opening. I have no sources, but given the state of Russia navy it seems plausible.

Unlike the other parts of the nuclear triad, bombers can be recalled at any point before they start dropping weapons (there is no destruct code for ICBMs or SLBMs). So they give a President more flexibility.

What scene in the expanse is that?

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