July 20, 2016

On The Beach and Seeing Australia as a Last Post After Armageddon


Graphic grounds-eye footage of one of the British two-stage thermonuclear device Operation Grapple tests held in the central Pacific in 1957-58. 
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Bombs are tested (1). Some may eventually be used (2) and the end of human existence may result (3). Step 1 has already happened to Australia and 2 and 3 may be to come. See the steps below.

1.  Australia was the testing ground for British fission "A" bombs at Emu Field and Maralinga 
     (map above) and then fusion boosted fission bombs in the Montebello Islands off Western 
     Australia.
     
2.  Australia in reality is a fall back option for US and British SSNs and SSBNs to finally move to 
     after a nuclear exchange

Drawn  from an article by Garrett M. Graff in the UK’s Politico Magazine July 14, 2016,  http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/07/the-grim-task-awaiting-teresa-may-preparing-for-nuclear-armageddon-214049

Theresa May, the new British Prime Minister has, by now, performed the melancholy duty of handwriting what is known as a “Letter of Last Resort”. The letter is secret instructions, to be remain sealed until after Armageddon, about what the UK’s SSBN commanders should do with their Trident missiles if the UK has been destroyed. Theresa May would have written four letters - one to each submarine commander of Britain's 4 SSBNs, HMS Vanguard, HMS Victorious, HMS Vigilant and HMS Vengeance.

The letters are then placed inside of a safe inside another safe, sitting in the control rooms of each SSBN. The safes will only be accessible to the sub’s commander and deputy, who must decide together when Britain has been entirely destroyed.

The letters would probably present options, depending on what has occurred in a nuclear exchange. The actual (one-way to the submarine) intelligence provided to a deep diving submarine during a nuclear exchange might be very limited. It is known, at least, that submarine commanders must check whether BBC’s Radio 4 is still broadcasting. If BBC’s Radio 4 is off the air then it is assumed all of Britain is.

A nuclear exchange would probably mean most bases and ports in the Northern Hemisphere would  be devastated. After checking what signals are received, surviving US and British submarines would see New Zealand or Australia as a place to go.

3.  On The Beach.  The "Famous 1959 film set in Australia. During 1964, in the months following World War III, the conflict has devastated the Northern Hemisphere, polluting the atmosphere with nuclear fallout, killing all life there. Air currents are slowly carrying the fallout south; the only areas still habitable are in the far reaches of the Southern Hemisphere. From Australia survivors detect an incomprehensible Morse code signal coming from the West Coast of the United States. The last American nuclear submarine, USS Sawfish, under Royal Australian Navy command...[see the rest of the plot]"

On The Beach (1959)(below)  - the submarine USS Sawfish is 2 minutes 55 seconds in and a sanitised End of the World (with no bodies or rusty metal on the windy streets). 





THE END

6 comments:

Nicky said...

Hi Pete,

three articles from The Diplomat may interest you

Will India Help Build Australia’s New Submarines?
New Delhi’s experience with French submarines could come in handy for Australia’s shipbuilding industry.
http://thediplomat.com/2016/07/will-india-help-build-australias-new-submarines/

The other is;
Does Thailand Really Need Submarines?
The Royal Thai Navy has outlined its reasons for wanting submarines. They’re not very convincing.
http://thediplomat.com/2016/07/does-thailand-really-need-submarines/

The other;
Navy releases document on why it needs submarines
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Navy-releases-document-on-why-it-needs-submarines-30265587.html

Pete said...

Thanks Nicky

http://thediplomat.com/2016/07/does-thailand-really-need-submarines/ is particularly interesting because it points out:

- that the subs for Thailand will be prestige items to keep up with the other Southeast Asian submarine operators (Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia) and

- how unprepared Thai submarine commanders will be for years after they receive any Chinese subs.

Thai officers have no current Thai subs to learn on. The Thais will no doubt be acutely reliant on Chinese advisers in Thai subs for years.

Regards

Pete

Nicky said...

Hi Pete,
That's why I think Thailand should have brought two Type 035 Ming class SSK to teach and train them. Maybe China can loan two Type 035 Ming class SSK to teach and train them while they are waiting for their SSK.

Pete said...

Hi Nicky [22/7/16 2:35 AM]

Its more common that the purchasers of submarines train at the submarine builders home naval bases for a year or two before training on the newly pruchased subs.

So Thai submarine officers, senior sailors and key maintenance personnel will train at Chinese naval bases on submarine simulators, Mings, then moving up to Chinese Navy Songs and Yuan SSKs and eventually on the S-26Ts Thailand MAY buy.

Chinese naval personnel (in varying numbers) will be present on the training subs.

China will not only gain money from Thailand for the deal but lasting political and strategic influence over the Thai Navy.

Some Thai naval personnel (after being setup in China) will also work for China more discreetly in the long term - while also working for the Thai Navy.

Regards

Pete

Nicky said...

Hi pete,
That's what I suspect China will offer Thailand. China will most likely loan them the Type 035 Ming class SSK to learn and train on while China builds them the S-26T's. IMO, it would be the best move for them because the Type 035 Ming class SSK is a good teaching platform for basic submarine operations and all the knowledge gained from the Type 035 Ming class SSK, can be applied to the S-26T. After that, Thailand can keep the Type 035 Ming class SSK as a training submarine or use them for costal patrol.

Pete said...

Hi Nicky [at 23/7/16 3:54 AM]

Best to alter one's assumptions as new information comes in...

As I said above a country that buys subs for the first time rarely (if ever?) gets sent interim subs from the seller. Even interim subs would likely take years to prepare and deliver - and then what?

Key personnel from the buying country uses facilities, including subs, at the selling country's ports.
eg. Singaporean naval personnel training on Sodermanland, Challenger and Archer class in Swedish ports first.

Pete