Is Russia's Doomsday Bomb Still Operational? - Neatorama

Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin wall, we still don't know if Russia's doomsday weapon is still operational. It's a bit of a worry, because the weapon, code name The Dead Hand, is 50,000 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima:

As far as anyone knows, the Dead Hand remains operational. What is truly worrying, even today, is the secrecy that continues to surround the whole subject. Thompson has found that neither George Schultz nor former CIA director James Woolsey had heard of the Dead Hand system. Former Soviet era officials will still not discuss it. One who dared to talk died in mysterious circumstances. Such secrecy is, as Dr Strangelove realised, disastrous: ‘Yes, but the...whole point of the doomsday machine...is lost...if you keep it a secret! Why didn’t you tell the world, eh?’

The doomsday machine is supposed to be the ultimate deterrent. But if no one knows that the deterrent exists... Well, you've all seen the final scenes of Dr Strangelove.

Link - via markarayner

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by drtundra.

I wonder why we haven't heard of this threat before. Interesting.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

A deterrent that nobody knows of? Makes me kind of suspicious but then again the Soviets weren't exactly the type of folks who thought things out and the consequences of their actions.

Might I add: Fire ze missiles!

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Totally automatic 'ey? Can destroy humanity 'ey?

Well lets hope there is no such thing as Czarnet.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

the dead hand isnt a bomb. its a system that would automaticly fire their warheads incase they were attacked first.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

The Dead Hand could have been FUD created by the Soviets to make the west fear them. Or it may have been FUD created by the west in order to make it's own people fear the soviet bloc and thus support their own government's war mongering. Either way it never existed.

The idea that the soviets had technology decades ago that the west still don't have today is frankly ridiculous.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

scary stuff

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

It's like Saddam's WMDs. It's all smoke and mirrors. I agree with Grease Monkey - FUD.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

FUD: Fear Uncertainty and Doubt. (ya I googled it!)

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Like 4thirty said, it isn't a bomb, it is a system and a smart one, designed to let cooler heads prevail in times of crisis. In the event of nuclear attack, authority to launch is passed to whomever is on standby in the system. If Russia gets wiped out, they get vengeance.

In theory it could save a false alarm from causing a nuclear holocaust.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

What's the point of having the most powerful weapon if you don't tell anyone about it?
-- Dr. Strangelove

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

It wasn't a weapon it was an automatic retaliation system if they where attacked first.....

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

This from the nation that created the Lada.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Have you seen the state of Russia's entire military machine lately? Most of their planes are grounded for lack of maintenance and parts, the bulk of their fleet of surface ships and submarines are rusting in harbors or abandoned, scuttled or scrapped, and there's no reason to believe that this system, assuming that it ever existed, would be in any better shape.
Here's an example of what is now left of one of their bases: http://englishrussia.com/?p=1910#more-1910

Need I say more?

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Justin, at least you didn't find the definition Female Urinary Device. That might have given you even more uncertainty.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

peace through hippies

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

As a Russian who actually knows about the crappy state of the government, the bureaucracy, and the lack of money, I find this panickiness about Russians having horrible weapons and evilly planning to use them someday hilarious.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Wouldn't trying to turn it off actually trigger it?

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

So yopur saying this isn't propaganda, like Reagan's "Star Wars" foolishness?

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Eli, while I am happy you read Englishrussia, it is very funny blog sometimes, you cannot honestly get your facts from there. A bunch of old migs and T34s, I don't think the reason they are grounded is because of a lack of parts, it has something to do with them being 50 years old.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Login to comment.

Click here to access all of this post's 19 comments

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.