What is it that keeps nuclear weapons from being deployed? I don't mean in warfare, I mean, what safeguard is there to keep a bomber pilot from firing one himself, or two men in a silo from deciding that they want to nuke Paris? Maybe an SSBN captain who lost a poker game to a North Korean.I understand that there are codes which require authentication to follow, but that's if people do it right. Other than fear.. what keeps people (in the US, specifically) from deploying nuclear weapons whenever they choose?
first of all there is nuclear poliferation ban treaty, that most nuke counitres signed. and any nukes used will allow other countries with nuclear weapons to be used as well. and countries that are developing nukes will also use it.
you answered your own question with the codes.
The loaders don't put on active nucs unless there is a reason. The weapons officer is constantly checked for mental stability, as are the rest of the flight crew and the maintainers. Same can be said for the missileers sitting in the silos. The codes are changed and authenticated constantly. The odds of both of them losing it at the same time... very low.
1. bombers do NOT fly with nuclear weapons on them and have not since 1968 so its kind of hard to drop them, if your not in the air with them 2. all nuclear weapons have permissive action links a specific code that must be used, before you can even arm a nuclear warhead IE: the arming circuitry doesn't even function, without that code being entered so the pilots or silo crew do NOT have the ability to arm the warheads, until they are given the code to enter
