Humpday History Highlight
By Wyatt Earp | January 25, 2012
On this date in 1995, Russia almost launched its nukes in response to a detected rocket launch from Norway.
You know, because Norway is always rattling their sabers. Or in this case I guess it’s their Hardingfeles (fiddles).
Either way, the Russians dropped the nuclear football, and if it hadn’t for some prudent fact-checking, most of the western hemisphere would be glowing right now.
I can’t believe I don’t remember this.
Russia’s early-warning defense radar detects an unexpected missile launch near Norway. The nuclear command systems switched to combat mode, and the nuclear suitcases carried by Yeltsin and his top commander were activated for the first time in the history of the Soviet-made weapons system. Five minutes after the launch detection, Russian command determined that the missile’s impact point would be outside Russia’s borders. Three more minutes passed, and Yeltsin was informed that the launching was likely not part of a surprise nuclear strike by Western nuclear submarines.
Later, it was revealed that the missile, launched from Spitzbergen, Norway, was actually carrying instruments for scientific measurements. Nine days before, Norway had notified 35 countries, including Russia, of the exact details of the planned launch. The Russian Defense Ministry had received Norway’s announcement but had neglected to inform the on-duty personnel at the early-warning center of the imminent launch.
Yeltsin? Isn’t that the active ingredient in Certs? Oh wait, that’s Retsyn.
Topics: HHH | 11 Comments »
Sometimes it’s scary to think of how very little it would take for complete destruction, and what morons are in charge of preventing.
If I remember correctly the MSM played this way down, as if stuff like this happens all the time.
Howdy Wyatt – not only do I not recall this event at all, but honestly this is the first time I’ve read about it!!
I think Loaded Dice has it right!
I remember that one… but not for those reasons…
I didn’t know anything about this.
This happened 3 days before my 41st birthday.
I ALMOST didn’t turn 41 !
Man, I wish one of those TV lawyers would advertise about THIS !
” Did you ALMOST miss a birthday ? ”
“You MAY be entitled to COMPENSATION ! ”
“Call Brasso, Crasso and Ommabanjo and we’ll FIGHT for your RIGHT to be compensated. “
We’ve gotten closer than that…
Launch. Without a Transformers 4 on the horizon, no one has anything to live for.
DL474 – Nah, they’re “our betters.” /snark
LDIV – Wouldn’t surprise me – the downplaying.
Real – God, then it wasn’t just me.
Old NFO – Understood.
JT – Where was the Emergency Broadcast System?
Richard – Thank you, Marko Ramius.
Dr. Evil – Until Megan Fox ditches the crack pipe, at least.
There was another incident…think it was in the mid 80′s. Their early warning radar computers had a fart and were telling them that we’d launched EVERYTHING. Fortunately, the Colonel in charge of their missile division was smarter than everyone above him and he refused to counter-launch because he though it didn’t make any kind of sense that we’d strike like that.
Those wacky Norsemen…
…and goes to show what can happen with inferior technology when you spill your VODKA onto a control panel in a war-room at Irkutsk.
Roll safe (and nuclear-free) out there.
See the Ruskies are just like us. Sounds like something that would happen in our bureaucracy today. Like maybe an FBI field office discovers that Muslim pilots are learning to fly passenger jets but not how to take off or land. But the memo is not relayed to the terror task force.