Launch codes aren’t to block China from authorizing a launch. They’re there to keep someone in the military from doing a launch without authorization. China is probably one of the parties who least wants said codes leaking.
If you have a couple hundred people who can start a nuclear war, that war becomes a whole lot more likely than if only one can.
From China’s standpoint, the next best number of people who can launch against them after 0 is 1.
The British used bicycle keys on their nuclear bombs.
They are there to make sure none unauthorised launches the nukes,yes.
But there is a chance someone within the military is bought by someone and that adversary doesn’t even have to be the official government of a foreign country.
To give a few examples(even though the US nuclear policy has changed and it wouldn’t be possible today, thankfully): What if Putin, with his back against the wall, decides to risk it all and by proxy let the US attack China so NATO won’t come after him?
What if Winnie Pooh faces a revolution and decides in a hitleresque manner that it China is no longer under CCP rule there better is no China and orders a loyal sleeper to attack China so there at least is a chance that he comes out of the bunker irradiated but victorious?
We all have seen enough crazy shit to not rule out even more crazy shit.
It was just a bad, lazy, process. nothing more. And I really hope that the US really did change it in the meantime.
Though you could argue – since there was a point in time prior to PALs where there was no authorization system at all – that a very functionally-similar state existed prior to the implementation of those codes.
Well considering that the US nuclear launch codes were just zeros for a while, it just might be realistic.
Tbf it still has the best security there is, air gap security
Unless someone sends the suit with the codes in it to the Chinese dry cleaners…again…and again.
Launch codes aren’t to block China from authorizing a launch. They’re there to keep someone in the military from doing a launch without authorization. China is probably one of the parties who least wants said codes leaking.
If you have a couple hundred people who can start a nuclear war, that war becomes a whole lot more likely than if only one can.
From China’s standpoint, the next best number of people who can launch against them after 0 is 1.
The British used bicycle keys on their nuclear bombs.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7097101.stm
As people learned around that time, a really great way to bypass bicycle locks is with a ballpoint pen.
https://www.wired.com/2004/09/twist-a-pen-open-a-lock/
That was aimed more at keeping honest people honest.
They are there to make sure none unauthorised launches the nukes,yes. But there is a chance someone within the military is bought by someone and that adversary doesn’t even have to be the official government of a foreign country.
To give a few examples(even though the US nuclear policy has changed and it wouldn’t be possible today, thankfully): What if Putin, with his back against the wall, decides to risk it all and by proxy let the US attack China so NATO won’t come after him?
What if Winnie Pooh faces a revolution and decides in a hitleresque manner that it China is no longer under CCP rule there better is no China and orders a loyal sleeper to attack China so there at least is a chance that he comes out of the bunker irradiated but victorious?
We all have seen enough crazy shit to not rule out even more crazy shit.
It was just a bad, lazy, process. nothing more. And I really hope that the US really did change it in the meantime.
I’ve seen some statements that this was apocryphal.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/01/21/air-force-swears-our-nuke-launch-code-was-never-00000000/
Though you could argue – since there was a point in time prior to PALs where there was no authorization system at all – that a very functionally-similar state existed prior to the implementation of those codes.