Nuclear security

UK Tabloids in a Frenzy Over Russia's 'Dreaded Dead Hand Doomsday Device'

A nuclear security expert believes that the Soviet Union's old Dead Hand automatic nuclear-control system is still operational and is even being upgraded by Russia. His remarks sparked a furor among the country's tabloids, still reeling from the scandal over the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy.

Speaking to the Daily Star, Princeton academic and former US Air Force nuclear launch officer Bruce Blair laid out the principles of Dead Hand's "fully automatic" operation, and recalled that it was created during the Cold War out of Moscow's fears of a US 'decapitation' strike against the Soviet leadership.

Saying that he was somewhat concerned over the system's possible vulnerability to cyber-attacks, Blair admitted that for the most part, if such a weapon exists, it actually helps to reduce the chances of a nuclear war, because it forces other nuclear powers to think twice about launching an attack against Russia, even a "limited" leadership decapitation strike.