How many nukes could be PREVENTED from launching in the event of an accidental exchange?

[Doctor Sulemain]

Let's say the 1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm incident causes an actual Soviet strike, and the Americans retaliate. Would their be time once (assuming) the Soviets realise there mistake to mitigate the number of nuclear weapons being used?

 

[Yossarian]

Well, who's trying to stop their launch and how long after the initiation of the launch process do they realise the mistake and try to stop? Are you talking about the Soviets ordering a counterstrike, realising their mistake, and then ordering their forces to stand down? Or have the Soviets already launched, the Americans begun to retaliate after detecting launches, and then Washington deciding (why?) to stand down?

In terms of time, there's a big difference between rescinding the go order five minutes after and an hour after - the balance is one glowing hemisphere, more or less.

 

[The Lone Centurion]

the OP misunderstands the paranoia and fear and just plain mentality of the Soviet leadership in 1983.

 

[Tabac Iberez]

The OP does not understand the way nuclear infasturcture works, methinks. Once you launch, everything flies.

 

[Doctor Sulemain]

The OP does not understand the way nuclear infasturcture works, methinks. Once you launch, everything flies.

I was assuming their were options for recalling bombers at the very least.

 

[Tabac Iberez]

I was assuming their were options for recalling bombers at the very least.

Once the bombers get tasked, they're gone. The codes are triple-checked for a reason, and in the case of a war you need the bombers going out because they're what have the decapatory strikes- the ICBMs are probably going to miss by a good bit in '83, so you need someone to manually shove a warhead down the damn Capatalist/Communist throat to finish the job, and every minute counts.

 

[JN1]

I was assuming their were options for recalling bombers at the very least.

Depends on whether they have reached the Fail Safe points or not. If SAC's bombers don't recieve a 'Go Code' by the time they reach this point they will return to base (if it is still there).

 

[Resurgam]

Considering the launch on warning, use 'em or lose 'em mentality of the 1980s there wouldn't be any chance to stop the massive exchange. But there'd be enough time for the Soviets to go "...oops..." when there aren't any missiles hitting, followed by very many missiles hitting. There's a chance to recall the bombers depending on how far things have gone but by that point the damage is very, very done by the ICBMs.

I got plenty of stories about nukes and using them from one of my college professors (he was a key man in Europe in the 1980s) and my days working at the Intrepid Museum. Also, my younger cousin used to serve at Whiteman until last month. I do not envy those who do the job.

 

[Simon]

... the ICBMs are probably going to miss by a good bit in 1983...

A quick search suggests that the Minuteman III had a CEP of 900 feet at the start of the 1980s, granted that means fifty per cent will land outside that radius but I would have thought that was close enough.