How is your comfort level with moving nuclear subs?

[Smit]

I don't really know that I believe this is anything more than Trumply bluster but it sure doesn't seem smart to provoke another nuclear power this way.

Trump orders US nuclear subs repositioned over statements from ex-Russian leader Medvedev

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a warning to Russia, President Donald Trump said Friday he's ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines "based on the highly provocative statements" of the country's former president Dmitry Medvedev.

Trump posted on his social media site that based on the "highly provocative statements" from Medvedev he had "ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that."

The president added, "Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances."

It wasn't immediately clear what impact Trump's order would have on U.S. nuclear subs, which are routinely on patrol in the world's hotspots, but it comes at a delicate moment in the Trump administration's relations with Moscow.

Trump has said that special envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to Russia to push Moscow to agree to a ceasefire in its war with Ukraine and has threatened new economic sanctions if progress is not made. He cut his 50-day deadline for action to 10 days, with that window set to expire next week.

The post about the sub repositioning came after Trump, in the wee hours of Thursday morning, had posted that Medvedev was a "failed former President of Russia" and warned him to "watch his words." Medvedev responded hours later by writing, "Russia is right on everything and will continue to go its own way."

Medvedev was president from 2008 to 2012 while Putin was barred from seeking a second consecutive term but stepped aside to let him run again. Now deputy chairman of Russia's National Security Council, which Putin chairs, Medvedev has been known for his provocative and inflammatory statements since the start of the war in 2022, a U-turn from his presidency, when he was seen as liberal and progressive.

He has frequently wielded nuclear threats and lobbed insults at Western leaders on social media. Some observers have argued that with his extravagant rhetoric, Medvedev is seeking to score political points with Putin and Russian military hawks.

Trump and Medvedev have gotten into online spats before.

On July 15, after Trump announced plans to supply Ukraine with more weapons via its NATO allies and threatened additional tariffs against Moscow, Medvedev posted, "Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn't care."

Earlier this week, he wrote, "Trump's playing the ultimatum game with Russia: 50 days or 10" and added, "He should remember 2 things: 1. Russia isn't Israel or even Iran. 2. Each new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country."

[Incogneeto]

4 D Chess.

You really are Slooooow.

[beej]

If Adam Schiff was telling us the truth, Putin should be releasing all the dirt that he has on Trump any minute now.

:fingers tapping on the desk as I wait:

[neurosis]

I don't really know that I believe this is anything more than Trumply bluster but it sure doesn't seem smart to provoke another nuclear power this way.

I posted something about this in the War Games thread. It was more about the back and forth rhetoric between the US and Russia.

Didn't we already have nuclear subs in that region?

[CNCAppsJames]

I posted something about this in the War Games thread. It was more about the back and forth rhetoric between the US and Russia.

Didn't we already have nuclear subs in that region?

Relatively close.

I think Putin is testing Trump's resolve.  It's easy to March a has-been like Medvedev out there to shake things up a bit. Their war with Ukraine is testing the will of the Russian people and they desperately need something... anything to get behind the war effort.  What better way than to stoke up the Cold War furnace? I personally can't think of one. 

[Smit]

I posted something about this in the War Games thread. It was more about the back and forth rhetoric between the US and Russia.

Didn't we already have nuclear subs in that region?

Always, close enough. Same as they have their subs close enough to us.

The blustering about it is kinda different.

[neurosis]

The blustering about it is kinda different.

The level of crazy between the two Countries is very disturbing.

Knowing that Russia has a system in place to automatically retaliate in case of a nuclear war, you can only hope that it stops at blustering and that nobody says anything too stupid. 

[Newbeeee™]

Knowing that Russia has a system in place to automatically retaliate in case of a nuclear wa

Oooohhhh, you've seen it? What's it look like?
Don't tell me, it's red!

[neurosis]

Oooohhhh, you've seen it?

I've read about it. According to US military experts, they believe it exists.

Do you think that it doesn't? 

[Newbeeee™]

I've read about it. According to US military experts, they believe it exists.

Do you think that it doesn't? 

I don't have a clue. But I also don't believe a word that ex spurt zzzz in meeeedya say.

[CNCAppsJames]

I've read about it. According to US military experts, they believe it exists.

Do you think that it doesn't? 

Well, the USSR REALLY thought we were actively developing SDI and we essentially bankrupted them in the late 80's/early 90's so isn't it possible they are returning the favor? 

NOBODY here in the US really "knows".

[neurosis]

NOBODY here in the US really "knows".

That's true. But I wouldn't want to find out the hard way.

I've read that the US was at one point, developing something similar, but without the auto-launch capability. According to at least one of the documents I've read on the Russian system, they've modified it to require some kind of human interaction.

I guess take all of that with a grain of salt. 
----

An article on it.

https://www.military.com/history/russias-dead-hand-soviet-built-nuclear-doomsday-device.html

[gcode]

According to US military experts,

These are the same overpaid clowns who missed minor events like

The fall of the Iron Curtain
The collapse of the Soviet Union
Putin's invasion of Ukraine
The pitiful state of the Russian Army
Saddam's invasion of Kuwait
The Hamas attack on October 3 2023 
need I go on??
In summation, the US military experts ain't experts.

[neurosis]

In summation the US military experts ain't experts.

And yet we rely on them for our Countries "defense"?   

Makes it sound like dumping trillions of dollars in to an entity who gets its strategic advice from a bunch of morons is a waste of money?

[MIL-TFP-41]

These are the same overpaid clowns who missed minor events like

The fall of the Iron Curtain
The collapse of the Soviet Union
Putin's invasion of Ukraine
The pitiful state of the Russian Army
Saddam's invasion of Kuwait
The Hamas attack on October 3 2023 
need I go on??
In summation, the US military experts ain't experts.

I'd argue that they likely knew about these events and either ignored they were going to happen or even played a part in making them happen. With no major events like these, no need for trillion dollar budgets funding the military.