My friend the other day got back from a trip to Russia and I was quite appaled at one of her experiences.

While touring with a guide, the group stopped at a nuclear submarine facility. Now in a facility with submarines, you would expect some level of security, right? Guess not. The group simply walked in and made their way to a living nuclear submarine, waltzing right in without any verification. The sub was manned by one old man, who apparently seemed to have had one too many shots of vodka, and the tour continued. When asked if the sub was still working, the old man replied that indeed it was in working order and ready for use.

Doesn't this scare you just a little? That any Joe could go to Russia and pick up a sub that easily? I hope it's not just me...

very cool...

i wish i was there...

someday...

I'm not afraid of soviet nuclear subs being under protected. If it was State side, then yes, that would be the one thing I could admit to being scared of. As for terrorists going onto that sub and stealing it, no worries. They sure don't have the training or discipline to operate it. The drunk guy might, if he is old as it is said, he might be a KGB "OG".

In all reality, that sub probably has more than one sat, high over head keeping tabs. Considering the number of them up there, odds are more than one does.

did you ask to see the reactor?

Frankly, I doubt that it was a deployable sub. The Russian fleet is in a badly deteriorated state. Of the entire Russian nuclear submarine fleet, only about 40 boats remain in commission (if the number is even that large today).

Even those that remain in commission and theoretically operational are generally unable to deploy, due to lack of trained crews and lack of funds. Maintenance is minimal or nonexistent, and there are no funds to conduct much-needed overhauls, even for major fleet units. Many ships have been abandoned when repairs or refits came due.

The few boats that are in service would be manned by more than one old man and a bottle of vodka.

How about the material in the reactor? I think terrorists would find it much more useful to steal the plutonium/uranium rather than try to escape with the whole sub.

Something doesn't sound right. I doubt it was an active ship, with only an old man. Nuclear vessels have shut down reactor operators in the maneuvering area 24/7 plus a duty section. It may have been decommed or already had the power plant stripped out.

Originally posted by ufo3
How about the material in the reactor? I think terrorists would find it much more useful to steal the plutonium/uranium rather than try to escape with the whole sub.

The reactor(s) and associated fuel rods must way a ton and have lots of associated equipment (pipes to steam generators, coolant loops, electronics etc. Even if they managed to board the ship and get inside the reactor compartment I don't see any practical means of extracting the uranium. They'd have to steal the whole ship and get medieval on it with mig welders and a block and tackle to pull the rods out. Without knowing what they were doing, I would bet on fatal radiation poisoning.

[edit on 16-12-2004 by Schaden]

Oh Yee of Little Faith.......

I Myself have been to the former Bloc. It only seems unguarded. NOt to start yert another random conspiracy, but, with the little money they do have for many things they still need to remain active as even a small world power, do you think they are going to have large numbers of armed guards in uniforms? No, it costs money. but they are watching. besides, You cant just run in to a sub, turn the key, throw her in reverse and run off, believe me, if you could, id have on one my dads dock down at the river. By the time you got the thing even semi warmed up, Russia would have had time to fly in hundreds of ground forces, and have other maritime vessels block off the harbor. As far as a nuclear reactor, youre not gonna put it in your pocket and walk out unnoticed. And last but not least, going back to the money issue, if they are tyring to save as much money as possible, why would they leave a working reactor floating unused in the harbor? why not pull it out and put it in a newer or more recently refit boat, use it to generate power for the people, or, SELL it to the highest bidder? there are numerous possibilities as to what would have come of it, but i doubt that it was on the sub, and if it was, that it was in any type of working, at least safely, order