# British Nukes armed with Cycle lock **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 15, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-nukes-armed-with-cycle-lock/426572 "2007-11-15T19:25:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-nukes-armed-with-cycle-lock/426572/1 "2007-11-15T19:25:58Z")
Recent research has shown that [British nukes](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7097101.stm) were armed with a single barrel style bicycle lock. Senior military figures argued that Permissive Action Links (combination locks/two key systems) were not required because senior officers could be trusted to obey orders. I wonder if a pen barrel could arm the bomb… :smack: Si ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-nukes-armed-with-cycle-lock/426572/2 "2007-11-15T23:57:56Z")
That kind of story makes my stomach lurch. ---
**Author:** ![Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ec9cab/32.png) [@Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-nukes-armed-with-cycle-lock/426572/3 "2007-11-16T02:48:00Z")
I don’t know what all the fuss is about, obviously only Officers could access a Nuke, and we all know that Officers are Gentlemen, So thats all right then. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-nukes-armed-with-cycle-lock/426572/4 "2007-11-16T04:24:25Z")
This is _new_ research? I’d heard about it awhile back—[even saw the web page](http://www.nuclear-weapons.info/vw.htm) (Search for “Permissive Action Link”) That ain’t the scary part, though…some of the early higher-yield British bombs had core that had “were greater than one uncompressed critical mass.” Meaning, that unlike a lot of other nuclear weapon designs, a fire or a crushing accident to the weapon might cause a nuclear chain reaction (or explosion). To safeguard against this, the hollow core of the weapon was filled several thousand steel ball bearings when in storage, which would have to be collected and poured back in later (a similar U.S. design used a superior system—an aluminum-boron _chain_ that was packed into the weapon core, thank you very much). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-nukes-armed-with-cycle-lock/426572/5 "2007-11-16T05:50:41Z")
At least Her Majesty and Gordon Brown have good heads on their shoulders. Some other nuclear-armed countries should be so lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-nukes-armed-with-cycle-lock/426572/6 "2007-11-16T06:05:26Z")
Two previous threads that may be of interest: > **[Does the Queen or the PM really control British nuclear weapons?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=420767)** > > Under the mostly-unwritten British constitution, the sovereign is de jure commander in chief, but the prime minister holds de facto authority over the British military, including nuclear weapons, I’ve read. True? IIRC, all of the UK’s nuclear... > **[Where was (is) the Queen supposed to go in case of nuclear war?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=434713)** > > Has the British government declassfied Cold War era plans for securing the Queen and the Royal family? Was a bunker constructed for them ala the Greenbriar in West Virginia (where the US Congress was supposed to go)? I remember reading something... ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-nukes-armed-with-cycle-lock/426572/7 "2007-11-16T08:36:29Z")
[QUOTE=si\_blakely] Recent research has shown that [British nukes](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7097101.stm) were armed with a single barrel style bicycle lock. Senior military figures argued that Permissive Action Links (combination locks/two key systems) were not required because senior officers could be trusted to obey orders. I wonder if a pen barrel could arm the bomb… :smack: Si [/QUOTE] And everyone wondered why spectre high jacked a vulcan to get the bombs . Declan