Rum wrote:The point is that if this scenario takes place the weapon has failed. 'Deterrence' is there to deter a potential enemy from launching an attack. If they do the weapon has failed and retaliation is rather pointless, with most of the UK just a radioactive hole.
But this is why the whole scenario may make little sense, unless there is another letter 'The One Just Before Last Resort'.
If we were attacked by the Reds the nukes would travel some distance and therefore we might hope someone was on the phone to the captain to inform him we were under attack, this used to be the scenario when the weapons were land based, as it assumed there were functioning parts of the UK infrastructure.
In that case a launch
could result in the incoming missiles being stopped.
Really the last resort is after the Prime Minister has been killed, not after the UK has been destroyed.
Is the OP inspired by this play?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0210spc
only 2 days left to listen (38 minutes).