scott wrote:
>>>     Imagine if they'd have exploded. What would we be doing right now?
>>
>> Assuming you mean if the weapons went off - not much chance of that. I 
>> reckon those subs could be completely destroyed by a variety of 
>> accidents/hostilities and the nukes still wouldn't go off. They need 
>> to be set off deliberately.
> 
> Yes, it is almost impossible to set off the nuclear weapon "by mistake" 
> due to some shock or explosion nearby, *but* the radioactive components 
> of the weapon can sure be released during a normal impact/explosion and 
> released into the water or atmosphere.  It may not be as severe as a 
> nuclear explosion, but there will be a lot of radioactive material 
> released, and the sea currents / wind will probably carry it and dump it 
> as rain over Europe...

I don't think that would be particularly serious either. The sub's 
reactor would probably be more dangerous than the warheads in that regard.

Obviously a spilled warhead wouldn't be harmless, but I'm not convinced 
that large masses of dense metals such as Pu and U would make it very 
far, least of all rainfall! And I'd like to believe that the sub's 
designers might have though of this too... :)

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