In an article titled Safe or Sorry: The "Y2K Problem" and Nuclear Weapon, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (March/April 1999 Vol. 55, No. 2) has what seems to be both good and bad news. When a specific statement of fact is made, this article cites an identified source. Commenting on the DoD Quarterly Report of 17 Nov 1998, this piece says:

"It also appears that the navy's nuclear submarine command and communication systems cannot be renovated. Several of the navy's key communications components are far behind the curve. These include the Integrated Submarine Automated Broadcast Processing System (the on-shore component of the Very Low Frequency Communications System), and the automated submarine processing system. According to Brookings expert Bruce Blair, these two systems are the primary mode of communications with ballistic-missile submarines.[8] The navy says that to be compliant, the systems must be replaced, an unlikely possibility before the year 2000. And if they are not replaced, the command link with U.S. nuclear submarines will be severely weakened."

There's more, of course.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), April 20, 1999

Answers

Tom, Heard on CNN this morning if we didn't get the money Clinton is requesting for military over Kosovo that we would be in a military crisis. In other words, all the weapons used up and nothing to defend outselves with...that's scarier than any y2k scenerio!

-- Moore Dinty moore (not@thistime.com), April 20, 1999.

We still have 2000 Tomahawk (sea launched) cruise missiles in inventory. But I agree we need to re-arm in preparation for the uncertainties of the 21st century.

-- a (a@a.a), April 20, 1999.

Moore,

And it would be CLINTON'S FAULT! He's gotten us into all this military crap while simultaneously and repeatedly chopping the military budget.

You know, if some alien came down here and we were trying to explain all this to him, just imagine what he'd think. "Well," we'd drawl (I'd drawl, I'm in TX now ;-)), "First he cut down dramatically on our military personnel and equipment. All along he got us into various conflicts that used up equipment and money. Then he basically sold us out, committed treason, and sold technology that could kill us to Red China. By the way that technology just happens to be oriented well toward a missile system, which we coincidentally happen to have NO defense from. Then he got us in this other war. Then he took tons of money that could have been used to help prepare for Y2K stuff, and had us spend it on the war. Then he took many of our remaining military troops at home and sent them over to the war."

And the alien would probably say, "Oh. So you mean he planned the demolition and/or takeover of your country from way back, eh?"

It's funny how the more you look at things the more starkly obvious it seems. I must be paranoid.... but I don't see any other answer.

PJ in TX

-- PJ Gaenir (fire@firedocs.com), April 21, 1999.