WASHINGTON -- U.S. submarine commanders under some conditions can fire nuclear weapons without presidential permission, creating a situation where an atomic clash would most likely begin at sea, an Australian scholar said in an article published Wednesday.
'It is likely that any major conflict at sea would escalate to a strategic nuclear exchange relatively quickly,' said Desmond Ball of Australian National University.
Writing in 'International Security,' published by Harvard University, Ball said because of the need for stealth and the difficulty of communicating with submarines on long-distance underwater patrols, submarine commanders have to have more autonomy in order to defend themselves.
Thus, he considers safeguards on naval nuclear weapons to be less secure than those safeguards used on land-based or airborne atomic arms.
The most risky, the article said, are the 'Holystone' operations, where a U.S. submarine goes close to the Soviet shore, or close enough to a Soviet submarine to photograph it.
Also dangerous, Ball wrote, is the tendency of U.S. and Soviet sub commanders to play sophisticated games of 'chicken' involving the risk of collision and the loss of numerous nuclear weapons at sea.
The article described a November 1969 incident involving the U.S. submarine Gato which, like other Holystone operation subs, has 'authority to use weapons' if threatened.
In that incident, the article said, the weapons officer of the Gato had begun preparations to fire an anti-submarine rocket with a nuclear warhead and 'only one authentication -- either from the ship's captain or her executive officer' was needed to fire the weapon.
Last week, documents released under the Freedom of Information Act listed more than 300 mishaps involving nuclear weapons belonging to the Navy. No explosions occurred but in two of the cases nuclear weapons were lost at sea in accidents.
Ball said the Navy relies on the training and actions of its officers to prevent the firing of tactical nuclear weapons such as torpedoes, and there are no mechanical or electronic safeguards as there are with ballistic missiles.
Navy spokesman Cmdr. Kendall Pease said all nuclear weapons are carefully controlled and no ship or submarine captain can launch or fire a nuclear weapon 'without the specific authorization from the National Command Authority, which is the president or his successor if he is disabled.'
Pease said measures are taken, including multiple key systems, to safeguard against an accidental or unauthorized launch and that personnel involved with the nuclear weapons 'are carefully screened and continually monitored.'
Launching a missile, he said, is a complex operation that would involve the active cooperation of the majority of a submarine crew.
The article said the Navy has approximately 3,500 tactical nuclear weapons on ships and planes, but has given little thought to the implications of a nuclear exchange.
Among other things, Ball proposed more rigorous controls to prevent an isolated ship or submarine commander from firing his tactical weapons in the defense of his vessel, and better command and control systems so ship captains remain in touch with the president and his deputies during a crisis.
