Russia's 'Dead Hand' System Can Launch 4,000 Nuclear Missiles Autonomously, Ensuring Mutually Assured Destruction

Nov 19, 2024, 05:02 PM

Russia's 'Dead Hand' system, a classified nuclear mechanism, is designed to automatically retaliate with a full-scale nuclear strike if the country's leadership is incapacitated. This system operates autonomously, launching approximately 4,000 nuclear missiles at targets in the United States and NATO if it detects that command and control have been lost. The concept, often referred to as the 'Samson option,' reflects the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), ensuring that even in the event of a successful decapitation strike against Russian leadership, a devastating response would still occur against adversaries.