S Cl EN CE ANOTHER WAY A WAR MIGHT START
1958The NewsletterJ. H. Bradley Read the scan at ETOL (PDF) →Read from the scan by machine and not corrected: headlines and words can be misread, and a caption or advert can run into the text. For anything you quote, read the scan.
Some delegates to a meeting of the Scottish Campaign By Our Science Correspondent, J. H. Bradley WE have heard a good deal about the dangers of atomic and hydrogen bombs exploding by accident. There is another way to start a war by mistake, and it is not unlikely either.
Every plane carries a radar identificdtion’ set, -to-telt people which side it is on and not be shot at by mistake. Every time a radar pulse reaches the plane, it sends out an answering code signal.
Sometimes this identification-friend-or-foe (IFF) goes out of order. There have been reports of U.S. planes being shot down by automatic radar-controlled guns when this has happened.
In a political crisis there are plenty of trigger-happy radar sets waiting for such an event.
Now that the great defence is to consist of atomic-headed anti-aircraft missiles, the first mistake will be the last.
Even if the warhead has to be fired by signals from the ground, somebody has to act quickly once the automatic chain has started. And when there are no more interceptor planes, ;