ANSWERS Submarine Multiple Choice Questions of the Week - 18 July 2016

Related information, photo(s) and links for questions are found in the original posting here. 

Questions of the Week with ANSWERS

1 -  What 'Consumer Discretionary' company recently agreed to assist the U.S. Navy in development of hydrogen fuel cells for fleets of submarine drones (UUVs)?
a) Duracell
b) Eveready
c) ANSWER > General Motors  
d) Electric Boat

The following relate to the Royal Navy's ballistic nuclear missile subs:
2 -  What are"letters of last resort"?
a)  pleas by ballistic missile sub sailors addressed to wives / girlfriends.
b)  ANSWER > identically-worded, handwritten letters from the Prime Minister to commanding officers of his four British ballistic missile submarines.  many sources
c)  pleas by creditors addressed to ballistic missile sub sailors to make payments before repossession.
d)  offers from the Chief Admiral of the Royal Australian Navy to transfer to his Collins-class subs.

3 - Does Brittain's royal monarch sign or receive a copy of such"letters of last resort"?
a)  absolutely
b)  definitely not
c)  never even consulted about them
d)  ANSWER >  unknown: no authoritative reference was found 

4 - What part does BBC-4 Radio play in using such "letters of last resort"?
a)  BBC-4 has a strong reputation for comedy, plus experimental and alternative comedy.
b)  BBC-4 broadcasts a wide variety of of spoken-word programmes including news and science.
c)  BBC-4 never goes off air.
d)  ANSWER > BBC-4 signals British Trident ballistic missile subs when to open "letters of last resort"?  (According to Peter Hennessy's book The Secret State: Whitehall and the Cold War, 1945 to 1970, the process by which a Vanguard-class submarine commander would determine if the British government continues to function includes, amongst other checks, establishing whether BBC Radio 4 continues broadcasting. ^[8])
 
5 - Is it necessary for British Royal Navy (RN) Trident ballistic missile subs to ascertain the health or disposition of the Royal Monarch prior to opening "letters of last resort"?
a)  unnecessary
b)  absolutely
c)  ANSWER > unknown: no authoritative reference was found
d)  not possible

6 - In what section of a Trident sub are "letters of last resort" maintained?
a)  the mess deck
b)  ANSWER > the control room
c)  the commanding officer's stateroom
d)  the reactor compartment

7 - Within the above submarine section how are "letters of last resort" stored?
a)  in a locked file cabinet by sailor name
b)  under a sailor's mattress, usually
c)   ANSWER > in a double safe (outer and an inner)
d)  they are immediately incinerated after reading

8 - When must "letters of last resort" be destroyed?
a)  Only when a new skipper assumes command.
b)  Only when related debts have been paid.
c)  Only when the British government, Prime Minister and his "second" have been been incapacitated.
d)  ANSWER > When a newer version is authorized by a successor PM.     

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Submarine (Multiple Choice) Questions of the Week

This week's theme: Paradoxes in recent (the past 30 days) news...

The Questions

1 -  What 'Consumer Discretionary' company recently agreed to assist the U.S. Navy in development of hydrogen fuel cells for fleets of submarine drones (UUVs)?
a) Duracell
b) Eveready
c) General Motors
d) Electric Boat

The following relate to the Royal Navy's ballistic nuclear missile subs: 

2 -  What are"letters of last resort"?
a)  pleas by ballistic missile sub sailors addressed to wives / girlfriends.
b)  identically-worded, handwritten letters from the Prime Minister to commanding officers of his four British ballistic missile submarines.
c)  pleas by creditors addressed to ballistic missile sub sailors to make payments before repossession(s).
d)  offers from the Chief Admiral of the Royal Australian Navy to transfer to his Collins-class subs.

3 - Does Brittain's royal monarch sign or receive a copy of such"letters of last resort"?
a)  absolutely
b)  definitely not 
c)  never even consulted about them
d)  unknown

4 - What part does BBC-4 Radio play in using such "letters of last resort"?
a)  BBC-4 has a strong reputation for comedy, plus experimental and alternative comedy.
b)  BBC-4 broadcasts a wide variety of of spoken-word programmes including news and science.
c)  BBC-4 never goes off air.
d)  BBC-4 signals British Trident ballistic missile subs when to open "letters of last resort"?

5 - Is it necessary for British Royal Navy (RN) Trident ballistic missile subs to ascertain the health or disposition of the Royal Monarch prior to opening "letters of last resort"?
a)  unnecessary
b)  absolutely
c)  unknown
d)  not possible

6 - In what section of a Trident sub are "letters of last resort" maintained? 
a)  the mess deck
b)  the control room
c)  the commanding officer's stateroom
d)  the reactor compartment

7 - Within the above submarine section how are "letters of last resort" stored?
a)  in a locked file cabinet by sailor name
b)  under a sailor's mattress, usually
c)  in a double safe
d)  they are immediately incinerated after reading

8 - When must "letters of last resort" be destroyed?
a)  Only when a new skipper assumes command.
b)  Only when related debts have been paid.
c)  Only when the British government, Prime Minister and his "second" have been been incapacitated.
d)  When a newer version is authorized by a successor PM.

ANSWERS: Thursday, 21 July

Submarines are always silent and strange.





 


 

Answers to latest Submarine Questions of the Week

Background

Related information, photos and links for questions are found at original posting.

Questions of the Week with ANSWERS

1 -  What submarine-building country that formerly "would not have been involved in an open competitive tender because of arms export sensitivities" has reportedly agreed to share "secrets" with a prospective buyer?  ANS: Japan.   more

2 -  What country is the prospective buyer in said submarine offer? ANS: Australia.

3 -  What class of submarine is involved in this underlying acquistion review? ANS: Soryu- class subs (diesel-electric attack subs in service with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force from 2009).

4 -  What third-party country is to supply the sub's combat, surveillance, radar and weapons systems?  ANS:  Reportedly, the United States.

5 -  Has said third-party country has been influential in influencing the purchasing country to go for the deal, and in convincing the selling country to release "secret" data?  ANS:  Yes, it appears so.
 
6 -  What tactics or factors would probably be most persuasive in convincing the seller to release its submarine "secrets"?  ANS (your best choices, for now):
a) -  Evidence corroborating knowledge of such "secrets" by China and/or Russia, for instance, already.
b) -  References to more highly classified "secrets" believed unknown to China and/or Russia, for instance.
c) -  Plans to deliver a SORYU- RAN version with unique upgrades and capabilities.
d) -  All of the above.
e) -  None of the above.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

Submarine Quote of the Decade - October 2014

Since Molten Eagle's adoption of submarine-related content in 2005, our motto has been, Submarines are are always silent and strange.

Today's Submarine Quote of the Decades reinforces the silence aspect of our motto with Australian flair and classical submariner humor: 

“A submariner would rather share his wife than the secrets about his submarine.” - Rear Admiral Peter Briggs (RAN -ret.) addding hopefully,  “I know my wife’s probably not listening to this and I’m going to claim parliamentary privilege.”

-  (appeared in) The Australian, OPINION, Us wot done it, October 01, 2014.

Thank you, Admiral Briggs!

Submarines are are always silent and strange.