“Governing the Bomb”: the command of nuclear weapons in the constitutional systems of the United Kingdom and France – This paper aims to reconstruct the procedures – generally covered by secrecy and little known – with which command and control over thenuclear arsenal is exercised in the only two European states, the United Kingdom and the France, that have had it for decades. All States in possession of these weapons have had to set up decision-making procedures based on a complex framework of relations between civilians and the military in which the final decision on its use is generally recognized by the highest political authority of the country (the head of state or government), while the armed forces have the responsibility to ensure its concrete implementation through operational orders to the units called to directly use atomic weapons. They are also examined the mechanisms by which, in specific and extreme circumstances, the continuity of the chain of command of nuclear weapons is ensured and their accidental use is prevented.
“Governare la Bomba”: il comando delle armi nucleari negli ordinamenti costituzionali del Regno Unito e della Francia – Il presente contributo si propone di ricostruire le modalità – generalmente coperte dal segreto e poco conosciute – con le quali viene esercitato il comando e il controllo sull'arsenale nucleare nei due Stati europei, il Regno Unito e la Francia, a possederlo da decenni. Tutti gli Stati in possesso di queste armi hanno dovuto istituire procedure decisionali basate su un complesso quadro di rapporti tra civili e militari in cui la decisione finale sul loro utilizzo è generalmente riconosciuta dalla massima autorità politica del Paese (il capo di Stato o di governo), mentre le forze armate hanno la responsabilità di assicurarne la concreta attuazione attraverso ordini operativi alle unità chiamate ad utilizzare direttamente armi atomiche. Vengono inoltre esaminati i meccanismi attraverso i quali, in circostanze specifiche ed estreme, viene assicurata la continuità della catena di comando delle armi nucleari e ne viene impedito l'uso accidentale.
“Governare la Bomba”: il comando delle armi nucleari nei sistemi costituzionali del Regno Unito e della Francia
RINO CASELLA
2022-01-01
Abstract
“Governing the Bomb”: the command of nuclear weapons in the constitutional systems of the United Kingdom and France – This paper aims to reconstruct the procedures – generally covered by secrecy and little known – with which command and control over thenuclear arsenal is exercised in the only two European states, the United Kingdom and the France, that have had it for decades. All States in possession of these weapons have had to set up decision-making procedures based on a complex framework of relations between civilians and the military in which the final decision on its use is generally recognized by the highest political authority of the country (the head of state or government), while the armed forces have the responsibility to ensure its concrete implementation through operational orders to the units called to directly use atomic weapons. They are also examined the mechanisms by which, in specific and extreme circumstances, the continuity of the chain of command of nuclear weapons is ensured and their accidental use is prevented.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
