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From: davidc@umd5.umd.edu (David Conrad)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Trident-II Missile Launch
Message-ID: <5519@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 7 Apr 89 23:13:00 GMT
References: <5479@cbnews.ATT.COM>
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From: davidc@umd5.umd.edu (David Conrad)

My father works with the Navy's Trident program and he had the
following answers to your questions:

>From article <5479@cbnews.ATT.COM>, by isis!cs.odu.edu!paterra@gatech.edu (Frank C. Paterra):
> 	How does a missle get launched from the sub?  I assume that it
> 	is first ejected by compressed cold gas, but I don't really
> 	know.

The missle is propelled from the sub by steam generated by a small
rocket motor firing into a cooling chamber which contains water.

> 	How long does the sub have to get out of the area before the
>         missle ignites?

Since the missle engines ignite as soon as it leaves the water,
the sub has no time to move.

> 	What would happend if the missle exploded in close proximity
> 	to the sub?  What sort of damage could the crew expect?

If the missle exploded underwater, the effect would be the same as a
(large) depth charge, e.g. bad.  Above the water, there would be little 
effect.

> 	Can the missles be launched when the sub is on the surface or
> 	only when it is submerged?

Classified, though the Polaris/Posideons could be (and were) launched from
the surface.  I would imagine launching from the surface would be frowned
upon, even if it could be done, as the surface isn't the best place for
subs to be.

-drc