Presumably somewhere in Texas, this time they'll have nukes. They shouldn't 🤞 have a way to use them, but it's curious what would happen with them if a vote to secede was successful.

[–] Five 6 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Why would that be the case? Nuclear missile silos are concentrated in the north central United States specifically to give them more time to fire before detection and landfall of incoming ICBMs.

The vulnerability of Texas to a submarine launch is too great to consider it a base for launch in a mutually-assured destruction scenario. It also doesn't have any reactors capable of producing isotopes needed for nuclear weapons.

[–] FanciestPants@lemmy.world 6 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I won't claim to know about ability to produce the components of a weapon or ability to actually use one, but it appears that the only facility in the US that has the capacity to assemble or disassemble nuclear weapons is in Texas.

https://www.dshs.texas.gov/texas-radiation-control/emergency-preparedness-radiation-control-program/pantex-nuclear-weapons-facility#:~:text=Pantex%20Plant%20is%20America's%20only,an%20Army%20Ordinance%20Corps%20facility.

I just thought that the prospect of Texas trying to secede is a bit more complicated and scary, and thought I would offer a take to balance the jokes.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 2 points 4 months ago

or disassemble

That depends on how quickly and safely you want the disassembly to take place.

[–] Five 2 points 4 months ago

Yeah, that's fucking scary.

[–] Know_not_Scotty_does@lemmy.world 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Pantex plant near Amarillo is a MAJOR nuke servicing facility.

[–] Starb3an@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 months ago

Had a relative that worked on them there.

[–] brygphilomena@lemmy.world 1 points 4 months ago

If they seceded I'm sure the federal government would make the argument that they are on federal land, even if it's within the Texas borders. Since it wasn't state land, their secession wouldn't apply so it would remain the USA. If Texas wanted to refuse the US Federal government access to them, they'd learn a swift lesson. Texas has a lot of guns, but the army has more.