Two Questions

I cannot answer question no. 1 though I can tell you that for
your 2nd question that both Capt. Ramsay and Cmdr. Hunter
being the two senior officers aboard the Alabama would have
access to the missile launch box keys. There were three keys
and the third one would have been in the hands of the
weapons or weps officer. I hope this helps to answer your
question.


Lorenzo Sunny California


Call me a sailor or a swabby just don't call me a squid!

1). As I recall, after the first attack the sonar room reported they'd lost contact with the attacking sub. She'd crossed a thermocline and could not be detected by the Alabama's sonar systems. A thermocline is a thin layer of water where the temperature changes drastically as the depth changes. It has the effect of reflecting and distorting acoustic signals like active sonar making it difficult to detect submarines across a thermocline.

During WWII US submarines were eventually equipped with bathythermographs to track the changes in water temperature during a dive. This would allow sub skippers under attack by surface ships to seek a thermocline to hide under so the enemy sonar would not be effective.

I would assume that after the attack was over where the Alabama was nearly hit by a torpedo, they were too far away from the attacking sub to detect her by sound, and across one or more thermoclines making detection by active sonar ("pinging") impossible. That is why they could not counter-attack. Being a boomer, it is probably better for them to try to remain undetected while they repair their battle damage, than to go out hunting an enemy attack sub which is faster, and more maneuverable.

1)

The Alabama gets the contact, they don't know what it is.

They get the EAM then authenticate the missile launch order, and have to wait about 15 minutes before they can launch.

It's then classified as an Akula, and it's location is above them, the Alabama dives sharply to avoid them and rigs for ultraquiet.

That's when Ramsey says they'll take it out if it comes around or opens a door.

Then the Akula vanishes.

As they dive they receive a ELF message that indicates they will receive an EAM. Hunter tells Ramsey they should go to periscope depth to get the message.

Ramsey refuses because of the Akula and tells Hunter they are going to rise to launch depth and launch.

Hunter then suggests floating the buoy to receive the message, and the winch jams up, marking their position to the Akula. Funnily enough, this entire thing could've been avoided if Hunter had simply taken his chances with the vanished Akula.

Literally seconds after they re-establish contact with the Akula (as it heard the noise and came about) it launches at Alabama, and the Alabama takes evasive action. After they evade the torps, the Akula is gone.

So to answer 1, they don't have time to attack it before it attacks them, they probably aren't even in position to attack it, as they turn to run and evade.

2) A bunch of stuff on the ship is shown to be one man only. The captain appears to be the only one who has access to the weapon keys in his stateroom, and it's likely the EAM authenticator box isn't accessible to any other personnel other than the 3rd and 4th in command. I'm not sure how it works in real life, but presumably in regards to Nuclear Weapons at least in the movie universe, the system is setup so that if the sub isn't properly staffed by it's officers, that it shouldn't launch because it's incapacitated.

Submarines aren't exactly the toughest boats, in most combat situations involving sumbmarines, it's rare for a sub to survive an attack that damages it. Especially when you consider modern naval weapons are incredibly damaging. If the movie were more realistic, the Akula would've launched 2 torpedoes, then another 2 while the first 2 were homing in, then another 2, then another 2 until it sank the Alabama, which would not have been likely to get a shot off in return. I can only guess that in the haste to escape the rebel base, it hadn't loaded up more than a half-dozen weapons.

Come out with your hands up, we have you partially surrounded!