Captain Ramsey, under operating procedures governing the release of nuclear weapons we cannot launch our missiles unless both you, and I agree.
[shouting over Hunter]
COB, what're you waiting for?
This is not a formality sir, this is expressly why your command must be repeated. It requires my assent, I do not give it and furthermore, if you continue upon this course, and insist upon this launch without confirming this message first...
[shouting over Hunter]
Son of a bitch... As commanding officer of the U.S.S Alabama I order you to place the XO under arrest under charges of mutiny.
I will act, backed by the rules of precedence...
[shouting at the Chief of the Boat, over Hunter]
I say again, as commanding officer of the U.S.S Alabama, I order you...
-authority in command, regulations number 815, to relieve you of command, Captain.
-to place the XO under arrest, under charges of mutiny!
Captain, please, the XO is right. We can't launch unless he concurs.
[reading EAM]
"To the U.S.S. Alabama: Rebel-controlled missiles being fuelled. Launch codes compromised, dissidents threaten to launch at continental United States, set DefCon 2. Immediately launch ten Trident missile sorties." They're FUELING THEIR MISSILES! We don't have time to **** around!
Sir, I think you need time to think this over.
I DON'T HAVE TO THINK THIS OVER!
Captain, I relieve you of your command of this ship. COB, escort the Captain to his state room, I'm assuming command.
You're not assuming anything!
CHIEF OF THE BOAT, Captain Ramsey is under arrest -- lock him in his stateroom!
Captain, here's the results from the missile drill.
[looks at the missile drill results]
Is this the best they can do?
No sir. But, that's what they did.
I want this down to five minutes. Train on.
Tell your buddy Weaps to do it again, and keep on doing it until he gets it right.
It looks like the whole crew needs a kick in the ass.
Or a pat on the back, sir. I just witnessed a fight down in crew's mess, no big deal. It appears that the crew is a bit on edge about all we're going through. Morale seems a bit low.
[picks up the intercom and speaks into it]
May I have your attention please, crew of the Alabama, Mr. Hunter has brought it to my attention that morale maybe a bit low. and you might be a bit... [looks to Hunter]
[over the intercom]
On edge. so, I suggest this. Any crew member who thinks that they can't handle the situation, can leave the ship right now. Gentlemen, we are at Defcon three, war is imminent. This the captain. That is all. [hangs up the intercom]
Rear Admiral Anderson [Captain Ramsey and Lt Cdr Hunter face the US Navy board of inquiry]
Stand there, Lieutenant Commander Hunter, this won't take long. This panel has convened in order to investigate the events subsequent to the setting of condition 1SQ for strategic missile launch aboard the USS Alabama on 1 November. Now based on the testimony of personnel onboard the Alabama and in no small measure to that of the senior officer, Captain Ramsey, I'm prepared to make my recommendations to SUBPAC.
LH LCdr Hunter
Without my testimony, sir?
Anderson You have a problem with that?
Anderson I have known Captain Ramsey for almost 30 years. We've served together on more than a few occasions. If he is lying, this will be the first I've heard of it.
Anderson My primary concern here is the breakdown in the system. In this instance, the system failed because the two senior officers did not work to resolve their differences while preserving the chain of command. Now you may have been proven right Mr. Hunter, but in so far as the letter of the law is concerned, you were both right - and you were also both wrong. This is the dilemma that will occupy this panel, this Navy, and this country's armed forces as a whole long after you leave this room. Off the record, you've both created one hell of a mess. A mutiny aboard a United States nuclear submarine. Violation of nuclear launch protocol. For the record, it is the conclusion of this panel that your actions aboard the Alabama were consistent with the best traditions of the Navy and in the interests of the United States. As such, the recommendations of this panel will be: to accept, in a manner reflective of his long and dedicated service to his country, Captain Ramsey's request for early retirement from active duty; and based in no small part on Captain Ramsey's recommendation, that Lieutenant Commander Hunter be given his next command at the earliest possible convenience. Unless of course, you wish to challenge these recommendations.
Anderson Captain Ramsey?
Anderson [beat]
Dismissed.
[Following the rebel Russian submarine's attack, which damaged the Alabamas communications equipment]
Captain? Got the EAM.
[Ramsey sees the EAM message which is shown incomplete]
What do you think?
I think there's nothing on this.
Yes, sir. It, uh, got cut off during the attack.
Sir, this is an EAM pertaining to nuclear missiles.
No, Mr. Hunter, that's a message fragment.
Because it got cut off during the attack, sir. The message could mean anything. It could be a message to abort. It could be a message--
Could be a fake Russian transmission.
Which is exactly why we need to confirm it, sir. All I'm asking for is the time we need to get back on line.
You don't appear to be calm.
W Weapons
Conn/Weapons: Missile systems ready to launch in four minutes.
[Faint Radio Transmission]
We have orders in hand, and those orders are to make a preemptive launch. Every second that we lose increases the chances, that by the time our missiles arrive, their silos could be empty, 'cause they've flown their birds and struck us first.
You know as well as I do that any launch order received without authentication is no order at all.
Captain... National Mili…
[continues to talk over Hunter]
That's our #1 rule. That rule is the basis for the scenario we've trained on time and time again.
It's a rule we follow without exception.
Captain, National Military Command Center knows what sector we're in. They have satellites looking down on us to see if our birds are aloft. And if they're not, then they give our orders to somebody else. That's why we maintain more than one sub. It's what they call "redundancy."
I know about redundancy, Mr. Hunter. [walks off]
[Crew stares at Hunter before he meets with Ramsey again, speaking discreetly]
All I'm saying, Captain, is that we have backup. Now, it's our duty not to launch until we can confirm.
You're presuming that we have other submarines out there ready to launch. But as captain, I must assume that our submarines could have been taken out by other Akulas. We can play these games all night, Mr. Hunter, but I don't have the luxury of your presumptions.
Mr. Hunter, we have rules that are not open to interpretation, personal intuition, gut feelings, hairs on the back of your neck, little devils or angels sitting on your shoulders.
We're all very well aware of what our orders are and what those orders mean. They come down from our Commander-in-Chief. They contain no ambiguity.
Mr. Hunter, I've made the decision. I'm captain of this boat. Now shut the **** up! Damn. [over the intercom] Weapons/Conn: Shift targeting to target package SLBM 64741/2. This is the Captain.
[Ramsey gives the intercom to Hunter]
...Captain, I cannot concur.
Sir, we don't know what this means. Our target package could have changed.
You repeat this order or I'll find somebody who will!
[stares at Ramsey]
Hell no, you won't, sir.
You're relieved of your position. COB, remove Mr. Hunter from the control room. Get Lieutenant Zimmer in here now!
No, sir, I do not concur and I do not recognize your authority to relieve me on the command under Navy regulations.
COB, arrest this man and get him out!
Captain Ramsey, under operating procedures governing the release of nuclear weapons we cannot launch our missiles unless both you, and I agree.
[shouting over Hunter]
COB, what're you waiting for?!
Now this is not a formality, sir! This is expressly why your command must be repeated! It requires my assent, I do not give it! And furthermore, if you continue upon this course, and insist upon this launch without confirming this message first...
[shouting over Hunter]
Son of a bitch... As commanding officer of the USS Alabama I order you to place the XO under arrest under charges of mutiny!
I will be forced, backed by the rules of precedents...
[shouting at the Chief of the Boat, over Hunter]
I say again, as commanding officer of the USS Alabama, I order you...
-authority and command, regulation 08150H6 of the Navy regulations, to relieve you of command, Captain!
-to place the XO under arrest, under charges of mutiny! [Silence all round] COB!
Captain, please, the XO is right. We can't launch unless he concurs.
[reading EAM]
"To the USS Alabama: Rebel-controlled missiles being fuelled. Launch codes compromised, dissidents threaten to launch at continental United States, set DEFCON 2. Immediately launch ten Trident missile sorties." They're FUELING THEIR MISSILES! We don't have time to **** around!
Sir, I think you need time to think this over.
I DON'T HAVE TO THINK THIS OVER!
Captain, I relieve you of your command of this ship. COB, escort the Captain off the bridge, I'm assuming command.
You're not assuming anything!
CHIEF OF THE BOAT, Captain Ramsey is under arrest — lock him in his stateroom!
Aye, sir. Mitchell, Walker, take the Captain below.
[Ramsey goes to leave, then turns and throws his missile key to Hunter]
You're out of your league, Hunter. You're not ready to make difficult decisions yet.
[Hunter asks about the radio repair.]
How long's it gonna take?
Vossler I don't know, sir.
You know what's going on here?
Vossler Yes sir.
No, I don't think you do. Let me explain it to you. If we launch, and we're wrong, what's left of Russia is gonna launch at us. There will be a nuclear holocaust beyond imagination, now it's all about knowing, Mister ... Vossler. We have to know whether our order to launch has been recalled or not. The only way we're gonna know, is if you fix that radio, you understand?
Hunter': You ever watch Star Trek?
Vossler St- yeah, Star...
Star Trek! The USS Enterprise? All right, now you remember when the Klingons were gonna blow up the Enterprise and Captain Kirk calls down to Scotty he says "Scotty, I gotta have more power-"
Vossler He needs more, more warp speed, yeah.
Warp speed, exactly. Now I'm Captain Kirk, you're Scotty, I need more power. I'm telling you if you do not get this radio up, a billion people are gonna die; now it's all up to you, I know it's a shitty deal but you got it, can you handle it?
[Vossler is silent.]
Scotty?
Vossler Aye, Captain.
