In this episode, Rear Admiral John Gower joins Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes to discuss the UK nuclear weapon command, control, and communications architecture. He goes into detail on the multiple communication paths, frequencies, fall-back systems, and encryption needed to continuously enable the UK's Prime Minister to act on a nuclear launch decision.

The United Kingdom formally became a nuclear weapon state in 1952, with operational systems from 1955. The UK's strategic deterrent has evolved over the past 66 years of it being a nuclear armed state. Nuclear weapon system information, particularly the detail of national command, control and associated communications systems and protocols, are among the most tightly guarded and classified secrets of any nation. The UK is no exception to this, and until the decision to release some of the protocols and procedures as part of the Cabinet Office co-operation with a BBC Radio programme in 2008, every facet of current national arrangements was classified.