[null and void]

“There were officers openly discussing the fact that they believed the Scorpion had been sunk,”

That sounds like an act of war.

Had this been widely known, we would have had little choice but to go to war.

A full up shootin' war, nuclear power to nuclear power.

The results of which are left to the reader as an exercise...

[Nervous Tick]

Yup. “It was complicated.”

[DiogenesLamp]

Had this been widely known, we would have had little choice but to go to war.

Which is exactly why it was kept under wraps.

[BlueLancer]

That sounds like an act of war. Had this been widely known, we would have had little choice but to go to war. A full up shootin' war, nuclear power to nuclear power.

"Well, boys, I reckon this is it — nuclear combat toe to toe with the Rooskies. Now look, boys, I ain't much of a hand at makin' speeches, but I got a pretty fair idea that something doggone important is goin' on back there."