Fail-Safe : Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question

Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question

We know that once Group 6 got the 'go' signal and went beyond their Fail-Safe point, that any recall orders were blocked by Soviet jamming. This jamming was, it appeared, across all frequencies as Grady's co-pilot tried to switch to alternate frequencies with the same result. The fighters were apparently on at least some of the same frequencies as Group 6, so how was Omaha able to reach the fighters and order them in to go after Grady's group, but at the same time were not able to reach Group 6 to recall them? The Soviet jamming continued until after The President was on the hot line well-after they had gone past fail-safe.

Re: Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question

I think the fighters were a significant distance away from the bombers, and the jamming only affected the bombers.

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You got your mind right, Luke?

Re: Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question

It's a reasonable question; if the jamming could reach all the way from Russia to northern Alaska, it certainly could reach to the interior of Alaska as well. At the end of the day, it is a bit of a contrivance for the film. It is part of the escalation; first they lose four fighter pilots; then the Americans help the Russians shoot down another 18 or so in the six Group Six planes.





I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

Re: Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question


It's a reasonable question; if the jamming could reach all the way from Russia to northern Alaska, it certainly could reach to the interior of Alaska as well. At the end of the day, it is a bit of a contrivance for the film. It is part of the escalation; first they lose four fighter pilots; then the Americans help the Russians shoot down another 18 or so in the six Group Six planes.
Thank you. You seem to have understood the question.

The same question was put on another forum (outside of IMDb) and no one there seemed to get what my problem was.

Re: Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question

The Group Six (just like any group) had 6 planes, not 18. If it had 18 planes the film would have lasted 3-4 hours.


Fanboy : a person who does not think while watching.

Re: Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question

Sorry, I wasn't quite clear. When I said lose another 18, I was talking about pilots, not planes. There were at least 3 people on each of those planes.




I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

Re: Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question

This is a very good point, the four fighters that pursued them should have been affected by the jamming as well.


Fanboy : a person who does not think while watching.

Re: Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question


This is a very good point, the four fighters that pursued them should have been affected by the jamming as well.
Thank you. My point seems to have been taken here.

Re: Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question

They didn't provide any details about how the jamming works. Apparently it's a new system that the Americans didn't know anything about. Maybe it's sophisticated enough that it can be aimed at individual planes.


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Fowler's knots? Did you say ... fowler's knots?

Re: Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question


They didn't provide any details about how the jamming works. Apparently it's a new system that the Americans didn't know anything about. Maybe it's sophisticated enough that it can be aimed at individual planes.
Jamming doesn't work that way.

If you are receiving on a certain frequency, what enemy jamming does is to transmit over the same frequency and with a lot moore power. The radio receiver can't filter it out; all they can do is go to an alternate frequency in the hopes that the enemy hasn't jammed that one as well.

I'm not saying that individual targets couldn't be jammed now, but in the 1960's when this film was made, no; I don't believe they could.

Nice try, though.

Re: Possible Plot Hole or at Least a Question


Jamming doesn't work that way.


The film is fiction and was set in the "future" relative to 1964. The jamming could have been based on new technology. Whether that technology actually existed then or now is irrelevant.


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Fowler's knots? Did you say ... fowler's knots?
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