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North American Aerospace Defense Command, known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection for Canada and the continental United States.
The LGM-118 Peacekeeper, originally known as the MX for "Missile, Experimental", was a MIRV-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) produced and deployed by the United States from 1985 to 2005. The missile could carry up to twelve Mark 21 reentry vehicles, each armed with a 300-kiloton W87 warhead. Initial plans called for building and deploying 100 MX ICBMs, but budgetary concerns limited the final procurement; only 50 entered service. Disarmament treaties signed after the Peacekeeper's development led to its withdrawal from service in 2005.
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Continuity of government (COG) is the principle of establishing defined procedures that allow a government to continue its essential operations in case of a catastrophic event such as nuclear war.
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Doomsday plane is an unofficial denomination of a class of aircraft which is used as an airborne command post in an event of nuclear war, disaster or other large scale conflict that threatens key military and government infrastructure.
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The Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) is a United States Air Force program to develop a replacement for the E-4 National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC), a strategic command-and-control military aircraft used as a mobile command post for the National Command Authority in emergency situations. The current E-4 platforms were built in the 1970s, the airframes are reaching the end of their operational lifespans and support costs are increasing. Because of this, in 2019, the USAF began a program to develop a new platform. This program will take several years to complete, and the E-4s will continue to fulfill the role in the meantime.
The Lockheed E-XX is a planned United States Navy aircraft based on the EC-130J and intended to replace the Boeing E-6 Mercury in the TACAMO role, communicating with US nuclear ballistic missile submarines. The current E-6 aircraft were built in the late 1980s, and while they are expected to fly into the 2030s, the underlying platform is aging and support costs are increasing. Because of this, in 2020, the Navy began a program to develop a new platform. This program will take several years to complete, and the E-6 will continue to fulfill the role in the meantime.
References
- ↑ Priest, Karl. "Ghosts of the East Coast: Doomsday Ships". coldwar.org. Cold War Museum . Retrieved 9 March 2016.
- ↑ Coakley, Thomas (1992). Command and Control for War and Peace. DIANE Publishing. p. 62. ISBN 0788108255.
- 1 2 3 4 "Trucks Tested as Nuclear Strike Posts". Pittsburgh Press . Associated Press. 27 September 1985. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
- ↑ Strategic Force Modernization Programs: Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Strategic and Theater Nuclear Forces of the Committee on Armed Services. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1981.
- ↑ MX Missile Basing. DIANE Publishing. 1981. p. 283. ISBN 1428924507.
- ↑ Walter, Sharp (2005). Joint Publication 3–26.1: Homeland Defense. United States Northern Command. p. B-21.
- ↑ Critchlow, Robert (2006). CRS Report for Congress (PDF). Congressional Research Service.
