KREUZADER (Posts tagged nuclear weapons)

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“Recently, retired General Michael Hayden was asked about remarks attributed to Donald Trump regarding U.S. nuclear weapons. One of the hosts of the show, Joe Scarborough, asked Hayden how quickly a U.S. President could launch nuclear weapons. Hayden...

Recently, retired General Michael Hayden was asked about remarks attributed to Donald Trump regarding U.S. nuclear weapons.  One of the hosts of the show, Joe Scarborough, asked Hayden how quickly a U.S. President could launch nuclear weapons. Hayden replied “The system is designed for speed and decisiveness. It is not designed to debate the decision.”

What Hayden is describing is “Launch Under Attack” – the option to launch U.S. nuclear-armed ICBMs after enemy missiles have been launched, but before they strike targets in the United States.  The following timeline illustrates how much time is lost to determining that an attack is underway (and whether it is a false alarm) and the time needed to physically launch U.S. ICBMs, and how little is left over for a U.S. President to weigh options and consider alternatives.

Source: nti.org
nuclear war nuclear weapons
storify.com

John Noonan on nuclear deterrence and Donald Trump

Pulled 300 nuclear alerts, 100 ft under the Wyoming turf.

[…]

When we went into ICBM training, we went through a battery of tests and interviews. Are you sane?

[…]

But what really concerns me, as a former nuke guy, is the idea of a narcissist walking around with nuclear authenticators.

[…]

But imagine having to turn launch keys not knowing if we were under attack or if it was b/c foreign leader said a mean thing on twitter

nuclear weapons trump donald trump
“A KC-135 Stratotanker from RAF Mildenhall, England, refuels a B-52 Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, in support of Operation Polar Roar over Scotland, Aug. 1, 2016. Polar Roar is a U.S. Strategic Command operation designed to...

A KC-135 Stratotanker from RAF Mildenhall, England, refuels a B-52 Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, in support of Operation Polar Roar over Scotland, Aug. 1, 2016. Polar Roar is a U.S. Strategic Command operation designed to strengthen bomber crews’ interoperability and demonstrate ability for the U.S. bomber force to provide flexible and vigilant long-range global-strike capability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kate Thornton)

Source: usafe.af.mil
us air force united states air force nuclear weapons
“plan r for robert”: “ @Mark_swl reported a multi ship B-52H package departed from Greenland and made for a polar crossing to Alaska. Primary Freq used HF 8891. It appears to be a practice polar strike against far North Russian assets at Yuzhny or...

“plan r for robert”:

@Mark_swl reported a multi ship B-52H package departed from Greenland and made for a polar crossing to Alaska. Primary Freq used HF 8891. It appears to be a practice polar strike against far North Russian assets at Yuzhny or Murmansk.

[…]

Frantic Russian was heard on 8950, the freq stated to be used by the Murnmansk ATC from the Twitter contact. He also said that the leader of the B-52 flight (MIGHTY51) was in contact with Murnmansk.

Source: defconwarningsystem.com
nuclear weapons russia us air force united states air force
af.mil

AF releases new ICBM solicitation

The Air Force released July 29 a request for proposals for its Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system program[...]

GBSD is the follow-on to the aging LGM-30 Minuteman III ICBM. The launch systems and weapon system command and control physical infrastructure being used for Minuteman III today first became operational with the Minuteman I ICBM system in the mid-1960s. While certain components and subsystems have been upgraded over the years, including a transition to Minuteman III configuration in the 1970s, most of the fundamental infrastructure in use today is original and has supported more than 50 years of continuous operation. The Minuteman III flight systems in use today were fielded in the late 1990s and early 2000s with an intended 20-year lifespan. The current Minuteman III system will face increased operational and sustainment challenges until it can be replaced. 

nuclear weapons
armscontrolwonk.com

Biscuits, Cookies, and Nuclear Bombs

First, the authentication code that a Trident submarine commander receives from STRATCOM is not the same one that comes from the President.  Which makes sense, because otherwise a local commander could compromise the entire authorization system just by opening his package of cookies.  Second, authentication is not automated — it is done by a pair of human beings, with their eyes and their brains.  This makes sense — if the code were programmed into a computer system, it would be vulnerable to hacking.

Which brings us back to the distinction between authorization and ability.  The codes are used to demonstrate down the chain of command that the use of nuclear weapons has been authorized.  But the judgment is a human one, by those who are (in aggregate) capable of acting on those orders.  Of course, there are coded control devices that unlock weapons systems, but those codes are not held by the President.

nuclear weapons

USAF SKYKING message recorded from the Enschede WebSDR shortwave receiver @ 2016-07-23T02-10-45Z; broadcast was over the High Frequency Global Communications System at 11175 KHz from station WILEYFOX (from what I can gather these are daily rotating callsigns when the generalized MAINSAIL callsign is not being used).

Much has been said about SKYKING broadcasts elsewhere, but they are assumed to be high priority messages to USAF strategic (nuclear warfighting roles) assets - e.g. in the worst case scenario, the messages that lead to the Sealed Authenticator System cards being unsealed to validate an attack order.

us air force united states air force amateur radio radio shortwave radio nuclear weapons
numbers-stations.com

EAMs and HF-GCS

An EAM (Emergency Action Message) is a high priority message that is transmitted around the world by the US Air Force. These messages are able to be sent globally because of the HFGCS. The HF-GCS stands for High Frequency Global Communications Systems which is used by the US Air Force in different countries across the world. These messages are a high priority for the military since they are used for many of their strategic military operations, including nuclear attacks if it was ever needed.

nuclear weapons radio nuclear war
newyorker.com

The H-Bombs in Turkey

Incirlik Airbase houses NATO’s largest nuclear-weapons cache. But, as Turkey grapples with ISIS and a coup attempt, how secure are the American H-bombs stored there?

According to Hans M. Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, underground vaults at Incirlik hold about fifty B-61 hydrogen bombs—more than twenty-five per cent of the nuclear weapons in the NATO stockpile.

[…]

Incirlik is about seventy miles from the Syrian border, and since last October American aircraft and drones based there have been attacking ISIS forces. Its proximity to rebel-controlled areas in Syria and the rash of terrorist acts in Turkey led the Pentagon, a few months ago, to issue an “ordered departure” of all the family members of American troops at Incirlik. They were asked to leave immediately. About two thousand U.S. military personnel remain stationed there. Although Incirlik probably has more nuclear weapons than any other NATO base, it does not have any American or Turkish aircraft equipped to deliver them. The bombs simply sit at the base, underground, waiting to be used or misused.

turkey nato nuclear weapons