Download or read book Modernizing U S Nuclear Command Control and Communications written by David A. Deptula and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the modernization of the systems that make up the nuclear triad are currently planned and now under debate, the fundamental underpinning for their success tends to get little attention. Specifically, the nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) system that allows positive control of these weapons in peace and, if necessary, in war is a crucial modernization requisite. It is these systems that define an architecture that coalesces in a coherent fashion all the activities, processes, and procedures performed by military commanders and support personnel that, through the chain of command, allow for senior-level decisions on nuclear weapons employment. As a result of the highly classified nature of these activities, little has been written about the NC3 architecture. The intent of this study is to illustrate, in an unclassified setting, America’s NC3 infrastructure in order to convey the absolute criticality of modernizing it. Only with a modernized NC3 system can we ensure that the U.S. retains a resilient and robust command and control architecture that is fundamental to the effectiveness of the nuclear triad. In this regard, the NC3 enterprise is truly the “fifth pillar” of the nation’s overall nuclear modernization program—together with modernization of the triad’s weapons systems, and the nuclear warhead stockpile itself. Simply put, when it comes to nuclear modernization, NC3 is the least expensive, yet perhaps the most critical.
Download or read book Strategic Command Control and Communications written by John J. Hamre and published by . This book was released on 1981 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past two decades, the United States has fielded an extensive collection of facilities and systems designed to direct and control strategic nuclear forces before and during a nuclear war. This strategic command, control, and communications system, referred to as C3, consists of ground-based radars and early-warning satellites; land-based and airborne command centers; and elaborate communications networks. The role of C3 is to alert authorities to a possible attack, permit assessment of the attack's size and targets, and convey the President's orders for retaliation. Despite the importance of these C3 systems, the recent public debate over the adequacy of U.S. nuclear forces has largely overlooked the C3 system, emphasizing instead the need to update the bombers, submarines, and land-based missiles that would deliver strategic weapons. Far less attention has been given to the C3 system, though it has been termed the weakest link in the nation's present strategic forces. The need to make major investments in C3 modernization is considered in some quarters to be an urgent one. Investment in C3 systems in recent years has largely sought to correct deficiencies in current operations and improve performance of existing assets. To that end, the Defense Department is providing "survivable" ground stations for early-warning satellites, and improving selected command-post aircraft. Compared to the expenditures projected for the offensive strategic forces over the coming 5 years, the costs of modernizing the C3 system are modest. Spending for the nuclear forces could exceed $130 billion by the end of fiscal year 1986; the three alternative approaches to C3 modernization would range in cost from $8.9 billion to $9.8 billion. The options are as follows: Option I - Improve System Responsiveness in the Trans-Attack Period, Option II - Improve System Endurance in the Post-Attack Period, and Option III - Improve Both System Responsiveness and Endurance.
Download or read book Nuclear Command Control and Communication NC3 written by Kristin Goodwin and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 17 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Thou0gh often overlooked in policy debates surrounding the modernization of U.S. nuclear forces, the nuclear command, control and communication (NC3) systems and personnel which support those forces represent one of the most important investments Congress and the military will make regarding the future security of the United States. The United States faces an increasingly multipolar world where the proliferation of advanced technologies and weapon systems have enabled comparatively weaker nations and even non-state actors to exert an inordinate amount of pressure on U.S. national interests and security. U.S. NC3 nodes make a tempting target for potential aggressors, as disrupting or destroying them could severely blunt U.S. nuclear retaliatory capabilities. This method of attack could theoretically be accomplished with a relatively small-scale "bolt from the blue" strike. Even without a conspicuous rival facing the United States today, the capabilities being developed by potential adversaries have serious ramifications for the future of U.S. national security."--Abstract.
Download or read book Nuclear Command Control and Communications written by James J. Wirtz and published by Georgetown University Press. This book was released on 2022-06-01 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: he first overview of US NC3 since the 1980s, Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications explores the current NC3 system and its vital role in ensuring effective deterrence, contemporary challenges posed by cyber threats, new weapons technologies, and the need to modernize the United States’ Cold War–era system of systems.
Download or read book Atomic Audit written by Stephen I. Schwartz and published by Brookings Inst Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 680 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on four years of extensive research, Atomic Audit is the first book to document the comprehensive costs of U.S. nuclear weapons, assembling for the first time anywhere the actual and estimated expenditures for the program since its creation in 1940. The authors provide a unique perspective on U.S. nuclear policy and nuclear weapons, tracking their development from the Manhattan Project of World War II to the present day and assessing each aspect of the program, including research, development, testing, and production; deployment; command, control, communications, and intelligence; and defensive measures. They also examine the costs of dismantling nuclear weapons, the management and disposal of large quantities of toxic and radioactive wastes left over from their production, compensation for persons harmed by nuclear weapons activities, nuclear secrecy, and the economic implications of nuclear deterrence. Atomic Audit concludes with recommendations for strengthening atomic accountability and fostering greater public understanding of nuclear weapons programs and policies.
Download or read book Strategic Command and Control written by Bruce G. Blair and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 1985 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After summarizing the assumptions and evaluative methodology behind mainstream strategic theory, the study describes the current decentralized command and control system that, under conditions of surprise attack, could be unable to communicate with decision makers or with units responsible for executing the decisions.
Download or read book The Future of the U S Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Force written by Lauren Caston and published by Rand Corporation. This book was released on 2014-02-04 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors assess alternatives for a next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) across a broad set of potential characteristics and situations. They use the current Minuteman III as a baseline to develop a framework to characterize alternative classes of ICBMs, assess the survivability and effectiveness of possible alternatives, and weigh those alternatives against their cost.
Download or read book China s Nuclear Force Modernization written by Naval War College Press and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2012-08-09 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Naval War College has expanded its expertise in the Asia-Pacific Rim region in recent years largely in response to the growing significance of the region to U.S. national security. The College has actively hired prominent scholars and hosted a number of conferences, workshops, and guest speakers focusing on the problems and possibilities facing the Pacific Rim. South and Northeast Asia, after all, are home to some of the world's fastest-growing economies and close American allies, as well as several potential political and diplomatic flashpoints. Even more to the point, China is an ascending economic and military power both in the region and on the world stage. The U.S. Navy plays a leading role in maintaining stability in the region with its strong presence and ability to guard the freedom of navigation in vital sea lines of communication. The efforts of the Asia-Pacific Rim specialists at the Naval War College in some ways represent a case of “back to the future.” One of the proudest episodes in the College's history came in the 1930s when Newport played a central role in developing the military plans necessary to cope with the ascendance of another Asian economic and military power—Japan. Although we expect that wise diplomacy and national self-interest will prevent a reoccurrence of similar difficulties in the coming decades, there is no substitute for military preparedness and well-thought-out international and regional strategies for dealing with the important region. The Naval War College Press has done its part in providing its readers with many excellent articles on regional security in Asia in the Naval War College Review; an important book—Jonathan Pollack, editor, Strategic Surprise? U.S.-China Relations in the Early Twenty-first Century (released March 2004); and now Newport Paper 22. Professor Lyle Goldstein of the Strategic Research Department of the College's Center for Naval Warfare Studies has been at the forefront of recent research into China's future. In this project he has guided a handful of naval officers through the puzzle of China's ongoing nuclear modernization programs. With the able assistance of Andrew Erickson, these sailor-scholars have examined various aspects of nuclear modernization from ballistic missile defense to nuclear command and control. In general the chapter tells a cautionary tale; the progress of China's nuclear modernization documented here should give pause to those inclined to dismiss China's military modernization. Steadily and with relatively little attention the People's Republic continues to improve its technologies and weapons systems. As the authors emphasize, no “Rubicon” has been crossed, but potentials are already apparent that, if realized, the U.S. Navy as now constituted would find challenging indeed.
Download or read book Managing Nuclear Operations written by Ashton B. Carter and published by . This book was released on 1987 with total page 784 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume, a joint project of the Brookings Institution and Harvard University's Center for Science and International Affairs, analyzes the dynamics of nuclear operations and the vital policy problems they pose. Twenty-two experts, ranging from a former commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command to an expert in radar technology, discuss peace-time safety and control of nuclear weapons worldwide; and the means for terminating nuclear war before it escalates to all-out exchanges. They also describe command posts, warning sensors, communication technologies, locking devices to prevent unauthorized explosion of nuclear weapons, selection of nuclear targets, and the exercise of political authority over nuclear operations. ISBN 0-8157-1313-4 (pbk.) : $18.95.
Download or read book Managing U S Nuclear Operations in the 21st Century written by Charles Glaser and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2022-10-04 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring how the United States manages its still-powerful nuclear arsenal Arms control agreements and the end of the Cold War have made the prospect of nuclear war a distant fear for the general public. But the United States and its principal rivals—China and Russia—still maintain sizable arsenals of nuclear weapons, along with the systems for managing them and using them if that terrible day ever comes. Managing U.S. Nuclear Operations in the 21st Century focuses on how theories and policies are put into practice in managing nuclear forces in the United States. It addresses such questions as: What have been the guiding priorities of U.S. nuclear strategy since the end of the Cold War? What nuclear attack options would the president have during a war? How are these war plans developed and reviewed by civilian and military leaders? How would presidential orders be conveyed to the uniformed men and women who are entrusted with U.S. nuclear weapons systems? And are these communications systems and supporting capabilities vulnerable to disruption or attack? The answers to such questions depend on the process by which national strategy for nuclear deterrence, developed by civilian leaders, is converted into nuclear war plans and the entire range of procedures for implementing those plans if necessary. The chapter authors have extensive experience in government, the armed forces, and the analytic community. Drawing on their firsthand knowledge, as well as the public record, they provide unique, authoritative accounts of how the United States manages it nuclear forces today. This book will be of interest to the national security community, particularly younger experts who did not grow up in the nuclear-centric milieu of the Cold War. Any national security analyst, professional, or government staffer seeking to learn more about nuclear modernization policy and the U.S. nuclear arsenal should be interested in this book. It should also be of interest to professors and students who want a deep understanding of U.S. nuclear policy.
Download or read book The World Wide Military Command and Control System evolution and effectiveness written by David Eric Pearson and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2000 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perhaps the best single way to summarize it is to view the book as a bureaucratic or organizational history. What the author does is to take three distinct historical themes-organization, technology, and ideology and examine how each contributed to the development of WWMCCS and its ability (and frequent inability) to satisfy the demands of national leadership. Whereas earlier works were primarily descriptive, cataloguing the command and control assets then in place or under development, The book offers more analysis by focusing on the issue of how and why WWMCCS developed the way it did. While at first glance less provocative, this approach is potentially more useful for defense decision makers dealing with complex human and technological systems in the post-cold-war era. It also makes for a better story and, I trust, a more interesting read. By necessity, this work is selective. The elements of WWMCCS are so numerous, and the parameters of the system potentially so expansive, that a full treatment is impossible within the compass of a single volume. Indeed, a full treatment of even a single WWMCCS asset or subsystem-the Defense Satellite Communications System, Extremely Low Frequency Communications, the National Military Command System, to name but a few-could itself constitute a substantial work. In its broadest conceptualization, WWMCCS is the world, and my approach has been to deal with the head of the octopus rather than its myriad tentacles.
Download or read book Complexity Security and Civil Society in East Asia written by Peter Hayes and published by Open Book Publishers. This book was released on 2015-06-22 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Complexity, Security and Civil Society in East Asia offers the latest understanding of complex global problems in the region, including nuclear weapons, urban insecurity, energy, and climate change. Detailed case studies of China, North and South Korea, and Japan demonstrate the importance of civil society and ‘civic diplomacy’ in reaching shared solutions to these problems in East Asia and beyond. Each chapter describes regional civil society initiatives that tackle complex challenges to East Asia’s security. In doing so, the book identifies key pressure points at which civil society can push for constructive changes¯especially ones that reduce the North Korean threat to its neighbors. Unusually, this book is both theoretical and practical. Complexity, Security and Civil Society in East Asia presents strategies that can be led by civil society and negotiated by its diplomats to realize peace, security, and sustainability worldwide. It shows that networked civic diplomacy offers solutions to these urgent issues that official ‘complex diplomacy’ cannot. By providing a new theoretical framework based on empirical observation, this volume is a must read for diplomats, scholars, students, journalists, activists, and individual readers seeking insight into how to solve the crucial issues of our time.
Download or read book China s Strategic Modernization Implications for the United States written by Mark A. Stokes and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conventional wisdom portrays the People's Republic of China (PRC) People's Liberation Army (PLA) as a backward continental force that will not pose a military challenge to its neighbors or to the United States well into the 21st century. PLA writings that demonstrate interest in exploiting the revolution in military affairs (RMA) are dismissed by a large segment of the PLA- watching community as wistful fantasies. The author offers an alternative perspective by outlining emerging PLA operational concepts and a range of research and development projects that appear to have been heavily influenced by U.S. and Russian writings on the RMA. Fulfillment of the PLA's vision for the 21st century could have significant repercussions for U.S. interests in the Asia-Pacific region.
Download or read book 2018 Nuclear Posture Review written by United States. Department of Defense and published by . This book was released on 2018-02-02 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On January 27, 2017, President Donald Trump directed Secretary of Defense James Mattis to initiate a new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). The President made clear that his first priority is to protect the United States, allies, and partners. He also emphasized both the long-term goal of eliminating nuclear weapons and the requirement that the United States have modern, flexible, and resilient nuclear capabilities that are safe and secure until such a time as nuclear weapons can prudently be eliminated from the world.The United States remains committed to its efforts in support of the ultimate global elimination of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. It has reduced the nuclear stockpile by over 85 percent since the height of the Cold War and deployed no new nuclear capabilities for over two decades. Nevertheless, global threat conditions have worsened markedly since the most recent 2010 NPR, including increasingly explicit nuclear threats from potential adversaries. The United States now faces a more diverse and advanced nuclear-threat environment than ever before, with considerable dynamism in potential adversaries' development and deployment programs for nuclear weapons and delivery systems.
Download or read book Surface Ship Operations written by United States. Naval Education and Training Command and published by . This book was released on 1978 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Realizing the Potential of C4I written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1999-06-17 with total page 299 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rapid progress in information and communications technologies is dramatically enhancing the strategic role of information, positioning effective exploitation of these technology advances as a critical success factor in military affairs. These technology advances are drivers and enablers for the "nervous system" of the militaryâ€"its command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) systemsâ€"to more effectively use the "muscle" side of the military. Authored by a committee of experts drawn equally from the military and commercial sectors, Realizing the Potential of C4I identifies three major areas as fundamental challenges to the full Department of Defense (DOD) exploitation of C4I technologyâ€"information systems security, interoperability, and various aspects of DOD process and culture. The book details principles by which to assess DOD efforts in these areas over the long term and provides specific, more immediately actionable recommendations. Although DOD is the focus of this book, the principles and issues presented are also relevant to interoperability, architecture, and security challenges faced by government as a whole and by large, complex public and private enterprises across the economy.
Download or read book Seize the High Ground written by James A. Walker and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2003 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "[Seize the high ground is a] narrative history of the Army's aerospace experience from the 1950s to the present. The focus is on ballistic missile defense, from the early NIKE-HERCULES missile program through the SAFEGUARD acquisition site allowed by the 1972 ABM Treaty to the more advanced 'Star Wars' concepts studies toward the end of the century. [What is] covered is not only the technological response to the threat but the organizational and tactical development of the commands and units responsible for the defense mission"--CMH website.
