Originally posted by Kaczynski:
Hmmm, actualy never heard of Preventive action interlock
before...Permissive Action Links u mean?They have had a complicated
PAL systems which involve the sequential entry of "secret codes"
(in order for the weapons from the BUFF to be able to
detonate...)
As posted, the nuclear arsenal of the US [b]can be
C&Ced from the Looking Glass itself should the Russians decide
to take out Offutt (the US Strategic Air Command, now known as
Strategic Command)...as quoting from the FAS (Federation
of American Scientist)
"A mark of America's strategic excellence is its preeminent ability
to command, control, and communicate with its nuclear forces. An
essential element of that ability is the Airborne Command Post,
also called "Looking Glass.", which was retired from service on 01
October 1998. Its highly-trained crew and staff ensured there
wass[was] always an aircraft ready to direct bombers and missiles
from the air should ground-based command centers become inoperable.
Looking Glass guaranteed that U.S. strategic forces would act only
in the precise manner dictated by the President. .........
.......The airborne launch control officer was the missile launch
team leader and, along with the communications officer, operated
the airborne launch control system. This system allowed Looking
Glass to transmit launch codes to the intercontinental ballistic
missiles in their underground silos should ground launch control
centers become disabled. It qualified the aircraft as a weapon
system even though Looking Glass itself cannot fire a bullet or
drop a bomb."
and another FAS
site states
"Like the Air Force, the Navy also developed a method for
maintaining constant control of their nuclear forces. The same year
that EC-135s took on the Looking Glass mission, modified Marine
Corps KC-130s (re-designated EC-130Qs) took on the mission of
command and control of SSBN forces. The EC-130Qs were equipped with
a very low-frequency radio transmitters contained in vans loaded
aboard the aircraft.. Despite force modernization and advances,
both airframes displayed a high degree of reliability and remained
essentially unchanged for decades..."
Hence, they seem to have a backup for the normal C&C networks
and would use that should the usual network be disabled...As for
the term "retaliatory force", well, the US likes to think of them
as a "deterence force" though, using the "you wack me, I'll make
sure I'll wack you back hard hard" mentality. Thank goddess none of
these weapons have ever been knwon to be involved in an
exchange.1962 was a close one...[/b]
oh..interesting..
but did they say what happens in any case when the looking glass
thingy gets shot down (anything can happen), and there is no
C&C facilities left to authorise a retaliatory nuclear
onslaught?
