DEFCON
The defense readiness condition (DEFCON) is a measure of the activation and readiness level of the United States armed forces. It describes progressive postures for use between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commanders of unified commands. DEFCONs are matched to the situations of military severity. Standard peacetime protocol is DEFCON 5, descending in increasingly severe situations. DEFCON 1 represents expectation of actual imminent attack, and it has never been declared, except partially during the Gulf War.
In a national state of emergency, seven different alert conditions known as LERTCONs can be issued. They consist of five Defense Conditions and two Emergency Conditions (EMERGCONs).
Levels
- DEFCON 5
- This is the condition used to designate normal peacetime military readiness. An upgrade in military preparedness is typically made by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and announced by the United States Secretary of Defense.
- DEFCON 4
- This refers to normal, increased intelligence and the heightening of national security measures. Readiness remained at this level throughout most of the Cold War. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, one of the specific conditions of escalating to level 4 prompted the military to replace training (or "dummy") tips with live nuclear warheads on all target selected ICBMs.
- DEFCON 3
- This refers to an increase to force readiness above normal. Radio call signs used by American forces change to currently-classified call signs.
- DEFCON 2
- This refers to a further increase in force readiness just below maximum readiness. It has only been declared once, during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- DEFCON 1
- This refers to maximum readiness. It is not certain whether this has ever been used, but it is reserved for imminent or ongoing attack on US military forces or US territory by a foreign military power. Use of nuclear weapons is authorized. (State of Emergency.)
History
Cold War
The highest alert condition the US military has been confirmed to have been at was DEFCON 2. During the Cuban Missile Crisis on 22 October 1962, Strategic Air Command (SAC) was ordered to 2 and the rest of the US military to 3. SAC remained at 2 until 15 November.[citation needed]
For much of the Cold War, US ICBM sites were always at DEFCON 4 rather than 5.
Yom Kippur War
Higher alert conditions were also ordered during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. While the US military was technically at DEFCON 3 status during the Yom Kippur War, in certain theaters it operated under DEFCON 2 conditions as a show-of-force to repel Soviet naval vessels from entering the Bosporus Strait. For example, Pershing I missiles in West Germany were prepared for use.
Gulf War
Some declassified documents suggest that DEFCON 1 was ordered and attained during the Gulf War of 1991.[1] The exact time and date quoted as "USCINCCENT AND ALL COMPONENTS ATTAINED DEFCON 1 AT 0925C" dated January 19 1991.[2] (USCINCCENT = United States Commander in Chief Central Command, General Norman Schwarzkopf). This is specific to a limited geographic area and not a general DEFCON-1 for all forces.
September 11
The third time the United States reached DEFCON 3 was during the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Operations
The DEFCON level is controlled primarily by the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and each DEFCON level defines specific security, activation and response scenarios for the troops in question.
Different branches of the armed forces (like the Army, Navy, Air Force) and different bases or command groups can be activated at different defense conditions.
See also
- Homeland Security Advisory System
- BIKINI states - Status codes used by British armed forces
- Joint Terrorist Analysis Centre - Determines terrorist threat level in the UK
- REDCON - Readiness Condition levels for US military combat units.
- Alert state
In popular culture
- The 1983 film WarGames includes a character explaining to another the significance of the "DEFCON" scale, as well as depicting a steady rise in threat levels as the film approaches its climax. The film also inspired the 2006 computer game DEFCON.
- The 1985 film Def-Con 4 depicts a trio of astronauts returning to Earth to find the after-effects of a nuclear exchange.
- The 2006 computer game DEFCON by Introversion Software has the players attempting to destroy as many of the enemy's population as possible through the use of military weapons which includes nuclear weapons.