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The Hill
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
America is prepared for a strike on our nuclear weapons
In a recent op-ed for The Hill, ' America Isn't Prepared for a Strike Against our Nuclear Weapons,' freelance journalist Ben Ollerenshaw argued that the U.S. is woefully unprepared for the nuclear threats facing the nation because it relies on a 'single point of failure: the nuclear command, control and communications systems.' He explains that the nation is dependent on highly vulnerable E-6B Mercury command-and-control aircraft that, because they are now on 'ground alert' rather than flying 24/7, make easy targets for a surprise nuclear, drone or missile attack. Should such an attack occur, Ollerenshaw argues that the president could no longer employ the nation's nuclear weapons. Fortunately, this is simply untrue. The nuclear command, control and communications system has far more ways to transmit presidential orders. The system connects sensors and shooters with decision-makers using a detect, decide, and direct framework. Detection harnesses sensors that identify and correlate adversary launches to facilitate warning. Once detection is established and the assessment is made, senior leaders confer, review plans and determine appropriate courses of action during the decision process. Finally, presidential decisions are transmitted through the system to the nuclear forces charged with weapons employment, under any circumstance or environment, guaranteed. To accomplish this audacious mission, the system must be survivable, prompt and flexible. Keep in mind that the nation's nuclear command, control and communications system is essentially a system of systems resembling a spider web. If one strand is broken, there are other strands a president can use to ensure a message is transmitted to forces in the field. Historically, it was thought of as having a 'thick line' during times of peace, and a survivable 'thin line' during times of war, should a Soviet nuclear attack devastate the U.S. In peacetime, the National Military Command Center at the Pentagon and the Global Operations Center at US Strategic Command serve as the primary command and control centers for the nation's nuclear forces. These facilities are not designed to survive direct nuclear strikes, but for the last seven decades, they and their predecessors performed the job in times of peace and crisis. During the Cold War (1961-1990), the country also maintained EC-135 command-and-control aircraft in continuous airborne operations, flying around the clock, seven days a week. The airborne command post mirrored the capabilities of the Global Operations Center, so that if the latter was destroyed in a nuclear attack, the Airborne Emergency Action Officer could take over and perform the duties of commander for the Strategic Air Command. The Looking Glass aircraft were an insurance policy against a surprise Soviet nuclear strike. They enhanced second-strike capability, strengthened strategic stability, and provided a psychological and political signal. The continuous presence of Looking Glass sent a clear signal of American resolve, vigilance and readiness to respond, reinforcing the overall framework of strategic deterrence. This did not, however, mean that the National Military Command Center, Global Operations Center and Looking Glass aircraft were the only ways for the president to command and control nuclear forces. It was, in fact, expected that both the National Military Command Center and Global Operations Center would be destroyed early in a Soviet nuclear strike, and that the command post aircraft would quickly take over. There was, however, always a concern that the aircraft would either be destroyed by Soviet aircraft or missiles or simply run out of fuel for lack of remaining and available aerial refueling capability. So it should come as no surprise that the Air Force devised 'backups to our backups' and spent considerable time working through all plausible scenarios where not only were the National Military Command Center and the Global Operations Center destroyed in an attack, but so were the KC-135s and now E-6B fleet. In our own careers, we have participated in wargames, exercises and working groups where just such events occurred. It is also important to understand that U.S. Strategic Command, the joint staff, and other elements of the national command authority regularly conduct exercises under conditions that mimic catastrophic events. This means the uniformed and civilian personnel who operate the nuclear command, control and communications system regularly train to operate in degraded conditions. The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, released under the Biden administration, reiterated a longstanding policy that 'while the United States maintains the capability to launch nuclear forces under conditions of an ongoing nuclear attack, it does not rely on a launch-under-attack policy to ensure a credible response. Rather, U.S. nuclear forces are postured to withstand an initial attack.' For decades, the U.S. opted for redundancy to meet its resilience requirement. Redundant systems, redundant command nodes, and redundant communication pathways require consistent resourcing and persistent exercise if America is to retain its noble intent to 'ride out' a first strike. There is no deterrence without a credible threat of existential retaliation. That means America's nuclear command, control and communications systems must always work after a first strike on the homeland. From nuclear arsenal resourcing to force posture and launch policy, America's deterrent cannot depend on hope to survive; it must depend on action. That is exactly how the system is designed. Adam Lowther, Ph.D., is the vice president of research at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He spent two decades as a civil servant in the Department of Defense nuclear enterprise. Col. (Ret.) Curtis McGiffin is the vice president of education at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He flew nuclear command-and-control aircraft during his career.
Newsweek
08-07-2025
- General
- Newsweek
US Nuclear Command Plane Seen Flying Over Atlantic
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A specialized United States Navy aircraft designed to serve as an airborne command post during a nuclear conflict was spotted flying over the North Atlantic Ocean. Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Navy for comment via email. Why It Matters The E-6B aircraft, also known as Mercury, is designed to serve as a communications relay for the nation's nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines and to facilitate the launch of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to the Naval Air Systems Command. In April, an E-6B aircraft simulated the launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, testing its Airborne Launch Control System—which can launch nuclear-capable missiles if ground-based command centers are compromised. A United States Navy E-6B aircraft arriving at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on September 17, 2024. A United States Navy E-6B aircraft arriving at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on September 17, 2024. Tech. Sgt. Chris Thornbury/U.S. Air Force The Atlantic Ocean is a major operating area for the U.S. military. Last month, a pair of U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carriers—USS Gerald R. Ford and USS George H.W. Bush—sailed in formation while conducting resupply operations and ammunition transfers at sea. What To Know Citing flight tracking data, TheIntelFrog—an open-source intelligence analyst on X, formerly Twitter—reported spotting an E-6B aircraft conducting flight operations over waters near Portugal's Azores islands on Sunday. The Azores are in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 870 miles west of mainland Portugal. US Navy E-6B Mercury using tactical hex #AF049C as CRISP77. CRISP77 is temporarily deployed to Lajes AB in the Azores, Portugal. — TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) July 6, 2025 IslandAviation Terceira Azores, a YouTube channel that records takeoffs and landings at Lajes Airport—which is on Terceira Island in the Azores and shares a runway with an air base—uploaded a video on Sunday showing the landing of an E-6B aircraft. The U.S. Air Force describes Lajes Field as the "Crossroads of the Atlantic," serving as a vital mid-Atlantic link for forces traveling to and from Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Details of the E-6B aircraft's temporarily deployment from its main operating base at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma remain unclear. In June 2024, trackers showed the Mercury fleet conducting deployments in Norway and the United Kingdom. The aircraft—derived from the Boeing 707 passenger jet—provides the National Command Authority, including the president and the secretary of defense, with what the Navy describes as "survivable, reliable, and endurable" nuclear command, control and communications. What People Are Saying Hans Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, wrote on X in June 2024: "The [E-6B] aircraft is designed to provide secure communication link between the U.S. National Command Authority and nuclear ballistic missile submarines. E-6Bs occasionally visit Europe but not often." The War Zone, a specialist outlet, wrote on June 5: "Today, the Mercury fleet supports two critical nuclear deterrence mission sets: a Navy one called 'Take Charge And Move Out' (TACAMO) and an Air Force one referred to simply as the Airborne Command Post (ABNCP), but better known by the nickname Looking Glass." TACAMO involves the relaying of orders to the Navy's ballistic missile submarines, while the Looking Glass mission relays orders to the Air Force's nuclear-capable bombers and silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles. What Happens Next The aging E-6B fleet—which includes 16 aircraft in service—is scheduled to be replaced by the newer E-130J aircraft, maintaining a survivable communication link between the National Command Authority and the U.S.'s air-, land- and sea-based nuclear forces.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
OKC company in 'hiring frenzy' as it gears up to help design new U.S. Navy doomsday plane
Oklahoma City-based Long Wave Inc. is in a 'hiring frenzy' as it gears up to participate in a $3.5 billion contract to develop the next generation doomsday plane for the U.S. Navy. Long Wave is a subcontractor for Northrop Grumman on the project, which will result in 10% of the contract — $350 million — being paid out to the Oklahoma City company with work likely to continue beyond the initial six-year term. Chris Lozano, chief marketing officer of Long Wave, said the company started expanding its office space in Midtown and warehouse north of the state Capitol in November as it began to realize the Northrop Grumman team was likely to win the bid to design and build the E-130J. The plane will replace the E-6B Mercury used by the Navy's TACAMO (Take Charge and Move Out) mission. 'This is the largest contract we've ever been awarded,' Lozano said. 'The company operates at around $30 million a year and it's been like that for the past decade. When you add a big contract like this, it triples the size of the company.' The TACAMO mission provides connectivity between the National Command Authority and U.S. nuclear forces across the globe. In addition to Long Wave, the Northrop Grumman team includes Lockheed Martin, Skunk Works, Raytheon and Crescent Systems. Be the first to know: Sign up for breaking news email alerts The E-130J is part of the United States' nuclear modernization program, which includes new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, new bomber aircraft such as the B-21 Raider, and Sentinel, a new ground-based system to replace the silo-based Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. The E-130J is referred to as a doomsday plane because it is intended to ensure U.S. leadership can always communicate with nuclear forces to order or cancel strikes, even if ground-based communications are unavailable. Oklahoma City's ties to the U.S. Navy dates to when the TACAMO mission was centralized at Tinker Air Force Base in 1992. Long Wave was founded three years later at Tinker by the late Phil Miller. Long Wave's first project with TACAMO provided a low frequency analysis that supported the connectivity with the nation's submarine force. TACAMO retirees accounted for about a third of Long Wave's workforce prior to the E-130J contract award. 'We recruit heavily from that community,' Lozano said. 'I used to fly with that community. I know these guys and ladies really well. When the cream of the crops are about to retire, we're one of the first stops they make on their job tour to see if they can work for us.' Lozano said the new project is transforming the company from a small to large business, which is the sort of economic growth being pursued by state and local economic development agencies. 'We are in a hiring frenzy right now,' Lozano said. 'Prior to the award, we had about 120 employees. We're up to 155 and we still need another hundred. We hope to be up to 250 by the end of 2025. These are systems software and electrical engineers.' Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, one of several state officials working with Long Wave on its expansion, said the company is likely to qualify for quality jobs and engineering incentives. 'The aerospace and defense industry is in the center of our strategy to diversify our economy,' Pinnell said. 'We love it when we're getting phone calls from businesses that want to relocate to Oklahoma, but it's even better when we have companies grow from a couple of employees to hundreds.' The Oklahoma Department of Commerce reports the aerospace and defense industry is the state's second-largest and fastest-growing industry with a $44 billion annual economic impact. Pinnell said he expects Oklahoma's defense-related employment to continue to grow based on weekly discussions with the industry and observations of growth taking place in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton and elsewhere in the state. 'This industry has grown so rapidly that we now have a defense industry association in Oklahoma that was formed over the past few years,' Pinnell said. 'It's not only diversifying our economy, it's helping statewide growth.' This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC's Long Wave hiring dozens of engineers to design doomsday plane
