Post-Attack Command and Control System: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:23, 19 April 2013

Latest revision as of 23:38, 15 May 2025

(35 intermediate revisions by 26 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Short description|Former US nuclear communications network}}

The '''Post Attack Command and Control System''' ('''PACCS''') was a network of communication sites (both ground and airborne) for use before, during and after a [[Nuclear warfare|nuclear attack]] on the United States. PACCS was designed to ensure that [[National Command Authority]] would retain sole, exclusive, and complete control over US [[nuclear weapon]]s. Among other components, it included [[Strategic Air Command]] assets such as the [[Looking Glass (airplane)|Looking Glass]] aircraft and mission, and various hardened [[command and control]] facilities.<ref>[http://www.sac-acca.org/paccs.htm Ogletree, Greg. "A History of the Post Attack Command and Control System"]</ref>

[[File:PACCS peacetime orbit areas 1972.PNG|thumb|rightupright=1.35|Peacetime Orbitsorbits of PACCS aircraft (c. {{ca|1972}})]]

The '''Post Attack Command and Control System''' ('''PACCS''') was a network of communication sites (both ground and airborne) for use before, during and after a [[Nuclear warfare|nuclear attack]] on the United States. PACCS was designed to ensure that [[National Command Authority (United States)|National Command Authority]] would retain sole, exclusive, and complete control over US [[nuclear weapon]]s. Among other components, it included [[Strategic Air Command]] assets such as the [[Operation Looking Glass (airplane)|Looking Glass]] aircraft and mission, and various hardened [[command and control]] facilities.<ref name=PACCShistory>[{{cite web |url=http://www.sac-acca.org/paccs.htm |last1=Ogletree, |first1=Greg. "|title=A History of the Post Attack Command and Control System"] (PACCS)|date=n.d.|publisher= |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120910090836/http://www.sac-acca.org/paccs.htm |archivedate=September 10, 2012 |accessdate=May 14, 2014}}</ref>

The belief by the [[Soviet Union]] in the reliability of PACCS was a crucial component of the US [[mutual assured destruction]] doctrine, ensuring a long -term [[stalemate]].

[[File:PACCS peacetime orbit areas 1972.PNG|thumb|right|Peacetime Orbits of PACCS aircraft (c. 1972)]]

==History==

The [[Strategic Air Command]] headquarters staff, under the direction of General [[Thomas S. Power]] conductedassessed the feasibility of placing a continuous command and control element in an airborne mode. The purpose of such a system would be to use the aircraft as a platform for specially installed communications equipment to insureensure delivery of command directives to [[Strategic Air Command|SAC]] strike forces in the event ground-based headquarters were destroyed.

The original plan envisioned an aircraft, crew, and command and control team on 15-minute ground alert;. thisThis was later changed to a continuous airborne alert posture. The functions of this PACCS Airborne Command Post kept expanding until it became a true alternate command and control system, complete with force status monitoring, initiation or relay of launch/execution directives, a battle staff, communications to support andan alternate CINCSAC, and limited capabilities to reconstitute and replan residual resources.

PACCS, in later variants, included an [[Airborne Launch Control System]] (ALCS) capability, which provided an alternate means offor execution messagesmessage to getdelivery to [[missile combat crew]]s and a back-up [[Launch control center (ICBM)|launch control center]], forcing the [[Soviet Union]] to target each missile silo, rather than just the [[LaunchMissile launch control center (ICBM)|launch control centers]], to incapacitate the [[LGM-30 Minuteman|Minuteman]] force.<ref>Strategic Air Command: "Weapon Systems Acquisition 1964-1979", 28 Apr 1980</ref>

==Components==

===Airborne===

*[[E-4B]] National Emergency Airborne Command Post (NEACP)

**[[1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron]] - [[Offutt AFBAir Force Base]], [[Nebraska]]

*[[Boeing EC-135|EC-135]] Airborne Command Post (ABNCP) "Looking Glass"

**[[2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron]] - [[Offutt AFB]]Air Force Base, [[Nebraska]]

**[[4th Airborne Command and Control Squadron]] - [[Ellsworth AFBAir Force Base]], [[South Dakota]]

**[[22d Air Refueling Squadron]] - [[March ARB|MarchAir AFBForce Base]], [[California]]; West Auxiliary Command Post (West AUXCP) <ref>[http://2accs.com/history.html 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron history]</ref>

***Ground Entry Point - Lamar, Colorado<REFref name="paccs">[httphttps://www.scribd.com/doc/115566349/Post-Attack-Command-and-Control-System-overview IRIS #010808041 - Post Attack Command and Control System overview]</REFref>

**[[99th Air Refueling Squadron]] - [[Westover AFBAir Force Base]], [[Massachusetts]]; East Auxiliary Command Post (East AUXCP) <ref>Strategic Air Command Regulation 100-24 Vol III: SAC Communications System Operations/EWO Support Requirements, 6 Jul 1979</ref>

***Ground Entry Point - Plano, Illinois<REFref name="paccs" />

**[[913th Air Refueling Squadron]] - [[Barksdale AFBAir Force Base]], [[Louisiana]]; Central Auxiliary Command Post (Central AUX)

***Ground Entry Point - Lyons, Nebraska<REFref name="paccs" />

*[[B-47 Stratojet#B-47|EB-47L]]

**[[4362d Post Attack Command and Control Squadron]] - [[Lincoln AFBAir Force Base]], [[Nebraska]]<ref name="Lloyd">{{cite book |last1=Lloyd |first1=Alwyn T. |title=A Cold War Legacy: A Tribute to Strategic Air Command 1946-1992|date=January 15, 2000 |publisher=Pictorial Histories Publishing |___location=[[Missoula, Montana|Missoula]], [[Montana]] |isbn=1-57510-052-5 |oclc=44672618}}</ref>

**[[4363d Post Attack Command and Control Squadron]] - [[LockborneLockbourne AFBAir Force Base]], [[Ohio]]<ref name="Lloyd" />

**[[4364th Post Attack Command and Control Squadron]] - [[Mountain Home AFBAir Force Base]], [[Idaho]]<ref name="Lloyd" />

**[[4365th Post Attack Command and Control Squadron]] - [[Plattsburgh AFBAir Force Base]], [[New York]]<ref name="Lloyd" />

===Ground===

*[[ Barksdale AFB]]Air Force Base, [[Louisiana]] ([[8thSecond Air Force]] (later Eighth Air Force) Command Post)

*[[ Westover AFB]]Air Force Base, [[Massachusetts]] ([[8thEighth Air Force]] Combat Operations Center, aka [[Post Attack Command and Control System Facility, Hadley|"The Notch"]])<ref>[{{Cite web |url=http://www.westoveryesterday.com/TheNotch.html |title=Westover Yesterday: "The Notch and Grayson: Eighth Air Force's alternative command posts", no date] |access-date=2010-03-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115201511/http://www.westoveryesterday.com/TheNotch.html |archive-date=2017-11-15 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

*[[ March AFB]]Air Force Base, [[California]] ([[15thFifteenth Air Force]] Command Post)

*[[Grissom ARB|GrissomAir AFBForce Base]], [[Indiana]]

*[[ Offutt AFB]]Air Force Base, [[Nebraska]] ([[Strategic Air Command|SAC]] Headquarters)

**[[Headquarters Emergency Relocation Team]] (HERT) - [[Cornhusker Army AmmoAmmunition Plant]], [[Grand Island, Nebraska|Grand Island]], [[Nebraska]]<ref>[https://archive.today/20130211082114/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/coldwarcomms/message/17285?source=1&var=1 Yahoo! Groups: Cold War Comms Msg 17285, dated Jun 24, 2010]</REFref>

===Communications===

*[[Survivable Low Frequency Communications System]] - VLF/LF

*Alpha and Bravo Nets - High Frequency<REFref name="paccs" />

*[[Green Pine (communications)|Green Pine]]<REFref name="paccs" />

*[[Emergency Rocket Communications System]] <REFref name="paccs" />

==Gallery==

Line 53 ⟶ 54:

==See also==

*[[Airborne Launch Control Center]]

{{Portal|United States Air Force}}

*[[Survivable Low Frequency Communications System]] ([[Survivable Low Frequency Communications System|SLFCS]])

*[[Headquarters Emergency Relocation Team]] ([[Headquarters Emergency Relocation Team|HERT]])

*[[AN/URC-117 Ground Wave Emergency Network]] (GWEN)

*[[Survivable Low Frequency Communications System]] ([[Survivable Low Frequency Communications System|SLFCS]])

*[[GroundMinimum WaveEssential Emergency Communications Network]] ([[Ground Wave Emergency Network|GWEN]]MEECN)

*[[Minimum EssentialAN/DRC-8 Emergency Rocket Communications NetworkSystem]] ([[Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network|MEECN]]ERCS)

*[[Alternate Reconstitution Base]] ([[Alternate Reconstitution Base|ARB]])

*[[Emergency Rocket Communications System]] ([[Emergency Rocket Communications System|ERCS]])

*[[The Cold War]]

*[[Alternate Reconstitution Base]] ([[Alternate Reconstitution Base|ARB]])

*[[The Cold War]]

*[[Game theory]]

*[[Continuity of government]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

<references/>

==External links==

*[httphttps://memberswww.aolforecastinternational.com/sacaccaarchive/paccspatchesdisp_old_pdf.htmlcfm?ARC_ID=286 WWABNCP/PACCS patches]

{{USAF system codes}}

[[Category:Telecommunications equipment of the Cold War]]

[[Category:United States nuclear command and control]]

[[Category:Continuity of government in the United States]]

[[Category:NuclearEquipment bunkersof the United States Air Force]]