Post-Attack Command and Control System: Difference between revisions

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{{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 attack. 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|upright=1.35|Peacetime orbits of PACCS aircraft ({{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)|LOOKINGLooking GLASSGlass]] 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]].

==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 a aircraft, crew, and command and control team on 15-minute ground alert; this 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 and alternate CINCSAC, and limited capabilities to reconstitute and replan residual resources.

The original plan envisioned aan 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 for execution message delivery 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 [[Missile launch control center|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) <REFref>[http://2accs.com/history.html 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron history]</REFref>

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

**[[99th Air Refueling Squadron]] - [[Westover AFB]], [[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>

**[[913th99th Air Refueling Squadron]] - [[BarksdaleWestover AFBAir Force Base]], [[Louisiana]]Massachusetts; CentralEast Auxiliary Command Post (CentralEast AUXAUXCP) <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<ref name="paccs" />

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

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

**4362d Post Attack Command and Control Squadron - [[Lincoln AFB]], [[Nebraska]]<ref>Lloyd, Alwyn. A Cold War Legacy: A Tribute to Strategic Air Command 1946-1992. ISBN 1-57510-052-5</ref>

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

**4363d Post Attack Command and Control Squadron - [[Lockborne AFB]], [[Ohio]]<ref>Ibid</ref>

*[[B-47 Stratojet#B-47Es47|EB-47L]]

**4364th Post Attack Command and Control Squadron - [[Mountain Home AFB]], [[Idaho]]<ref>Ibid</ref>

**[[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 ISBN15, 2000 |publisher=Pictorial Histories Publishing |___location=[[Missoula, Montana]] |isbn=1-57510-052-5 |oclc=44672618}}</ref>

**4365th Post Attack Command and Control Squadron - [[Plattsburgh AFB]], [[New York]]<ref>Ibid</ref>

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

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

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

===Ground===

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

* Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts ([[Eighth 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>

*[[Westover AFB]], [[Massachusetts]] (Command Post)

*[[ 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]] Command PostHeadquarters)

**[[Headquarters Emergency Relocation Team]] (HERT) - [[Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant]], [[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]</ref>

==Chronology==

*

===Communications===

*[[Survivable Low Frequency Communications System]] ([[Survivable- Low Frequency Communications System|SLFCS]])VLF/LF

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

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

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

==Gallery==

<GALLERY>

File:PACCS Alpha Net.JPG|ALPHA Net stations

File:PACCS UHF Links.JPG|PACCS UHF Links

File:PACCS Primary Alert System.JPG|PACCS Primary Alert System

</GALLERY>

==See also==

*[[Airborne Launch Control Center]]

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

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

*[[Ground Wave Emergency Network]] ([[Ground Wave Emergency Network|GWEN]])

*[[MinimumAN/URC-117 EssentialGround Wave Emergency Communications Network]] ([[Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network|MEECN]]GWEN)

*[[Minimum Essential Emergency Rocket Communications SystemNetwork]] ([[Emergency Rocket Communications System|ERCS]]MEECN)

*[[AN/DRC-8 Emergency Rocket Communications System]] (ERCS)

*[[The Cold War]]

*[[Alternate Reconstitution Base]] (ARB)

*[[The Cold War]]

*[[Game theory]]

*[[Continuity of government]]

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==

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

==References==

<REFERENCES/>

{{USAF-stub system codes}}

{{US-mil-stub}}

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

[[category:Nuclear warfare]]

[[categoryCategory:NuclearUnited States nuclear command and control]]

[[category:Cold War military equipment]]

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

[[category:Nuclear command and control]]

[[Category:Equipment of the United States Air Force]]