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Post-Attack Command and Control System

January 01, 1970

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 on the United States. PACCS was designed to ensure that National Command Authority would retain exclusive and complete control over US nuclear weapons. Among other components, it included Strategic Air Command assets such as the Looking Glass aircraft and mission, and various hardened command and control facilities.[1]

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.

Peacetime orbits of PACCS aircraft (c. 1972)

History edit

The Strategic Air Command headquarters staff, under the direction of General Thomas S. Power assessed 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 ensure delivery of command directives to 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. 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 an 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 crews and a back-up launch control center, forcing the Soviet Union to target each missile silo, rather than just the launch control centers, to incapacitate the Minuteman force.[2]

Components edit

Airborne edit

Ground edit

Communications edit

Gallery edit

  •  
    ALPHA Net stations
  •  
    PACCS UHF Links
  •  
    PACCS Primary Alert System

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Ogletree, Greg (n.d.). . Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  2. ^ Strategic Air Command: "Weapon Systems Acquisition 1964-1979", 28 Apr 1980
  3. ^ 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron history
  4. ^ a b c d e f IRIS #010808041 - Post Attack Command and Control System overview
  5. ^ Strategic Air Command Regulation 100-24 Vol III: SAC Communications System Operations/EWO Support Requirements, 6 Jul 1979
  6. ^ a b c d Lloyd, Alwyn T. (January 15, 2000). A Cold War Legacy: A Tribute to Strategic Air Command 1946-1992. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing. ISBN 1-57510-052-5. OCLC 44672618.
  7. ^ . Archived from the original on 2017-11-15. Retrieved 2010-03-06.
  8. ^ Yahoo! Groups: Cold War Comms Msg 17285, dated Jun 24, 2010

External links edit

  • WWABNCP/PACCS patches

January 01, 1970
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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 on the United States PACCS was designed to ensure that National Command Authority would retain exclusive and complete control over US nuclear weapons Among other components it included Strategic Air Command assets such as the Looking Glass aircraft and mission and various hardened command and control facilities 1 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 Peacetime orbits of PACCS aircraft c 1972 Contents 1 History 2 Components 2 1 Airborne 2 2 Ground 2 3 Communications 3 Gallery 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory editThe Strategic Air Command headquarters staff under the direction of General Thomas S Power assessed 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 ensure delivery of command directives to 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 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 an 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 crews and a back up launch control center forcing the Soviet Union to target each missile silo rather than just the launch control centers to incapacitate the Minuteman force 2 Components editAirborne edit E 4B National Emergency Airborne Command Post NEACP 1st Airborne Command and Control Squadron Offutt Air Force Base Nebraska EC 135 Airborne Command Post ABNCP Looking Glass 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron Offutt Air Force Base Nebraska 4th Airborne Command and Control Squadron Ellsworth Air Force Base South Dakota 22d Air Refueling Squadron March Air Force Base California West Auxiliary Command Post West AUXCP 3 Ground Entry Point Lamar Colorado 4 99th Air Refueling Squadron Westover Air Force Base Massachusetts East Auxiliary Command Post East AUXCP 5 Ground Entry Point Plano Illinois 4 913th Air Refueling Squadron Barksdale Air Force Base Louisiana Central Auxiliary Command Post Central AUX Ground Entry Point Lyons Nebraska 4 EB 47L 4362d Post Attack Command and Control Squadron Lincoln Air Force Base Nebraska 6 4363d Post Attack Command and Control Squadron Lockbourne Air Force Base Ohio 6 4364th Post Attack Command and Control Squadron Mountain Home Air Force Base Idaho 6 4365th Post Attack Command and Control Squadron Plattsburgh Air Force Base New York 6 Ground edit Barksdale Air Force Base Louisiana Second Air Force later Eighth Air Force Command Post Westover Air Force Base Massachusetts Eighth Air Force Combat Operations Center aka The Notch 7 March Air Force Base California Fifteenth Air Force Command Post Grissom Air Force Base Indiana Offutt Air Force Base Nebraska Strategic Air Command Headquarters Headquarters Emergency Relocation Team HERT Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant Grand Island Nebraska 8 Communications edit Survivable Low Frequency Communications System VLF LF Alpha and Bravo Nets High Frequency 4 Green Pine 4 Emergency Rocket Communications System 4 Gallery edit nbsp ALPHA Net stations nbsp PACCS UHF Links nbsp PACCS Primary Alert SystemSee also editAirborne Launch Control Center Survivable Low Frequency Communications System SLFCS Ground Wave Emergency Network GWEN Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network MEECN Emergency Rocket Communications System ERCS Alternate Reconstitution Base ARB Cold War Game theory Continuity of governmentReferences edit Ogletree Greg n d A History of the Post Attack Command and Control System PACCS Archived from the original on September 10 2012 Retrieved May 14 2014 Strategic Air Command Weapon Systems Acquisition 1964 1979 28 Apr 1980 2d Airborne Command and Control Squadron history a b c d e f IRIS 010808041 Post Attack Command and Control System overview Strategic Air Command Regulation 100 24 Vol III SAC Communications System Operations EWO Support Requirements 6 Jul 1979 a b c d Lloyd Alwyn T January 15 2000 A Cold War Legacy A Tribute to Strategic Air Command 1946 1992 Missoula Montana Pictorial Histories Publishing ISBN 1 57510 052 5 OCLC 44672618 Westover Yesterday The Notch and Grayson Eighth Air Force s alternative command posts no date Archived from the original on 2017 11 15 Retrieved 2010 03 06 Yahoo Groups Cold War Comms Msg 17285 dated Jun 24 2010External links editWWABNCP PACCS patches Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Post Attack Command and Control System amp oldid 1201926115, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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