U.S. nuclear strategy depends on the threat of retaliation to deter aggression. However, effective deterrence requires more than having an arsenal of bombers and missiles that can target potential attackers. It also requires being able to detect an attack promptly, and being able to maintain continuous command and control of strategic forces despite fearsome destruction. Last week, the Government Accountability Office released a cryptic two-page report stating it had presented a secret briefing to Congress on efforts to remedy weaknesses in the nuclear command and control network. That network consists of a diverse collection of links, the most survivable of which can resist jamming, interception and the effects of electromagnetic pulse. I have written a commentary on the subject for Forbes here.
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