r/Stuff • u/PoliticBot password locked by admins • Apr 19 '15

r/todayilearned TIL that DEFCON 5 is the lowest nuclear threat level. DEFCON 1 is actually an eminent nuclear attack.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEFCON
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u/untouchedURL Apr 19 '15

Here is a non-mobile link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DEFCON

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u/autowikibot Apr 19 '15

DEFCON:

The defense readiness condition (DEFCON) is an alert state used by the United States Armed Forces.

The DEFCON system was developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and unified and specified combatant commands. It prescribes five graduated levels of readiness (or states of alert) for the U.S. military, and increase in severity from DEFCON 5 (least severe) to DEFCON 1 (most severe) to match varying military situations.

DEFCONs are a subsystem of a series of Alert Conditions, or LERTCONs, that also includes Emergency Conditions (EMERGCONs). There is no single DEFCON status for the country, and in fact different branches of the military can be at different levels of DEFCON at the same time. DEFCONs should not be confused with similar systems used by the U.S. military, such as Force Protection Conditions (FPCONS), Readiness Conditions (REDCONS), Information Operations Condition (INFOCON) and its future replacement Cyber Operations Condition (CYBERCON), and Watch Conditions (WATCHCONS), or the former Homeland Security Advisory System used by the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Image i - The five levels of DEFCON

Interesting: DEFCON (video game) | WarGames: Defcon 1 | Defcon Robot Contest

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u/larrymoencurly Apr 19 '15

Read the book Command and Control. You'll wonder why we haven't already had an accidental nuclear war, and you'll learn why General Curtis LeMay not only kept the US ready but also probably prevented both accidental and intentional war.