At 8:50am today in 1979, data from a full-scale Soviet nuclear decapitation attack simulation running at NORAD were inexplicably sent to live warning displays there, at SAC, the NMCC, and the ANMCC at Site R, triggering a false alert and a ~6-minute threat assessment conference. 
“… software simulating a Soviet missile attack [on] NORAD’s … computers ‘was inexplicably transferred into the regular warning display’ …. Indeed, NORAD's Commander-in-chief later acknowledged that the ‘precise mode of failure could not be replicated.’” nsarchive2.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb3…
During this false alarm, NORAD activated all air defense interceptors and at least 10 planes took off, as did the president’s “doomsday plane.” Some air traffic controllers were ordered to immediately ground all commercial aircraft. At no point were POTUS or the SecDef notified.
This latter point greatly concerned Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, who cabled President Carter shortly after the incident: “It turns out the world can find itself on the brink of a precipice without the knowledge of the president or other US leaders.”
Four days later, Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev directed his US ambassador, Anatoly Dobrynin, to deliver a private oral message to Carter expressing “extreme anxiety” about the incident, which had been widely reported (and may also have been detected by Soviet intelligence).
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
