President's "nuclear briefcase" declassified

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The first stories on the video included the famous "nuclear suitcase". One of the most important and at the same time mysterious devices was shown, including on the federal channels of Russia. At first glance, it is difficult to believe that such a simple and seemingly nondescript device is a tool capable of determining the fate of the whole world and the further history of mankind (or rather its absence).

The "nuclear briefcase" is a device that stores control codes for Russia's nuclear arsenal. In fact, the device is called "Kazbek" and is an automated control system with a subscriber terminal. The "Nuclear Suitcase" was designed back in the days of the Soviet Union on the basis of NIIAA under the leadership of N. A. Devyatin and V. S. Semenikhin. The Kazbek system was put into operation in 1983.

In fact, there are always a few nuclear suitcases in a country. They are all found in different people. The first is held by the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces, at the moment it is President Vladimir Putin. The second (reserve) suitcase is with the Minister of Defense of the country. The third - at the Chief of the General Staff. In addition, there are several more Kazbek backup suitcases, which are stored throughout the country in different places. Only those who are initiated into the question know about them.

Each ball is carried by a high-ranking officer in a closed state. Another officer, who is also the operator of the system, carries the key to Kazbek. Both servicemen belong to the signal troops (in most cases), but at the same time wear the uniform of the Russian Navy. Outwardly, the briefcase with "Kazbek" looks like an ordinary briefcase-diplomat and is unremarkable.

In the USA, not a briefcase, but "nuclear football"

In America, the nuclear briefcase appeared in the late fifties (during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower) and, strictly speaking, does not look very much like a briefcase. It acquired its current appearance under Kennedy: it is a rounded bulletproof bag. The Americans call it Nuclear Football, but the translators have rightly decided that the "nuclear briefcase" sounds much more acceptable than the mysterious "nuclear football". Moreover, in the USSR and in Russia the nuclear briefcase really looks like a "diplomat". It appeared later than the American one: they began to develop it for Brezhnev, but the elderly general secretary did not live to see the idea come true and Konstantin Chernenko became the first leader of the USSR with a nuclear briefcase.

Nuclear football

Nuclear case No. 51

By definition, a nuclear briefcase is never the only one in Russia or America. And there, and there, the president of the country, the chief of the General Staff and the minister of defense have it. At one time, according to legend, Gorbachev gave Yeltsin a nuclear briefcase with the number "51". Yeltsin was so upset that the number of the suitcase was changed to the first one especially for him.

The nuclear briefcase is not what we think

The nuclear briefcase in Russia is the Cheget subscriber complex, which is part of the Kazbek automated control system for nuclear forces. To put it simply, it's a transmitter. It works like this:

• The SRPN (Missile Attack Warning System), on the basis of the data received, transmits information about a nuclear strike to the commander of the duty station. He, having double-checked the message, brings "Kazbek" into combat mode. This entire warning system is called "Crocus".
• Those who have a suitcase make a decision. Pressing the "red button" on the briefcase leads to the fact that the command posts of the Strategic Missile Forces receives a code that permits the use of nuclear weapons. If the code comes from all three suitcases, then the missiles take off. The Third World War begins!

Vladimir Putin receives a nuclear suitcase when taking office as president

However, one should not think that the suitcase has only one button - "the one". American Nuclear Football, for example, contains thirty page instructions. They say that after the attack on the Twin Towers, US President George W. Bush even read it.

Norwegian missile incident

The 1995 "Norwegian Missile Incident" nearly covered the world with nuclear ashes! A team of scientists from this northern country launched the Black Brant XII research rocket. And such a launch of NATO forces from Norway to strike at Russia was one of the probable scenarios of a nuclear attack, which was considered by experts. In addition, the scientists' rocket bore a certain resemblance to the American Trident rocket. Add to this the fact that the Norwegians' warning about the planned missile launch was lost in the Foreign Ministry and was not brought to the attention of the NRCS staff.

Accordingly, the warning system worked well and smoothly, the General Staff received a signal about a missile threat. They considered that this was a good enough reason to activate the Kazbek system. President Boris Yeltsin, Defense Minister Pavel Grachev and Chief of the General Staff Mikhail Kolesnikov established a conference call using the device in the notorious suitcase directly. The President has activated nuclear codes. The Strategic Missile Forces were brought to full combat readiness.

The same rocket

Photo: nasa.gov

But a few minutes later it turned out that the rocket was moving away from Russian territory. She landed near Svalbard. The Black Brant XII flight lasted 24 minutes. The nuclear threat, which in fact did not exist, is over.

Not only a telephone, but also a loudspeaker

Nuclear Football is a US state secret, but there is some speculation. In particular, according to some reports, it contains, among other things, protocols and equipment for activating the EAS (Emergency Alert System), which allows the president to immediately address the nation from anywhere.

Former director of the White House military department, Bill Gully, wrote in his memoirs that, in addition to an antenna for communication with the Pentagon, Nuclear Football contains a "Black Book" listing possible strategies of action, a map of the location of secret nuclear facilities, instructions for launching a warning system and a card with passwords.

"Confused" Clinton

American retired General Hugh Shelton published in his memoirs a funny story about how in 2000 the US Department of Defense decided to change the codes from the nuclear suitcase. Contrary to popular belief, they do not change every day, this happens much less often. However, when implementing this solution, it turned out that the codes were lost several months ago.

The US presidential security key is checked every month, but Clinton has been clever in evading verification. The presidential aide said that the card with the codes is with the head of state, who is just now at an important meeting.

American nuclear briefcase

Photo: Reuters

Clinton himself never admitted where he managed to lose the nuclear safety of a superpower, but Lt. Col. Robert Patterson, whose job was to carry a suitcase, claims that this regrettable fact became clear the next morning after the scandal with Monica Lewinsky. True, Patterson claims that it was in 1998. He explains the discrepancy in the dates by the fact that Clinton may have lost passwords twice.

A blow from the "other world"

Dead Hand - "Dead man's hand" - as the Americans call the Russian system "Perimeter". It is designed in case the first missile strike destroys the Cheget carriers.

Command missile 15A11 of the "Perimeter" system

The sensors of the system - seismic sensors, temperature and radiation sensors - are constantly monitoring on the territory of Russia in the places of suspected nuclear strikes. If "Perimeter" decides that a nuclear strike has been inflicted on the country, then a rocket is launched, transmitting a radio signal to all "surviving" carriers of nuclear weapons. Nuclear warheads fly into the air. In general, Russia, in which case, even "from the grave" of the enemy will get it.