Ground Wave Emergency Network Final Operational Capability: Environmental Assessment for Northwestern Nebraska Relay Node, Site Number RN 8C930NE
Abstract
The Ground Wave Emergency Network (GWEN) is a radio communication system designed to relay emergency messages between strategic military areas in the continental United States. The system is immune to the effects of high- altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) energy surges caused by nuclear bursts in the ionosphere that would disrupt conventional communications equipment such as telephones and shortwave radios. A failure of such equipment would prevent timely communications among top military and civilian leaders and strategic Air Force locations and prevent U.S. assessment and retaliation during an attack. GWEN is an essential part of a defense modernization program to upgrade and improve our nation's communications system, thereby strengthening deterrence. The GWEN system consists of a network of relay nodes, receive-only stations, and input/output stations. Each relay node, such as the one proposed in northwestern Nebraska, consists of a guyed radio tower facility similar to those used by commercial AM broadcast transmitters
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 19, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA267629