Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications: Update on DOD's Modernization
Abstract
Nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) is a large and complex system comprised of numerous land-, air-, and space-based components used to assure connectivity between the President and nuclear forces. The current NC3 architecture consists of components that support day-to-day nuclear and conventional operations prior to a nuclear event as well as those that provide survivable, secure, and enduring communications through all threat environments. Though some NC3 systems are specific to the nuclear mission, most support both nuclear and conventional missions. The Department of Defense (DOD) is executing several acquisition efforts to modernize elements of NC3. Since 2013, GAO has released several products related to its review of NC3 as required by congressional defense committees. For example, the Senate Armed Services Committee report accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 included a provision for GAO to assess Department of Defense (DOD) efforts to sustain and improve the NC3 system.1 We addressed this provision initially through a report on the Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals in December 2013, and then subsequently issued a classified report on operational assessments of NC3 in February 2014. We also provided a classified briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee staff on the extent to which DOD is addressing known NC3 gaps or weaknesses and has taken steps to transform the current NC3 to provide improved capabilities in the future.2 This report is in response to the Senate Armed Services Committee report accompanying a bill for the Carl Levin National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, 3 which included provisions for GAO to (1) update recent prior assessments of NC3 acquisition programs, and (2) review the U.S. Strategic Command s ongoing effort to update the Mission Planning and Analysis System with briefings to the congressional defense committees.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 15, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA619949
Entities
People
- Andrea Bivens
- Andrew Berglund
- Cristina Chaplain
- Gwyneth Woolwine
- Jay Tallon
- John Oppenheim
- Marie Ahearn
- Meredith A. Kimmett
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office