Managing Nuclear Operations

by Ashton B. Carter

During four decades of experience with nuclear weapons, public awareness and discussion have focused on their basic properties and capabilities—the explosive power they contain, the technical capabilities of the missiles and aircraft that carry them, the size of the Soviet and American arsenals, and the magnitude of destruction those arsenals could accomplish. Yet little attention has been paid to the technologies, procedures, and organizational arrangements used to manage and control nuclear forces. Many assert the importance of “command, control, communications, and intelligence” (C3I), but serious and detailed studies supporting that assertion are few. Managing Nuclear Operations provides a comprehensive and detailed examination of U.S. Nuclear operations and command and control. The contributors, experienced in operations and C3I., discuss peace-time safety and control of nuclear weapons worldwide, the survival under nuclear attack of the reasonable command authorities presupposed by deterrence theory, and the means for terminating nuclear war before it escalates to all-out exchanges. They describe command posts, warning sensors, communications technologies, the selection of nuclear targets, and the exercise of political authority over nuclear operations. The decisionmaking process of command and control is examined, as are the various perspectives of the decisionmakers.

775 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1987

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever wondered about the vast details of overseeing the nuclear strike capacity at the political and technical levels during the Cold War—especially in the 1980s—this book covers the topic in the most depth any non-classified work possibly could. During the 1990s, this book probably only appealed to historians of the Cold War era and a few old vets of the armed services directly involved in this line of work, but now as we ask how we would best maintain law and order—and the presence of Federal government—in another disaster like 9/11, this book shares many clues to what concepts have been tried in the past. All the writers who contributed chapters are experts in their fields and Ashton Carter is the dean of American nuclear weapons affairs. Highly recommended.

[Rob Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply excellent!

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

one book you notice behind Samuel P. Huntington in a photograph in his Harvard office