Today, almost all of us are familiar with the phrase - nuclear briefcase. But what exactly is hidden behind these words is not known to everyone. At the same time, another verbal construction is used in conjunction with the nuclear briefcase - the nuclear button. Both the nuclear briefcase and the nuclear button are in the hands of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief - the President Russian Federation and are transferred from one leader of the country to another as the presidential powers expire.
The nuclear suitcase (YCH) is the little that has come down to us since cold war. This is a special device that stores codes to activate the country's nuclear arsenal. This suitcase is always at hand for senior politicians and military leaders of countries with their own nuclear arsenal. In Russia, the president communicates with the Strategic Missile Forces using a nuclear briefcase.
The Americans were the first to invent nuclear weapons. Similar devices appeared under President Eisenhower (1953-1961). And this system acquired its final form in the days Cuban missile crisis, when US President Kennedy questioned his control of the country's nuclear arsenal as supreme commander. At that moment he was being pressed by both the American military and civilians from his entourage, many of whom proposed punishing the presumptuous “commies.” For this reason, Kennedy feared that, firstly, the order to launch a nuclear strike on the USSR could be given by someone without his consent. Secondly, that if necessary, he himself will not be able to give the same order, since he will not be at a prepared command post. As a result of these doubts, a nuclear briefcase appeared in the United States. Since then, only the president of the country has been able to give orders to use the existing nuclear arsenal. In this case, the order can be given even from your own bedroom, of course, if there is a YAC at hand.
Who came up with the definitions “nuclear suitcase” and “nuclear button”, which have become firmly established in the modern Russian lexicon? They were invented by Soviet international journalists. In the United States, the nuclear briefcase is the least like a suitcase. This is a kind of leather trunk, vaguely reminiscent of an American football ball. In the USA it is called Nuclear Football, President's Emergency Satchel or The Button, and photographs in the Western press were also signed. Soviet journalists who worked on translating these definitions understood perfectly well that they could not be translated literally. For example, “nuclear football “Sounds, frankly, ridiculous. “Button” is good, but impersonal. “Presidential alarm pack” is also not quite what is needed. As a result, the definitions “Nuclear suitcase” and “Nuclear button” were chosen - short and clear.
In our country, nuclear fuel has been around for more than 30 years. In those years, an automated nuclear forces control system codenamed “Kazbek” entered combat duty. This system became known to the general public precisely because of the “Cheget” subscriber complex, that same nuclear suitcase. It is correct to call the Russian nuclear unit the subscriber complex “Cheget” of the automated control system for strategic nuclear forces “Kazbek”. A nuclear missile is an integral part of the retaliatory strike system. It can be activated only after a signal is received about a missile attack on our country.
First, a signal comes from the early warning system about a missile attack; this signal is necessarily checked by the general on duty, who is located at the command post in Solnechnogorsk. Only after this check does the Kazbek system go into combat mode. Viktor Esin, chief of the main headquarters of the Strategic Missile Forces in 1994-96, told reporters about this. Directly in the nuclear unit there is communication equipment with the command of the Strategic Missile Forces and the General Staff. To put it very simply, it is a telephone, but information is transmitted not by voice, but by encrypted symbols; such communication cannot be blocked.
In the USSR, they thought about developing a mobile control panel for the existing nuclear group in the 1970s. At that time, Moscow was seriously afraid of a sudden nuclear strike from Washington. In the 70s, the leadership of the USSR could give the order to launch strategic nuclear missiles only by arriving at the command post of the Strategic Missile Forces. At the same time, the approach of the American Pershing-2 ballistic missiles, located in Europe and equipped with 400 kt warheads, required only 7 minutes.
The nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union was created for Leonid Brezhnev, for this reason its management was simplified as much as possible, so that the elderly secretary general could easily understand everything. At the same time, Brezhnev did not get “Cheget”; by the time of his death, the system had not yet been debugged. Trial operation of domestic nuclear reactors began in 1983; the first to receive them were Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Ogarkov and the country's Minister of Defense Dmitry Ustinov. A year later, Konstantin Chernenko received his nuclear test, while full-scale testing of the system in various modes was in full swing at that moment. Thus, Mikhail Gorbachev received the first fully working nuclear reactor.
Currently, there are 3 nuclear suitcases constantly on combat duty: one each for the president of the country, the minister of defense and the chief of the General Staff. Of course, in each suitcase there is that same nuclear button; pressing it transmits a signal to the command posts of the Strategic Missile Forces - a special code that allows the use of nuclear weapons. In this case, the missiles will be launched only when the command comes from all three devices. In fact, there are more than three suitcases; from time to time they are checked, replaced and repaired. There is a legend that Boris Yeltsin was given a YaCh with serial number 51, he was indignant, and the number on the suitcase was changed to number one.
“Cheget” is intended for constant foot escort of persons who are authorized to dispose of our country’s nuclear arsenal. Most often, they are also followed by a car equipped with special communications equipment. In Russia, the YAC is worn by an officer with the rank of no lower than lieutenant colonel. In practice, the officer belongs to the signal troops, while the operator of the complex is always dressed in a naval uniform - a tribute to tradition. The suitcase itself, in order not to attract unnecessary attention, is made in the form of an ordinary briefcase-diplomat.
The only time in history the Cheget system was used on January 25, 1995. On this day, the world's largest meteorological rocket, Black Brant XII, was launched from an island off the coast of Norway. Its flight path resembled that of the American Trident intercontinental ballistic missile, which was launched from a submarine. The final point of its route could be a nuclear explosion in the air, with the goal of disabling the Russian missile attack warning system. The notice from the Norwegian side about the missile launch was lost somewhere in the offices of the Foreign Ministry, and the next day Russian President Boris Yeltsin talked about the fact that for the first time he used his nuclear test for emergency communication with his military advisers.
American nuclear briefcase
The owner of the White House also has his own nuclear briefcase. However, as we wrote above, it is called Nuclear Football, as it is made in the form of a black leather bag, shaped like a ball used in American football. This leather bag contains a titanium box with a plastic card - an “authorization plate”, the box is closed with a combination lock. By printing the card, the president can learn the code used to activate the US nuclear arsenal. In addition, it also contains 30-page instructions on the presidential procedure in the event of a nuclear war. Among other things, it contains information about all the secret bunkers available to the president.
Officers of 4 branches of the armed forces, as well as the coast guard, are used to carry American nuclear weapons. Before this, all candidates undergo very serious testing and selection, and also receive the highest security clearance - “White Yankee”. The officer carrying the briefcase is armed with a personal pistol and has the right to use his weapon without warning. The “ball” is chained to the hand of an American officer with a special steel bracelet. When there is a change of president, as in Russia, the YaCh passes to the new owner of the White House on the day of the official inauguration. In this case, a short 30-minute lecture is given on the use of this device.
Consequences of using a nuclear suitcase
The reader may have a reasonable question about what will happen if the Cheget carriers and command and control posts are disabled. In this case, Russia will come into play, which is able to act without human participation. In the West, the Russian system was very effectively nicknamed “Dead Hand”.
It is worth noting that any large-scale conflict with an exchange of nuclear strikes between the United States and Russia, which between them have more than 16 thousand nuclear warheads, will lead to a universal catastrophe, regardless of the presence of the Perimeter system. According to experts, a nuclear exchange scenario between the United States and Russia would lead to the simultaneous death of 770 million people. At the same time, 180 million tons of soot will be almost simultaneously released into the Earth’s atmosphere, which will block up to 70% of the sunlight entering our planet over the surface of the Northern Hemisphere and 35% over the surface of the Southern Hemisphere. The so-called “nuclear twilight” will begin, and the world will plunge into an ice age, similar to the one that was on Earth 18 thousand years ago.
This will be the time when “the living will envy the dead.” Up to 70% of the world's crops and many animals that are now at the top of the food chain, including almost all of humanity, will perish. People will be haunted by hunger, pandemics, radioactive fallout, and a reduction in areas suitable for life. Most of the countries in the world that survive the consequences of such a conflict will plunge into the Stone Age. Knowing this, you better understand what responsibility people who receive a nuclear briefcase must bear.
Sources of information:
http://www.rg.ru/2014/03/24/case-site.html
http://kp.ua/daily/260310/221103
http://www.inosmi.ru/army/20100528/160233814.html
http://lenta.ru/articles/2013/12/13/nuclearwar
30 years ago, the Kazbek automated control system for the country's nuclear forces entered combat duty. It is known to the general public thanks to the “Cheget” subscriber complex or nuclear suitcase. We learned how it works and where its button is.
Atomic phone
The subscriber complex "Cheget" of the automated control system for strategic nuclear forces "Kazbek" - this is the correct name for the nuclear suitcase - is an instrument of a retaliatory strike. It is activated only after receiving a signal about a missile attack on Russia.
First, a signal comes from the early warning system about a missile attack. It is checked by the general on duty at the command post in Solnechnogorsk, and only after that the Kazbek system is transferred to combat mode,” said Viktor Esin, chief of the main headquarters missile forces strategic purpose in 1994-1996.
The suitcase contains communication equipment with the General Staff and the command of the Strategic Missile Forces. Roughly speaking, a telephone - but information is transmitted not by voice, but by encrypted symbols. It is impossible to block the connection.
The decision to create a mobile control panel for the country's nuclear potential was made in the 70s, when the USSR was seriously afraid of a sudden nuclear strike from the United States. At that time, the country's leadership could give the order to launch missiles only by arriving at the Strategic Missile Forces command post, and the flight time for Pershing 2 ballistic missiles from Europe with 400-kiloton warheads was seven minutes...
Where is his button?
A “nuclear suitcase” was being developed for Leonid Brezhnev, and its management was made as simple as possible so that the elderly secretary general could figure it out. True, Brezhnev did not get “Cheget” - they did not have time to debug the system. And Andropov too. Trial operation of the suitcase began in 1983 with the Minister of Defense Dmitry Ustinov and the Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Ogarkov. A year later, Konstantin Chernenko received “Cheget”. Full-scale testing of the system in different modes continued for another year. A fully working suitcase was handed to Mikhail Gorbachev. They say that the last Secretary General of the USSR examined the product with interest, but did not delve into the details - they say there are specialists for this.
Three Chegets are constantly on combat duty: the head of state, the minister of defense and the chief of the general staff. There is a “main button” in the suitcases - it transmits a code authorizing the use of nuclear weapons to the command posts of the Strategic Missile Forces. But the rockets will be launched only if commands for this are received from all three remote controls.
Of course, the total number of suitcases is more than three - they are changed, checked, repaired... There is a legend that Boris Yeltsin was given a “Cheget” with the number 51. The President was indignant and the number on the suitcase was changed to number one.
"Cheget" is intended for foot escort of persons authorized to dispose of Russia's nuclear arsenal. Usually they are also followed by a car with special communications. The "Cheget" is worn by an operator - an officer with the rank of at least lieutenant colonel. Despite the fact that he belongs to the signal troops, the operator is dressed in a naval uniform - this is tradition.
The first operators were personally selected by the curator of the Kazbek project, the head of the operational department of the General Staff, Ivan Nikolaev. In addition to knowledge of equipment, self-control and composure, Colonel General Nikolaev made one more requirement for candidates: not to be timid in front of high authorities. I tested it on myself, appearing in front of the subject in full regalia. “If you get cold feet in front of the general, how can you show the general secretary?” Nikolaev said. “You’ll faint.”
Come on, show me your suitcase
The only time Cheget was used was on January 25, 1995, after the world's largest meteorological rocket, Black Brant XII, was launched from an island off the coast of Norway. Its flight path resembled an American Trident ICBM fired from a submarine. The final point of the route could be a high-altitude nuclear explosion, disabling Russian radars of the missile attack warning system. The notice to the Norwegians about the missile launch was lost in the Foreign Ministry and the next day Boris Yeltsin said that for the first time he used his suitcase for emergency communication with military advisers.
In his book “Presidential Marathon,” Yeltsin described another incident involving a nuclear briefcase. It happened in 1991 during a hunt in Zavidovo near Moscow. “When we were sailing on a boat on the lake, one foreign guest kept looking at the black suitcase at the bottom of the boat. He thought it was nuclear. He tried to stay away from the suitcase, trying to sit on the edge of the boat. I didn’t dissuade him. And when on the island they opened the suitcase and took it out from there were two bottles of vodka and pickles, the guest laughed for a long time,” recalled Boris Nikolaevich.
What about the neighbors?
The American nuclear briefcase is called the “ball” because it is a black leather bag shaped like an American football. The bag contains a titanium box, locked with a combination lock, containing a plastic card - an “authorization plate.” By printing it, you can find out the presidential code to activate the US nuclear arsenal. Also in the box are communications equipment and a 30-page instruction manual on the American president's procedures in the event of a nuclear war. In particular, there is a list of secret bunkers where you can sit out.
Officers to carry the “ball” are selected from the four branches of the armed forces and the Coast Guard. Before picking up the black bag, the candidate undergoes a thorough background check and receives the highest security clearance "White Yankee". The officer is armed with a pistol and has the right to shoot without warning. The "ball" is chained to his hand with a steel bracelet. When a president changes, the “nuclear bag” passes to the new head of the White House on inauguration day. At the same time, he has to listen to a half-hour lecture on using the “ball”.
Asymmetrical response
Russia also has an alternative nuclear force control system to Kazbek. It ensures a retaliatory strike with the full might of the domestic Strategic Missile Forces in the event that the Cheget carriers and command posts are disabled. The system is called "Perimeter" and operates without human intervention. In the West it was nicknamed "Dead Hand", a dead hand.
Yesterday, May 27, the American magazine " Foreign
Policy » published an article by David Hoffman
( DAVID E. HOFFMAN ) "Russian nuclear
button"
David Hoffman - Pulitzer Prize-winning author
"The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and
Its Dangerous Legacy"
the Cold War arms race and its dangerous legacy).
Brief history and current state systems and
decision-making schemes on the use of nuclear
weapons, according to the publication look as follows.
The Soviet Union created the current command system
and governance at the height of the Cold War in the early 1980s.
Three nuclear suitcases were put into operation just
at the moment when the Soviet leader in 1985
became Mikhail Gorbachev. They were connected to a backup
networks "Caucasus",
consisting of cables, radio transmitters and
satellites. Three suitcases are, in fact,
communication terminal devices that provide users with
they provide people with information about a possible attack, as well as
allow them to consult each other. In the beginning
the suitcases were in the possession of the Soviet
Secretary General, Minister of Defense and Chief
General Staff, because in the Soviet system
the military has traditionally played a more important role in making
decisions about nuclear war. If a decision is made to
nuclear launch, the order is transmitted from "Cheget" to the receiving
terminal "Baksan", located at command posts in
General Staff, Strategic Missile Forces
destination, navy and air force
strength. The overall communication network is called "Kazbek".
"Cheget" itself does not include a nuclear button.
This is a launch order transmission system. Launch order
received by the military, who transfer it to the appropriate
type of armed forces and combat crews.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the three suitcase system
remained unchanged and was transferred to Russia.
In the event of a nuclear missile attack on Russia, three
filled with electronic contents of the suitcase should
simultaneously sound an alarm to their owners.
Inside each there is a portable terminal connected
with a strategic command and control network
Russian nuclear forces. One of these suitcases is all
time is next to the Russian president
Dmitry Medvedev, wherever he goes. "Cheget" and
gives the president the opportunity to monitor developments
missile crisis, make decisions and communicate these
military decisions. This suitcase looks like a nuclear one
"soccer ball" (colloquial name for nuclear
suitcase in the USA), American escort
president. There is a dangerous flaw in this system that
few people understand. According to the Russian constitution
1993, the President is Commander in Chief
armed forces; and if for some reason he
will be incapacitated, all his powers will be transferred
to the Prime Minister. However, the Prime Minister has at his disposal
no nuclear briefcase. Two other suitcases
"Cheget" are with the Minister of Defense and the Chief
General Staff, as it was in Soviet times.
As a result, uncertainty is formed: neither the first,
no second military commander has constitutional and
legal right to make decisions on nuclear
attack. Of course, in a moment of crisis they will
main advisers to the president, but the decision
They are not the ones who accept.
What is the danger? In the United States and Russia
there are still missiles armed with nuclear weapons,
are in full readiness for quick launch.
American ground-based missiles will
ready to launch in four minutes. In case
warnings of an impending nuclear attack
the president will have to make decisions very quickly,
having a limited amount of information. In such
emergency it is necessary that everyone
responsible persons in both the White House and the Kremlin were
clearly defined roles, without any duality and
uncertainty. IN new Russia there was a case when
the nuclear briefcase was handed over to the prime minister.
This happened in 1996, when Boris Yeltsin was undergoing
heart surgery.
Such debates are not unique and arise not only in
Russia. In his 2004 book "Rise
of the Vulcans: The History of Bush's War Cabinet"
(Rise of the Vulcans: The Story of the War Cabinet
Bush) James Mann remembers how in the years
Reagan's reign developed a plan to preserve
efficiency of the American government in the event
nuclear war. Three different teams departed from
Washington to three different places, and each had to
be ready to proclaim a new
American "president" and take control
country. Every time one of the teams left
Washington, one representative went with her
Reagan's cabinet, which was supposed to take over
himself as the next "president" of the United States. These
people had very little experience in national issues
security. Mann wrote that this program
illegal and unconstitutional, and that it establishes
a process not provided for by any American
the constitution, nor federal law.
After the September 11 terrorist attacks, this issue was revisited.
attention is attracted. A commission was created under
chaired by former senators Alan Simpson
(Alan K. Simpson) and David Pryor. Her
called the Government Continuity Commission,
and she prepared a series of reports indicating
shortcomings and uncertainties in the chain
presidential succession in the United States, especially
in the event of a catastrophic attack, when the heirs
presidents will die or be rendered incapacitated.
The commission issued a number of recommendations, but measures taken to implement them
not accepted yet.
In Russia there is no law defining such a chain
succession of presidential power in case of death
president. The only thing that is available is the position
Constitution stating that the duties of the President in such
situations are carried out by the Prime Minister. D. Hoffman in
in his book "The Dead Hand" describes the system
guaranteed Soviet-era retaliation in response to
nuclear attack. This system, put into combat
duty in the 80s, that is, around the same time,
The same as the “Cheget” suitcases is called “Perimeter”.
According to the apocalyptic scenario, if in
As a result of a nuclear attack, the entire leadership will die,
then the decision to launch nuclear missiles will be made by
a group of officers on combat duty in
deep underground bunker. This system is still
exists.
A nuclear suitcase is not only a portable remote control for activating the country's defense system, but also a real symbol of state power. We decided to tell you what it is, how it works and who it belongs to.
The scepter and the power are a thing of the past. In today's world, when atomic weapons are a deterrent, a nuclear briefcase can be considered a symbol of power and might.
What is this? We often hear about him, but we know little about him. And we will never know everything. There is a concept of state secrets. However, the basic principles of its operation are still known.
To put it simply, the nuclear suitcase is a telephone. It houses a communications system with the general staff and command posts of the strategic missile forces. The suitcase is activated by pressing the notorious nuclear button. In the event of a threat of a missile attack, it transmits an encrypted code to the Strategic Missile Forces command post. Of course, the decision to retaliate cannot be made by one person. There are several nuclear suitcases. Only if the signal has been received from all devices is a decision made to launch the missiles.
The case of a spontaneous button press is excluded. According to the former chief of the main headquarters, Viktor Esin, the chance of an error in the operation of the nuclear power plant is zero. Nuclear cases are frequently inspected and repaired. This is evidenced by the fact that Boris Yeltsin at one time received from Gorbachev’s hands a nuclear suitcase number 51. The first president of Russia lamented this for a long time. As a result, his suitcase was replaced with another one - with the number 1.
Ours and theirs
The leaders of all countries that own nuclear weapons have nuclear suitcases. However, they can be called differently. The nuclear briefcase in the United States is not a briefcase, but rather a bag. The first American nuclear bags were shaped like a baseball, which is why they were given the name Nuclear Football. In the main, the principle of their operation does not differ from the Russian nuclear reactor, but there are also differences. Hidden in the depths of Nuclear Football is a titanium box, closed with a combination lock, which opens with a plastic, so-called authorization card. Also in the American nuclear bag there is a 30-page instruction manual for using the device. They say that when the attack on the twin skyscrapers was carried out, then US President George W. Bush opened the suitcase and read the instructions.
The Russian nuclear suitcase can also be called the “Cheget” subscriber complex of the automated control system for strategic nuclear forces “Kazbek”. In order not to attract unnecessary attention, it is made in the form of a diplomat. The nuclear briefcase, just like the American “ball,” is a portable remote control; it is carried, both in America and in Russia, by specially trained officers who always accompany the leaders of the countries.
In Russia, an officer of the signal forces is not lower than the rank of lieutenant colonel. However, according to tradition, he is dressed in a naval uniform. In America, the right to carry the “ball” can only be achieved by an officer who has received the highest security clearance, called a “White Yankee”. The man with the nuclear briefcase is always armed. The nuclear weapon is fastened to one of his hands, with the other he has the right to take out a weapon and shoot without warning in case of a threat.
As already mentioned, there are several nuclear suitcases. In Russia they are kept by the president of the country, the chief of the general staff and the minister of defense.
World on the brink
The first nuclear briefcase appeared during the Cold War with US President Eisenhower. The American “nuclear ball” acquired its current form, however, already during Kennedy’s presidency, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the likelihood of a nuclear war loomed over the world with all clarity. Before the advent of nuclear missiles, the decision to retaliate by launching missiles could only be made from the Kremlin and the White House, which was very slow, given the speed at which the missiles were approaching.
In the USSR, the nuclear power plant was created under Brezhnev, but Andropov became the first user of the treasured nuclear button. The very name “nuclear suitcase” was invented by Soviet journalists. An adequate translation was needed for the American definitions Nuclear Football and President's Emergency Satchel, but calling a missile launching device a ball and a backpack was considered stupid. And so the “nuclear suitcase” appeared. Since then, the nuclear suitcase has been passed from president to president during the inauguration. In its symbolic sense The significance of this moment is comparable to the transfer of a scepter, sword or other symbol of power.
Interestingly, at one point the Russian nuclear briefcase was even activated. It happened on January 25, 1995, when Norway launched the largest meteorological rocket, Black Brant XII. Its flight trajectories could be confused with the American Triadent ballistic missile.
Fortunately, everything worked out, because in the event of a nuclear war, even if the nuclear suitcases do not work, the Perimeter emergency retaliatory strike system in Russia (the Americans called it “Dead Hand”) will turn on and the world will end.
In miniature: this is what the American President’s nuclear suitcase looks like.
Today, almost all of us are familiar with the phrase - nuclear briefcase. But what exactly is hidden behind these words is not known to everyone. At the same time, another verbal construction is used in conjunction with the nuclear suitcase - the nuclear button. Both the nuclear briefcase and the nuclear button are in the hands of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief - the President of the Russian Federation and are transferred from one leader of the country to another as the presidential powers expire.
The nuclear suitcase (YCH) is the little that has come down to us since the Cold War. This is a special device that stores codes to activate the country's nuclear arsenal. This suitcase is always at hand for senior political figures and military leaders of countries that have their own arsenal of nuclear weapons. In Russia, the president communicates with the Strategic Missile Forces using a nuclear briefcase.
The Americans were the first to invent nuclear weapons. Similar devices appeared under President Eisenhower (1953-1961). And this system acquired its final form during the days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when US President Kennedy questioned his control over the country’s nuclear arsenal as the supreme commander in chief. At that moment, he was pressed by both the American military and civilians from his entourage, many of whom offered to punish the presumptuous “commies.” For this reason, Kennedy feared that, firstly, the order to launch a nuclear strike on the USSR could be given by someone without his consent. Secondly, that if necessary, he himself will not be able to give the same order, since he will not be at a prepared command post. As a result of these doubts, a nuclear briefcase appeared in the United States. Since then, only the president of the country has been able to give orders to use the existing nuclear arsenal. In this case, the order can be given even from your own bedroom, of course, if there is a YAC at hand.
Who came up with the definitions “nuclear suitcase” and “nuclear button”, which have become firmly established in the modern Russian lexicon? They were invented by Soviet international journalists. In the United States, the nuclear briefcase is the least like a suitcase. This is a kind of leather trunk, vaguely reminiscent of an American football ball. In the USA it is called Nuclear Football, President’s Emergency Satchel or The Button, and photographs in the Western press were also signed in the same way. Soviet journalists who worked on translating these definitions understood perfectly well that they could not be translated literally. For example, “nuclear football” sounds, frankly, ridiculous. “Button” is good, but impersonal. “Presidential alarm pack” is also not quite what is needed. As a result, the definitions “Nuclear suitcase” and “Nuclear button” were chosen - short and clear.
In our country, the history of nuclear power goes back more than 30 years. In those years, an automated nuclear forces control system codenamed “Kazbek” entered combat duty. This system became known to the general public precisely because of the “Cheget” subscriber complex, that same nuclear suitcase. It is correct to call the Russian nuclear unit the subscriber complex “Cheget” of the automated control system for strategic nuclear forces “Kazbek”. A nuclear missile is an integral part of the retaliatory strike system. It can be activated only after a signal is received about a missile attack on our country.
First, a signal comes from the early warning system about a missile attack; this signal is necessarily checked by the general on duty, who is located at the command post in Solnechnogorsk. Only after this check does the Kazbek system go into combat mode. Viktor Esin, chief of the main headquarters of the Strategic Missile Forces in 1994-96, told reporters about this. Directly in the nuclear unit there is communication equipment with the command of the Strategic Missile Forces and the General Staff. To put it very simply, it is a telephone, but information is transmitted not by voice, but by encrypted symbols; such communication cannot be blocked.
In the USSR, they thought about developing a mobile control panel for the existing nuclear group in the 1970s. At that time, Moscow was seriously afraid of a sudden nuclear strike from Washington. In the 70s, the leadership of the USSR could give the order to launch strategic nuclear missiles only by arriving at the command post of the Strategic Missile Forces. At the same time, the approach of the American Pershing-2 ballistic missiles, located in Europe and equipped with 400 kt warheads, required only 7 minutes.
The nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union was created for Leonid Brezhnev, for this reason its management was simplified as much as possible, so that the elderly secretary general could easily understand everything. At the same time, Brezhnev did not get “Cheget”; by the time of his death, the system had not yet been debugged. Trial operation of domestic nuclear reactors began in 1983; the first to receive them were Chief of the General Staff Nikolai Ogarkov and the country's Minister of Defense Dmitry Ustinov. A year later, Konstantin Chernenko received his nuclear test, while full-scale testing of the system in various modes was in full swing at that moment. Thus, Mikhail Gorbachev received the first fully working nuclear reactor.
Currently, there are 3 nuclear suitcases constantly on combat duty: one each for the president of the country, the minister of defense and the chief of the General Staff. Of course, in each suitcase there is that same nuclear button; pressing it transmits a signal to the command posts of the Strategic Missile Forces - a special code that allows the use of nuclear weapons. In this case, the missiles will be launched only when the command comes from all three devices. In fact, there are more than three suitcases; from time to time they are checked, replaced and repaired. There is a legend that Boris Yeltsin was given a YaCh with serial number 51, he was indignant, and the number on the suitcase was changed to number one.
“Cheget” is intended for constant foot escort of persons who are authorized to dispose of our country’s nuclear arsenal. Most often, they are also followed by a car equipped with special communications equipment. In Russia, the YAC is worn by an officer with the rank of no lower than lieutenant colonel. In practice, the officer belongs to the signal troops, while the operator of the complex is always dressed in a naval uniform - a tribute to tradition. The suitcase itself, in order not to attract unnecessary attention, is made in the form of an ordinary briefcase-diplomat.
The only time in history the Cheget system was used on January 25, 1995. On this day, the world's largest meteorological rocket, Black Brant XII, was launched from an island off the coast of Norway. Its flight path resembled that of the American Trident intercontinental ballistic missile, which was launched from a submarine. The final point of its route could be a nuclear explosion in the air, with the goal of disabling the Russian missile attack warning system. The notice from the Norwegian side about the missile launch was lost somewhere in the offices of the Foreign Ministry, and the next day Russian President Boris Yeltsin talked about the fact that for the first time he used his nuclear test for emergency communication with his military advisers.
American nuclear briefcase
The owner of the White House also has his own nuclear briefcase. However, as we wrote above, it is called Nuclear Football, as it is made in the form of a black leather bag, shaped like a ball used in American football. This leather bag contains a titanium box with a plastic card - an “authorization plate”, the box is closed with a combination lock. By printing the card, the president can learn the code used to activate the US nuclear arsenal. In addition, it also contains 30-page instructions on the presidential procedure in the event of a nuclear war. Among other things, it contains information about all the secret bunkers available to the president.
Officers of 4 branches of the armed forces, as well as the coast guard, are used to carry American nuclear weapons. Before this, all candidates undergo very serious testing and selection, and also receive the highest security clearance - “White Yankee”. The officer who carries the briefcase is armed with a personal pistol and has the right to use his weapon without warning. The “ball” is chained to the hand of an American officer with a special steel bracelet. When there is a change of president, as in Russia, the YaCh passes to the new owner of the White House on the day of the official inauguration. In this case, a short 30-minute lecture is given on the use of this device.
Consequences of using a nuclear suitcase
The reader may have a reasonable question about what will happen if the Cheget carriers and command and control posts are disabled. In this case, the Perimeter system will come into effect in Russia, which is able to operate without human intervention. In the West, the Russian system was very effectively nicknamed “Dead Hand”.
It is worth noting that any large-scale conflict with an exchange of nuclear strikes between the United States and Russia, which between them have more than 16 thousand nuclear warheads, will lead to a universal catastrophe, regardless of the presence of the Perimeter system. According to experts, a nuclear exchange scenario between the United States and Russia would lead to the simultaneous death of 770 million people. At the same time, 180 million tons of soot will be almost simultaneously released into the Earth’s atmosphere, which will block up to 70% of the sunlight entering our planet over the surface of the Northern Hemisphere and 35% over the surface of the Southern Hemisphere. The so-called “nuclear twilight” will begin, and the world will plunge into an ice age, similar to the one that was on Earth 18 thousand years ago.
This will be the time when “the living will envy the dead.” Up to 70% of the world's crops and many animals that are now at the top of the food chain, including almost all of humanity, will perish. People will be haunted by hunger, pandemics, radioactive fallout, and a reduction in areas suitable for life. Most of the countries in the world that survive the consequences of such a conflict will plunge into the Stone Age. Knowing this, you better understand what responsibility people who receive a nuclear briefcase must bear.
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