[sci.military] def-com 1 ???

briganti@rhea.trl.oz.au (Joe Briganti) (07/16/90)

From: briganti@rhea.trl.oz.au (Joe Briganti)

Can someone elaborate on the expression --def com 1--?

All I know is that it is somehow related to the last seconds
countdown pre - nuclear launch, but how did it get that way
etc.

Thanks in advance,
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Briganti,  Management Information      E-Mail: j.briganti@trl.oz.au
TELECOM AUSTRALIA RESEARCH LABS - CLAYTON  Telephone: (03) 541 6840         

barrey@ka (Barrey Jewall) (07/18/90)

From: barrey@ka (Barrey Jewall)

In article <1990Jul16.030816.5287@cbnews.att.com> briganti@rhea.trl.oz.au (Joe Briganti) writes: [In part]

>Can someone elaborate on the expression --def com 1--?

>All I know is that it is somehow related to the last seconds
>countdown pre - nuclear launch, but how did it get that way
>etc.

The Term is DefCon 1, and it stands for Defense Condition 1, a nuclear war.

DefCon 2 , I believe, is a conventional War

DefCon 3 , an Alert condition (Hostilities Imminent) [sp?]

DefCon 4 is a standard condition..(you know, peace)

(these definitions get shakier and shakier as we get towards peace...)

Anyway, these are general Defense Conditions, used at SAC and other places
(HQ's), to indicate the general status of things.

Specific orders and ROE (Rules of Engagement) are given to each unit involved 
in the event of a conflict.

Barrey


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