No matter why he ordered a launch the president needs a way to convince those in the military who actually carry out the launch order that he really is the president and not for example a. Who s who the president could also in principle use the football to order a nuclear strike that was not in response to an attack. Smithsonian institute jamie chung the football also provides the commander in chief with a simplified menu of nuclear strike options.
The nuclear football allows the president to authorize a nuclear attack while away from fixed command centers such as the white house situation room. The briefcase carried the secret daily codes needed to launch a nuclear attack along with a list of targets and attack scenarios. In the past a military officer carrying a special briefcase nicknamed the football had to accompany the president wherever he went.
Inside that briefcase the nuclear football that never leaves the president s side is a black. By frank gardner bbc security correspondent. Trump and the nuclear codes.
Mcnamara the football acquired its name from an early nuclear war plan code named dropkick dropkick needed a football in. According to former secretary of defense robert s. The nuclear football came into active service after the 1962 cuban missile crisis when president kennedy worried how the pentagon and nuclear launch officers would be sure that it was really the.
The nuclear launch codes known as the gold codes and the president s decision book. It follows the president where ever he goes and is never more that a few steps from his side. Gold codes as well as a separate nuclear football are also assigned to the vice president in case the president.
In conjunction with the nuclear football the gold codes allow the president to authorize a nuclear attack. The gold codes are the launch codes for nuclear weapons provided to the presidents of the united states in their role as commander in chief of the united states armed forces. There s no red.
Secretary of defense robert mcnamara a code name given to a secret nuclear war plan.
Nuclear football code. The nuclear football also known as the atomic football the president s emergency satchel the presidential emergency satchel the button the black box or just the football is a briefcase the contents of which are to be used by the president of the united states to authorize a nuclear attack while away from fixed command centers such as the white house situation room. The nickname nuclear football also comes from the word dropkick per the former u s.
The nickname nuclear football also comes from the word dropkick per the former u s. The nuclear football also known as the atomic football the president s emergency satchel the presidential emergency satchel the button the black box or just the football is a briefcase the contents of which are to be used by the president of the united states to authorize a nuclear attack while away from fixed command centers such as the white house situation room.
