Nuclear Weapons Essay

Typically, today’s nuclear weapons have greater explosive power than those dropped in the Japanese cities and this means that their scale of devastation is also greater (Drell & Goodby, 2013). During the attack in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, only two bombs were dropped yet they utterly devastated the climate, environment, ecosystems, in addition to the inhabitants of the earth. Thus, a war where hundreds if not thousands of nuclear weapons set strategically would make planet earth inhabitable. From this, it is apparent that nuclear weapons are no joke. Therefore, it is critical that utmost considerations, planning, and care be taken to ensure that the nuclear weapons are only used when it is necessary under the strictest controls and supervisions. S Constitution. Typically, the Gold Codes are printed on a plastic card that is famously known by its nickname, the biscuit.

Similar to a credit card, the biscuit is carried by the president on his person. Every day, the National Security Agency generates the Gold Codes which are then provided to the Pentagon, White House, TACAMO, and U. S Strategic Command. This center has a responsibility of preparing and eventually transmitting a launch order received from the president. In cases where the president is away, the Pentagon’s senior officer has an obligation of authenticating formally that the individual issuing the launch order is the president indeed. From the military alphabet, the officer reads the challenge code while the president retrieves the biscuit to find a response that matches the challenge code. The nuclear football never leaves the president's side even when he is traveling.

Typically, this is a briefcase whose contents can be sued by the POTUS in authorizing a nuclear attack when he is away from the nuclear command centers. At one point in Clinton’s administration, it is said that the nuclear biscuit was lost for months. The codes to authorize the launch of a nuclear missile are not supposed to be away from the president. In such a scenario where the president loses the nuclear biscuit, it can jeopardize the nation’s security in case it falls on the hands of terrorists or any individual with an intention of launching a nuclear attack. If the president does not report the loss to the National Military Command Center or any other relevant agency, then it means that he will not be in a position to authorize the use of nuclear weapons even in the face of a nuclear attack.

In such a situation, the two-man rule comes into play and a second person would confirm the order to stage a nuclear attack Another risk is when the nuclear football is stolen or misplaced when the president is out of the nation. What Level of Redundancy Would You Recommend for This Situation? Higher levels of redundancy are required for these situations. This can be done by adding more and more redundancy to the system, particularly to the available options. Just as the way a person carries his identity card wherever he goes, the president should always carry the biscuit with him. Alternatively, two biscuits can be made; one to be carried by the president as an identifier and the other one to be kept in the nuclear football.

This will ensure that in case one is lost, the other one can be used to authorize the use of arsenals. Command and control are critical to ensuring that nuclear weapons are only launched by an authorized person who is the POTUS. The communication links fall under command and control protocols. Some of the basic communication devices that can enhance communication include tactical radios, cellular telephones, and landline telephones all of which should be secured to ensure that no authorized person gets access to the highly classified information. In other words, all the communications facilities need to be secure and highly advanced to enable the POTUS to maintain command and control of the military forces. Conclusion In conclusion, nuclear weapons can be destructive and perhaps this is the reason why they ate known as weapons of mass destruction.