During the Cold War, the U.S. became concerned with how it could initiate the launch of long-range nuclear strikes in the event its command and control apparatus was knocked out. This is the story of the development and deployment of the AN/DRC-8 Emergency Rocket Communication System, better known as ERCS, the suborbital satellite that could give the orders to unleash Armageddon if nobody else could.



For a more in-depth look at the ERCS, check out our article at: https://www.twz.com/this-icbm-launche...

Chapters:

0:00 Intro
1:28 What Delivers Orders When Nothing Else Can?
2:49 Developing the Last Chance Solution
5:45 ERCS Capabilities and the Minuteman II
8:14 The Future of Nuclear Force Communications


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The War Zone — also known by the shorthand TWZ — has become an essential resource for the national security community, the defense industry, and the interested public at large since it was launched in 2016. From its early beginnings to the present day, TWZ’s purpose remains the same. We stand at the nexus of military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. As a full-spectrum defense news and analysis site, TWZ covers the air, sea, land, space, and cyber domains of warfare, with an infusion of geopolitical context and technological analysis that provides viewers with deeper insights and a richer understanding of the subjects we cover than what they will find elsewhere. We have a true passion for the topics we cover and it’s an honor to be able to share that passion with our YouTube audience.

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