Skip to main content

Former US Military Aide Who Carried 'Nuclear Football' Says There Is A Problem In The Security Chain To Launch Nuclear Missiles

The nuclear football, also known as the president's emergency satchel, contains codes for unleashing a nuclear strike. It is always carried by rotating presidential military aide that follows the president where ever he goes 

Daily Mail: EXCLUSIVE: Former military aide who carried 'nuclear football' for George HW Bush reveals a gaping hole in the security chain that could enable a 'marauder to obtain the access card and pose as the president' 

* The Pentagon last week announced there would be a review of procedures for the nuclear football after Capitol rioters got within 100ft of Mike Pence on January 6 

* Retired military officer John Stufflebeem says the president's 'nuclear football' is far more vulnerable to compromise than Americans realize 

* 'The way it has been designed, it could be if a marauder obtained the card and used it to pose as the president or vice president,' he told DailyMail.com 

* The briefcase, which contains codes for unleashing a nuclear strike, follows the president where ever he goes and a backup one travels with the vice president 

* But Stuffelbeem said the current security protocols do not take into account the prospect of the 'football carrier' getting separated from the president 

* 'Can the military aide be separated from the president or vice president? We know that is possible,' he said, citing Ronald Reagan's assassination attempt

* He also revealed the system does not depend on voice recognition, meaning anyone who gains access to the codes could verbally authorize a strike 

The president's so-called 'nuclear football' and its codes for unleashing a nuclear strike are far more vulnerable to compromise by foreign foes, terrorists, or extortionists than Americans realize, John Stufflebeem, a former military aide who carried the briefcase, has revealed. 

The retired Navy vice admiral, who was the military aide to President George H. W. Bush and later oversaw the top secret program himself, says that he has long been concerned about the lack of a fail-safe mechanisms to guard against a hostile takeover of the system for launching a nuclear attack. 

Read more ....  

Update: Ex-aide who carried ‘nuclear football’ for Bush reveals HUGE security flaw that could allow access to apocalyptic device (The SUN)  

WNU Editor: There is a review currently underway .... Pentagon Inspector General Exploring A Better Way To Secure The ‘Nuclear Football’ (July 20, 2021).



from War News Updates https://ift.tt/2WBSP8g
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

US Navy considers Ford-class aircraft carrier redesign to match Trump's WWII island style preference

On August 16, 2026, the U.S. Navy initiated an operational and technical evaluation regarding whether to move the island superstructure on future Ford-class aircraft carriers from its current far-aft placement toward amidships, following directive preferences from President Donald Trump. The assessment will likely focus on whether relocating the command structure toward a World War II-era configuration would negatively impact flight deck operations, sortie generation rates, and recovery airflow dynamics. This design review also follows an August 13 directive ordering the Navy to replace the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Weapons Elevators on the future USS Doris Miller with steam catapults and hydraulic systems.  Read full defense news at this link... The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) places its island much farther aft so more aircraft can be parked and moved directly toward the catapults without interfering with landings, whereas USS Enterprise (CV-6)'s amidship...

Bath Iron Works starts building new Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer USS J. William Middendorf

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has started construction of the future USS J. William Middendorf (DDG 138), a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that will strengthen the U.S. Navy’s missile-defense and escort capacity during sustained operations in the Red Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, and Indo-Pacific. The ceremonial first steel cut took place in Maine on May 19, 2026, as the Navy continues relying on Flight III destroyers equipped with the SPY-6 radar and Aegis Baseline 10 combat system to replace the air defense and command role of retiring Ticonderoga-class cruisers ahead of the future DDG(X) program.  Read full defense news at this link... USS J. William Middendorf belongs to the Flight III configuration that began with USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), the first Flight III destroyer commissioned in October 2023. (Picture source: US Navy) Read more... from World Defence News https://ift.tt/tSRkVWI via IFTTT

China’s PHL-191 MLRS Shows How Airburst Munitions Could Transform Modern Battlefield Suppression

 China has showcased what appears to be an airburst-capable munition fired from its PHL-191 long-range modular multiple launch rocket system during a live-fire exercise, highlighting a growing emphasis on suppressing dispersed battlefield targets rather than relying solely on point strikes. Footage released on July 19, 2026, by China Military Online and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense suggests the PLA is expanding its long-range fire-support options with effects designed to disrupt troops, air-defense sites, and lightly protected equipment across a wider area, reinforcing its ability to shape the battlefield before major combat operations begin.  Read Full Defense News At This Link. New PLA footage shows China’s PHL-191 rocket artillery system delivering concentrated, apparent airburst fragmentation effects against dispersed battlefield targets (Picture Source: Chinese Ministry of National Defense) from World Defence News https://ift.tt/jYnGm7H via IFTTT