SAC Automated Command and Control System

Description

The SAC Automated Command and Control System was the command and control system used to coordinate the operational functions of the Strategic Air Command. It consisted of three main parts::# The Data Display System, which consisted of:## The Data Display Generators (film printers, character generators, etc):## The Display Subsystem (projectors, control consoles):# The Data Processing Central (or System), which consisted of redundant AN/FSQ-31V computers:# The Data Communication System, which consisted of:## The Electronic Data Transmission Control Center (EDTCC or just TCC):## Encryption/Decryption Subsystem (Crypto):## High Speed Data Transmission Equipment (Modems)

Architecture

History

The SACCS was conceived as an enhancement to the existing manual command, control, and communications and was also an offshoot of the experiences gained by the Air Force and IBM from the development and deployment of the SAGE system. The Data Processing Central element hardware was originally going to be used as the SAGE II computing element, and is architecturally very similar to the SAGE system computer. In 1956 the Commander In Chief of SAC (CINCSAC), who was General Curtis LeMay at the time, determined that SAC's command and control system needed improving, as the current system of leased teletype circuits and radio links was too slow to provide realtime communication, which was a necessity during the Cold War. A government program, eventually designated 465L, coordinated military and industry to provide this system. The 465L program was the predecessor to the current Strategic Automated Command Control System. In 1965, SAC procured the 465L system hardware, which was designed to survive nuclear attack and to provide rapid transmission, processing, and display of information to support command and control of SAC's geographically separated forces. The development of the systems software took somewhat longer, as a system of 465L's scope had never been attempted before. By 1970 the system had been for the most part made operational, and was to remain a stable part of SAC C³ infrastructure until it was replaced by the WWMCCS. [cite web
title = Strategic Automated Command Control System
url = http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/saccs.htm
accessdate = December 10
accessyear = 2006
publisher = Global Security.org] [cite web
year = 1999
url = http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/saccs.htm
title = Strategic Automated Command Control System
publisher = Federation of American Scientists
accessdate = June 20
accessyear = 2006] [cite web
last = Wohlman
first = John
year = 1968
url = http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1968/jan-feb/wohlman.html
title = Computer-Generated Map Data
subtitle = An Aid to Command and Control
publisher = Air University Review
accessdate = June 20
accessyear = 2006]

References