Why is the military moving back into base deep under the Rocky Mountains?

Daily Mail ^ | 4/8/15 | James Nye

[Teflonic]

The Cheyenne Mountain Complex is one of the icons of the Cold War - a self-contained and sufficient town buried under the Rockies meant to be impervious to a Soviet nuclear barrage.

It was home to the North American Aerospace Command (NORAD), scanning the skies for Russian missiles and the military command and control center of the United States in the event of World War Three.

The high tech base entered popular culture with appearances in the 1983 Cold War thriller War Games and 1994's Stargate - which imagined the complex as a clandestine home for intergalactic travel.

It shut down nearly ten years ago as the threat from Russia seemed to subside, but this week the Pentagon announced that Cheyenne Mountain will once again be home to the most advanced tracking and communications equipment in the United States military.

The shift to the Cheyenne Mountain base in Colorado is designed to safeguard the command's sensitive sensors and servers from a potential electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, military officers said.

The Pentagon last week announced a $700 million contract with Raytheon Corporation to oversee the work for North American Aerospace Command (NORAD) and US Northern Command.

Admiral William Gortney, head of NORAD and Northern Command, said that 'because of the very nature of the way that Cheyenne Mountain's built, it's EMP-hardened.'

The Cheyenne mountain bunker is a half-acre cavern carved into a mountain in the 1960s that was designed to withstand a Soviet nuclear attack. From inside the massive complex, airmen were poised to send warnings that could trigger the launch of nuclear missiles.

But in 2006, officials decided to move the headquarters of NORAD and US Northern Command from Cheyenne to Petersen Air Force base in Colorado Springs. The Cheyenne bunker was designated as an alternative command center if needed.

[AllAmericanGirl44]

Bkmk

[PIF]

Yes, the Russians have satellite-guided missile system launchers (Club-K) that are identical to cargo ship containers.

[bayliving]

The question then becomes, can they place a large enough nuclear warhead into one of those things to generate a large enough EMP to knock out power to most of the United States?

[PIF]

Yes. Short answer. And: Why would they launch only one as they are configured four to a set?

The longest range missile in the system however is only 500 Km. It is primarily designed as an anti-ship system. To be effective as an EMP burster, it will have to detonate high in the atmosphere to be really effective, 500 km might eliminate the current known versions as EMP bursters.

No one seems to be willing to say the 3M-14KE, Kh-35UE are nuke capable, but the payloads are big enough and their parent missiles are nuke capable. Keep in mind this system is the export version which means Russia could have sold it to Iran or some other entity.

[Steve_Seattle]

"The idea that they are preparing for a “likely strike” is very much a speculative statement."

Of course it is speculative, but it's based on the idea that military installations are rarely re-commissioned after being taken out of service. I'm assuming they have a compelling reason for doing this, most likely intelligence that someone might be planning such an attack. That does not mean an attack is imminent, just that they consider it a real possibility.

[Star Traveler]

I would say the long range goals of China are the primary incentive ... :-) ...

[Steve_Seattle]

"The question then becomes, can they place a large enough nuclear warhead into one of those things to generate a large enough EMP to knock out power to most of the United States?"

They might not need to do that. If they could take out the power grid in two or three coastal metropolitan areas - one or more among New York/Boston/Washington, D.C/Florida/Los Angeles/San Francisco Bay area/San Diego/Seattle - it would create a national crisis.

Estimates that it would take years to recover from an EMP attack might be exaggerated, but it could take months, during which entire regions would be subject to food and water shortages, no power, looting, riots, financial breakdown, disease, martial law, and widespread deaths among the weakest and most vulnerable citizens.

[potlatch]

; )

[Balata]

I'm probably the only Freeper to actually stand atop Cheyenne Mountain.

Nope, you aren't. Been there several times.

[Alas Babylon!]

My first assignment! See my profile!

Nov 1976 - Nov 1979.

Philco Ford 1000 Offline

Delta

425L

MEBU

[Alas Babylon!]

We used to show them to the new troops and ask them what they are. They’d say they didn’t know.

Answer: Colorado Springs!

[Jane Long]

Gives me the same feeling. I didn’t realize your town is included in the Jade Helm drills. Too close for comfort, eh?

[potlatch]

Yeah, my town is maybe 70 thousand but not all that large. The one that’s really laughable is Goliad!! Goliad is tiny and is on the list too.

Had a reply from someone the other day who was also laughing about Goliad being on the list and it would be hard for the military to keep out of sight there. I joked that maybe the military would hide in the Missions - with the ghosts, lol.