The National Emergency Command Post Afloat (NECPA) was part of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

government's

Continuity of Operations Continuity of operations can mean: *Continuity of government, defined procedures that allow a government to continue its essential operations in case of a catastrophic event **Continuity of Government Commission, a nonpartisan think tank established ...

plans during the 1960s. It was one-third of a triad composed of airborne, ground, and sea-based assets.USAF Historical Division: "The Air Force and the Worldwide Military Command and Control System 1961-1965
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History

In October 1961, the

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and t ...

approved the NECPA plan, directing initial operating capability (IOC) by 1 March 1962. United States Atlantic Command converted the cruiser in March 1962, and the light carrier in 1963 for NECPA duties. The

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

began alternating the ships in mid-1964, to keep one at sea and the other in port at any time. The ''Northampton'' was marginally upgraded for NECPA duties, since it was due for replacement; however, the ''Wright'' was modified to the utmost efficiency to hold the National Command Authorities for indefinite periods. The software was developed by the

Naval Electronics Laboratory The U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory (''NEL'') was created in 1945, with consolidation of the naval radio station, radar operators training school, and radio security activity of the Navy Radio and Sound Lab (NRSL) and its wartime partner, the Uni ...

, San Diego. The product was turned over for acceptance and administration to the Naval Command and Systems Support Activity (NAVCOSSACT),

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serves as a ceremonial and administra ...

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

. The nuclear submarine USS ''Triton'' (SSRN-586) was considered for the NECPA role in the early 1960s after its original

radar picket A radar picket is a radar-equipped station, ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a nation or military (including naval) force to protect it from surprise attack, typically air attack, or from cr ...

mission became obsolete, but no such conversion has been documented.

Communications

A permanent

UHF Ultra high frequency (UHF) is the ITU designation for radio frequencies in the range between 300 megahertz (MHz) and 3 gigahertz (GHz), also known as the decimetre band as the wavelengths range from one meter to one tenth of a meter (on ...

ground station (located in

Waldorf, Maryland Waldorf is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Charles County, Maryland, United States. Located south-southeast of Washington, D.C., Waldorf is part of the Southern Maryland region. It is an urban area, with a popu ...

), served as the primary communications link between the separate command posts: National Military Command Center, Alternate National Military Command Center, National Emergency Airborne Command Post, and NECPA. Three ground communications vans were located at Otis AFB, MA, Greenville, SC, and Homestead AFB, FL to cover commonly used routes of Presidential aircraft. After President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, vans were moved to

Jackson, MS Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

and Austin, TX, to cover President

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

’s travel routes.

References

External links

"Ghosts of the East Coast: Doomsday Ships"
by Karl C. Priest - Cold War Museum {{US Posts for Continuity of Operations Nuclear warfare Cold War military equipment of the United States United States nuclear command and control Disaster preparedness in the United States 1961 establishments in the United States Continuity of government in the United States

History

Communications

See also

References

External links