The Remarkable Mechanism That Secures Nuclear Weapons

▶️ Visit https://brilliant.org/NewMind to get a 30-day free trial + 20% off your annual subscription In the early days of nuclear weapons, security measures were surprisingly basic. This video explores the fascinating history and development of Permissive Action Links (PALs), the sophisticated systems that now safeguard nuclear arsenals. Timeline: 1940s-1950s: Primitive security measures - Weapons kept partially disassembled - No formal policy on custody, control, and proliferation - Simple 3-digit combination locks introduced 1953: Missiles and Rockets agreements - Defined roles of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Department of Defense (DoD) 1961: Committees formed to study use control - Special Warhead Arming Control (SWAC) Committee - Safety Steering Group - Joint Command and Control Study Group Project 106 August 1961: Secretary of Defense requests AEC to create permissive links for NATO weapons June 1962: President Kennedy issues NSAM 160 - Mandates PALs on all U.S. nuclear weapons in NATO countries How PALs Work: 1. Isolation: Critical components enclosed in "exclusion region" 2. Incompatibility: Designed to prevent accidental activation 3. Inoperability: "Weak links" render weapon inoperable in extreme conditions Key Components: - Stronglinks: Rugged electromechanical devices controlling weapon arming - Energy control elements: Create pathways into exclusion region PAL Categories: Category A (1960s): - MC1541 coded switch (5-digit code) - Complex operation, took 30 seconds to 2.5 minutes - Required multiple support equipment pieces Category B (mid-1960s): - MC1707 coded switch (4-digit code) - Faster operation, cockpit control possible - Fewer wires, parallel unlocking for multiple weapons Category C (mid-1970s): - Extended Cat B capabilities - 6-digit code - Introduced limited code attempt lockouts Category D (1975): - First microprocessor-based PAL (MC2764) - Multiple Code Coded-Switch (MCCS) concept - 6-digit codes for various functions (arm, train, disable) - Interfaced with MC2969 Intent stronglink - Anti-intrusion sensors, some self-powered Category F (mid-1980s): - 12-digit code system - Advanced features: code-driven disable modes, emergency stops - Variable yield adjustment via code - Encryption in the arming process Key Developments: 1980s: Modernization efforts - Second-generation stronglinks: detonator and dual magnetic - Improved reliability and reduced manufacturing costs 1997: PALs installed on all U.S. nuclear devices - U.S. Navy last to receive them 2001: PAL Code Management System (CMS) deployed - End-to-end encrypted method for re-coding weapons - MC4519 MCCS Encryption Translator Assembly 2004: CMS fully implemented across all PAL systems Future Developments: - Ongoing miniaturization and ruggedization - Micromachining technologies for mm-sized components THUMBNAIL PHOTOGRAPHY By Shane Aldendorff Instagram: @oscillatie E-mail: [email protected] SUPPORT NEW MIND ON PATREON https://www.patreon.com/newmind #NuclearSecurity #PermissiveActionLinks #MilitaryHistory #DefenseTechnology #NuclearWeapons #ColdWar