Editing First strike (nuclear strategy) (section)

===Maintaining survivable C<sup>4</sup>ISTAR links===
[[Looking Glass (airplane)|Looking Glass]], [[Boeing E-4B|Nightwatch]], and [[TACAMO]] are US airborne nuclear command posts and represent survivable communication links with US nuclear forces. In the event of significant political-military tensions between the nuclear powers, they would take to the skies and provide survivable communications in the event of enemy attack. They are capable of the full exercise of all available [[Single Integrated Operations Plan|MAOs (Major Attack Options)]], as well as the full [[Single Integrated Operational Plan|SIOP]], in the event of a first strike or the destruction of the [[National Command Authority (United States)|NCA]]. They can directly initiate launch of all American ICBMs via radio and satellite communication, signal SLBMs to launch and send bombers on their strike missions. In addition to those airborne assets, the [[US government]] has several command and control [[bunker]]s, the most famous of which is that of [[NORAD]], which is tunneled a few thousand feet into the [[granite]] of [[Cheyenne Mountain Complex]], outside [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]], [[Colorado]]. It is believed to be able to withstand and to continue to operate after a nuclear direct hit. Other US C<sup>4</sup>ISTAR bunkers include an installation called [[Site R]], located at [[Raven Rock, Pennsylvania|Raven Rock]], [[Pennsylvania]], which is believed to be [[the Pentagon]]'s relocation site if [[Washington, DC]], is destroyed, as well as [[Mount Weather]], located in [[Virginia]], which is believed to be the relocation site for top [[executive branch]] officials. [[The Greenbrier]], located in [[West Virginia]], was once the site of the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] and [[Congress of the United States|Congress]]'s relocation bunker, but it is no longer a secret but is now a tourist attraction.

The Russians have a system called [[Russian missile attack early warning system|SPRN]] (СПРН), which can detect nuclear launches and providing early warning so that any such strike would not be undetected until it is too late. However, their unique and special capability can be found with their [[Dead Hand (nuclear war)|Dead Hand]] [[fail-deadly]] computerized nuclear release system,<ref>
{{cite web
|title=МЕРТВАЯ РУКА
|url=http://www.cosmoworld.ru/spaceencyclopedia/publications/index.shtml?zhelez_22.html
|access-date=2008-07-19
|author=Железняков, Александр (translit. Zheleznyakov, Alexander)
|date=2004-10-01
|format=Assumed orig. paper, converted to HTML on website `Энциклопедия «Космонавтика»` (trans. Space Encyclopedia?)
|work="Секретные материалы № 22(149)" (trans. Secret Materials?)
|pages=16–17
|publisher=Федерации космонавтики России (trans. Russian Federation of Cosmonautics?)
}}
</ref> which is based at [[Kosvinsky Kamen]] in the [[Urals]]. Apparently, Dead Hand, named for either the [[dead man's hand]] in poker or the [[dead man's switch]] in dangerous or deadly machinery, can be turned on whenever the Russian leadership fears a nuclear attack. Allegedly, once Dead Hand is activated, if it detects a loss of communications with Moscow as well as nuclear detonations inside Russian territory, it can give final authority for the release of nuclear weapons to military officers in a bunker under Kosvinsky Kamen, who can then, if they so determine, launch Russia's arsenal.