USCentcom was established in 1983 and is one of the 11 armed forces’ command posts. USCentcom’s Area of ​​Responsibility (AOR) includes the Middle East, Egypt, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia. The USCentcom headquarters is not in its operational area, but within the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa (Florida), a new and 26,217 square meter building completed in the year. 2012. The new building will include key spaces for specialized tasks such as the Joint Command Operations Center, the General Planning and Operations Division, the Network Operations Center, and the Operations Center. operation safety information command. The new headquarters building also includes a 10,126 square meter (SCIF) Sensitive Zone Information Facility (SCIF), as well as sound transmission layered (STC) 45 and 50 spaces to support safe operations. . Relevant anti-terrorism standards include advanced collapse mitigation by force-bound means, which are also integrated into the new headquarters. Military communications equipment currently in use at USCentcom headquarters can also be seen in the 60 Minutes program, which shows footage taken in two large-scale operations rooms. small and large. In the large operation room there are sizable TV screens hung on the walls and several rows of work stations, each with 2 sets of communication devices, 1 for access to classified telephones, and computer networks, and other sets of equipment for networks that have not been classified. According to the US grading system color codes, the phone and smart card reader will have a green label for the unsorted Systems, and a red label for the Crypto Systems. Major operations / operations center at USCentcom headquarters. photo taken January 2021. Photo source: 60 Minutes. Some computers display a bright red lock screen with the words “Confidential” meaning only applicable for authorized purposes, and that means they are part of SIPRNet: the primary classified secure network of The US military is used for tactical and operational information. The US military’s unsecured unsecured computer network is also known as NIPRNet. Identification of users authorized to mine NIPRNet will be done through a Common Access Card (CAC), which is the standard of identification for active US defense personnel. Accessing the SIPRNET requires a SIPRNet token, which is also a smart tag but does not have a clear identification information. In addition to the NIPRNet and SIPRNet networks, USCentcom also has other separate computer networks for coordination with overseas partners. For members of bilateral and multinational alliances, the US has provided a network architecture called Integrated Enterprise Area Information Interchange Systems (Centrixs), which operates at a decentralized level. Type Confidential / Notified for (national identifier). The first Centrixs networks were established in late 2001 by USCentcom to support coalition activities within the framework of the Campaign for Sustainable Freedom (OEF). This has resulted in a new alliance called Centrixs-Isaf for operations in Afghanistan, and Centrixs-Gctf (Global Counterterrorism Forces). Meanwhile, both systems are integrated in the USCentcom Partner Network (CPN). General McKenzie’s communication device in his command room. Photo source: 60 Minutes. The Centrixs network consists of servers and provides users with at least the applications that will give them the same basic capabilities as US systems users, such as: Microsoft Office; Command and control personal computer (C2PC); Integrated imaging and intelligence (I3). These applications allow access to real-time warfare (NRT) commands from MIDB databases and image databases to display data on a map basis. They can also access other browser-based products, or send emails with attachments and conduct collaborative sessions. For US military users, the system is part of the Global Command and Control System (GCCS), which includes more than 200 tools and applications to combine data from multiple sensors. and intelligence sources intended to create a kind of graphic representation of battle spaces. There is also mention of the telephone systems used at USCentcom. The major operations / operations center at USCentcom headquarters also has a range of Cisco IP phones, the 7975, or more recently, 8841. The Cisco 8841 IP phone generation looks like a commercial phone, but in fact it is a modified version of the small-scale telecom security firm CIS Secure Computing Inc. These modified phones are authorized for use in SCIF (Sensitive Subdivision Information Base) and SAPF (Special Access Program Facilities) environments, and provide security features. plugin that can perform “hold” and “mute” operations while on a phone call. Personal control and command computer interface (C2PC). Communication equipment of the USCentcom commander The reporter met with General Frank McKenzie in a small room outside his main operations center at USCentcom headquarters. In this small room, Commander McKenzie had additional communications equipment that did not appear to be available to personnel at the large operations center. For example, the Cisco DX 70 video monitor with video camera is probably the Secure Video Remote Conferencing System (SVTS) which is part of the Crisis Management System (CMS) to enable the high level video meeting. There is also a Cisco IP 8841 phone with a special yellow border for highly secure operating networks through a secure IP, which is also part of the Crisis Management System (CMS) and connection to General system, National Security Council, Cabinet members, Joint Chiefs of Staff, various intelligence agency surveillance centers, headquarters, and Continuity of Operations (COOPs). ); Touch screen operator phone (TXP) with 2 units of Touch Screen Line Extension consisting of 50 buttons (TLE), this device is manufactured by small-scale telecom security firm Telecore, Inc. It also invented Integrated Service Phone (IST-2), which used to be on the Oval Office desk during the two generations of President Bush and Obama. These devices are specifically designed for the Defense Red Switch Network (DRSN), as well as provide conference, command, and control capabilities for top-secret / SCI military commanders. It was revealed in the 60 Minute Program that in that small room during the attack on the Al Asad base, Commander McKenzie spoke directly to the Secretary of Defense and the President. There are also two computer screens in General McKenzie’s small room. Right at the top of the desktop background is a yellow bar signifying JWICS. Unlike NIPRNet and SIPRNet networks, access to JWICS does not require a smart card, but a software certificate is required: military users must confirm themselves with the Department of Defense PKI certificate, but Others require IC PKI certificate. General McKenzie’s touchscreen phone. Photo source: 60 Minutes. A very interesting device in the USCentcom command room is the IC Desktop Environment. The phrase “Community Intelligence Community Desktop Environment” (IC DTE) was founded in 2012 as a single and identical platform for the US Intelligence Community. In fact, this is the focus of a giant modernization project called the Information Community Intelligence Technology Enterprise (IC ITE), whereby the data will be stored in a Commercial Cloud Service ( C2S) is managed by the CIA, and handled at IC GovCloud managed by the NSA. DTE deployments are managed by the Office of Joint Program Management (JPMO) led by DIA and NGA, while the software system is built by BAE Systems under a five-year contract worth $ 300 million. . With DTE, analysts at DIA, NGA, and other US intelligence agencies can go anywhere within these organizations, sit at any top secret workstation, log in, authenticate, and track. access to e-mail, work folders, shared files … In addition to virtual desktops, DTE has desktop applications and access to popular services including Unified Service Communication. The NSA is responsible for the so-called App Marketplaces, which are the app stores of various intelligence agencies. As early as 2014, there were 4,000 DTE users at DIA and NGA. By 2018, Mr. John Sherman, Chief Information Officer of the US Intelligence Community wants to take the DTE even further by creating the Collaborative Reference Architecture (CRA). Now US intelligence agencies can create applications that match their needs as long as they comply with the standards set by the CRA to ensure compatibility across different systems.

A US Air Force B-52 bomber in 1957. Photo AP 1. 1956: The B-47 disappears with two nuclear “capsules” The first story on the list is also one of the most mysterious because nothing like the wreckage of a plane, a weapon or a crew has been found. A B-47 Stratojet bomber with two nuclear weapons took off from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida on March 10, 1956, towards Morocco. It was scheduled for two aerial refuels but did not show up at the second refuel point. An international search team was dispatched to search but found nothing. The US military had finally stopped searching. 2. 1958: Nuclear bomber damaged near Tybee Island, Georgia On February 5, 1958, the B-47 bomber left Florida with nuclear weapons on a training mission to simulate the bombing of a Russian city and evade the subsequent interceptor missiles. On the Georgia coast, bombers and interceptors (red troops) collided. The interceptor pilot parachutes, the bomber crew tries to lower the same bomb but fails. They dropped bombs into the sea before they landed safely. Because the plutonium pores were changed to lead holes during training, the missing bomb had only uranium-235 mass below the threshold and could not cause a nuclear explosion. 3. 1961: Two nuclear bombs nearly turn North Carolina into a bay On January 24, 1961, a B-52 carrying two Mark 39 bombs, each 253 times more powerful than the one Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima, shattered in a storm and released two bombs. A pilot who survived the accident warned the US Air Force of the incident. The first bomb was found hanging from a tree with a parachute, upright, nose plunged close to the ground. It went through six of the seven steps needed to explode. Fortunately, the safety switch, due to the malfunction, was in place and the bomb “landed safely”. “Now you can have a very large North Carolina Gulf if that goes away,” said Jack Revelle, who was in charge of locating and removing the two bombs. The bomb’s switch has changed to ‘weapon’ mode, but for whatever reason no one knows, it still cannot explode, saving tens of thousands of lives. 4. 1965: Loss of naval aircraft, pilot and B43 nuclear bomb A US Navy A-4 Skyhawk was being carried aboard the USS Ticonderoga during a December 5, 1965 exercise when it slipped off the lift floor while on board a pilot and a nuclear bomb B43. The plane quickly sank 5,300 meters deep. The status of this bomb is still unknown. The pressure at that depth would have been enough to detonate the weapon and the water was so deep that it would be difficult to detect. If the weapon was still intact, it would be nearly impossible to find because very few submarines were able to reach that depth. 5. 1966: Aircraft -52 crashes into KC-135, four thermonuclear bombs are dropped on Spain On January 17, 1966, a B-52 was approaching an KC-135 to refuel when a collision occurred, causing the KC-135 crew and 3 people on the B-52. network. B-52s and 4 B28 thermonuclear bombs fell near a small fishing village in Palomares, Spain. Three bombs were found in the first 24 hours after the crash. One landed safely while the other two exploded but with conventional explosives. The explosions burned and dispersed the plutonium in the bomb, contaminating an area of ​​two square kilometers. The fourth bomb fell into the sea. It took the US Navy almost 100 days to locate and recall it. 6. 1968: The B-52 crashes and a nuclear weapon is lost under the Arctic ice Like the Palomares crash, the January 21 crash of a B-52 resulted in four B28 bombs being released. This time they fell over Greenland and at least three of the bombs were broken. Investigators recovered most of these ingredients before realizing they could find nothing of the fourth bomb. The recovery team speculates that the bomb started burning after the crash and thawed. The remains of the bomb then fell to the bottom of the Arctic sea. The weapon is missing, said to be irrevocable. 7. 1968: The sinking of the USS Scorpion USS Scorpion, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, was declared missing on June 5, 1968. The loss was especially difficult for the US Navy, as the ship followed a Russian research group just before disappearing. At the time of his disappearance, the Scorpion was carrying two Mark 45 anti-submarine torpedoes (ASTOR). It was not until October 1968 that the debris was found. The USS Scorpion is located on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 3,000 meters and the cause of the sinking is unknown. The torpedo compartment appears to be intact with two nuclear torpedoes, but the US Navy cannot say for sure. Retrieving torpedoes will be extremely difficult, so the US Navy will monitor radiation levels in the area. So far, there has been no sign of leakage from a torpedo or reactor, according to the statement of the US Navy.

A US Air Force B-52 bomber in 1957. Photo AP 1. 1956: The B-47 disappears with two nuclear “capsules” The first story on the list is also one of the most mysterious because nothing like the wreckage of a plane, a weapon or a crew has been found. A B-47 Stratojet bomber with two nuclear weapons took off from MacDill Air Force Base, Florida on March 10, 1956, towards Morocco. It was scheduled for two aerial refuels but did not show up at the second refuel point. An international search team was dispatched to search but found nothing. The US military had finally stopped searching. 2. 1958: Nuclear bomber damaged near Tybee Island, Georgia On February 5, 1958, the B-47 bomber left Florida with nuclear weapons on a training mission to simulate the bombing of a Russian city and evade the subsequent interceptor missiles. On the Georgia coast, bombers and interceptors (red troops) collided. The interceptor pilot parachutes, the bomber crew tries to lower the same bomb but fails. They dropped bombs into the sea before they landed safely. Because the plutonium pores were changed to lead holes during training, the missing bomb had only uranium-235 mass below the threshold and could not cause a nuclear explosion. 3. 1961: Two nuclear bombs nearly turn North Carolina into a bay On January 24, 1961, a B-52 carrying two Mark 39 bombs, each 253 times more powerful than the one Little Boy dropped on Hiroshima, shattered in a storm and released two bombs. A pilot who survived the crash warned the US Air Force of the incident. The first bomb was found hanging from a tree with a parachute, upright, nose plunged close to the ground. It went through six of the seven steps needed to explode. Fortunately, the safety switch, due to the malfunction, was in place and the bomb “landed safely”. “Now you can have a very large North Carolina Gulf if that goes away,” said Jack Revelle, who was in charge of locating and removing the two bombs. The bomb’s switch has changed to ‘weapon’ mode, but for whatever reason no one knows, it still cannot explode, saving tens of thousands of lives. 4. 1965: Loss of naval aircraft, pilot and B43 nuclear bomb A US Navy A-4 Skyhawk was being carried aboard the USS Ticonderoga during a December 5, 1965 exercise when it slipped off the lift floor while on board a pilot and a nuclear bomb B43. The plane quickly sank 5,300 meters deep. The status of this bomb is still unknown. The pressure at that depth would have been enough to detonate the weapon and the water was so deep that it would be difficult to detect. If the weapon was still intact, it would be nearly impossible to find because very few submarines were able to reach that depth. 5. 1966: Aircraft -52 crashes into KC-135, four thermonuclear bombs are dropped on Spain On January 17, 1966, a B-52 was approaching an KC-135 to refuel when a collision occurred, causing the KC-135 crew and 3 people on the B-52. network. B-52s and 4 B28 thermonuclear bombs fell near a small fishing village in Palomares, Spain. Three bombs were found within the first 24 hours after the crash. One landed safely while the other two exploded but with conventional explosives. The explosions burned and dispersed the plutonium in the bomb, contaminating an area of ​​two square kilometers. The fourth bomb fell into the sea. It took the US Navy almost 100 days to locate and recall it. 6. 1968: The B-52 crashes and a nuclear weapon is lost under the Arctic ice Like the Palomares crash, the January 21 crash of a B-52 resulted in four B28 bombs being released. This time they fell over Greenland and at least three of the bombs were broken. Investigators recovered most of these ingredients before realizing they could find nothing of the fourth bomb. The recovery team speculates that the bomb started burning after the crash and thawed. The remains of the bomb then fell to the bottom of the Arctic sea. The weapon is missing, said to be irrevocable. 7. 1968: The sinking of the USS Scorpion USS Scorpion, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, was declared missing on June 5, 1968. The loss was especially difficult for the US Navy, as the ship followed a Russian research group just before disappearing. At the time of his disappearance, the Scorpion was carrying two Mark 45 anti-submarine torpedoes (ASTOR). It was not until October 1968 that the debris was found. The USS Scorpion is located on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 3,000 meters and the cause of the sinking is unknown. The torpedo compartment appears to be intact with two nuclear torpedoes, but the US Navy cannot say for sure. Retrieving torpedoes will be extremely difficult, so the US Navy will monitor radiation levels in the area. So far, there has been no sign of leakage from a torpedo or reactor, according to the statement of the US Navy.

Aircraft B-47. Photo: US Air Force According to Business Insider, the loss of the first nuclear weapon by the US military is also one of the most mysterious. On March 10, 1956, a B-47 Stratojet strategic bomber carrying two nuclear warheads took off from MacDill Air Base, Florida to Morocco. As planned, it was given aerial refueling twice. However, this strafe disappeared, no second refueling. The international team of experts was unable to find any trace of the B-47, whether it be debris, weapons or crew. In the end, the US military decided to stop searching. 2. In 1958: The plane was damaged, bombed into the sea On May 2, 1958, B-47 bombers with nuclear weapons left Florida to participate in drills for mocking a Soviet city and dealing with enemy interceptors. . In the sky off Georgia state, a B-47 accidentally collided with an interceptor and suffered certain damage. The interceptor pilot jumps out, while the B-47 pilot wants to land with the bomb but cannot. They bombed the ocean near Tyree Island and landed safely. Because engineers changed plutonium to lead for training purposes, the missing bomb had a subcritical uranium-235 mass and could not detonate the nucleus. 3. 1961: Two nuclear bombs almost turn North Carolina into a “gulf”. Aircraft B-52. Photo: AP On January 24, 1961, a B-2 aircraft carrying two Mark 39 bombs was attacked by a storm and both bombs dropped. Each of these is 253 times more powerful than the Little Boy that the US threw at Hiroshima, Japan. The pilot, a survivor of the accident, promptly warned the US Air Force about this dreadful incident. The first bomb was found in a parachute, suspended in a tree, nose pointed straight to the ground. It went through 6 out of 7 steps needed to explode. Fortunately, its safety was in place and the Mark 39 landed safely. “Now you will have a very large North Carolina Gulf area if that bomb goes off,” said Jack Revelle, who is in charge of locating and disarming. While the other bomb’s safety switch did not return to the correct position, no one could understand why it did not explode, saving tens of thousands of lives. 4. 1965: The unfortunate plane crashed into the sea On December 5, 1965, a US Navy A-4 Skyhawk bomber was moving aboard the USS Ticonderoga to prepare for the exercise when an incident occurred. It deviates from the tow ladder with a pre-loaded pilot and a B43 nuclear weapon. The plane quickly submerged 5km below sea level. The status of this weapon has yet to be determined. The pressure at that depth would have been strong enough to detonate the B43 bomb, when it was difficult to find its location. If the bomb was still intact, the likelihood of finding it was rare as very few ships could have dived to such depths. 5. In 1966: B-52 hit KC-135, 4 thermonuclear bombs exploded over Spain An American soldier inspects the materials after the plane crash. Photo: AP On January 17, 2016, a B-52 “flying fortress” was approaching an aircraft carrying KC-135 fuel to perform aerial refueling when a collision occurred. The incident sparked a fireball, killing the crew of KC-135 and three people on the B-52. The B-52 and four B28 thermonuclear bombs crashed into a small fishing house in Palomares, Spain. Three bombs were found in the first 24 hours after the accident. One ball landed safely while two had their conventional explosive parts detonated. The explosions ignited and dispersed the plutonium in the rockets, poisoning the air within two square kilometers. The fourth bomb seen by a fisherman fell into the sea. Despite the eyewitness accounts, it took the US Navy almost 100 days to locate and retrieve the weapon. 6. 1968: Falling the B-52, the weapon disappears under the ice Like the Palomares accident, on January 21, 1968, a crashed B-52 dropped four B28 bombs from the air. This time, it was bombed in Greenland. At least three were shattered. With most of the debris collected, investigators found they did not find any fragments of the fourth bomb. Then, they discovered a piece of ice with a black object identified the bomb’s parachute string. They speculate that in the early or secondary phase, the B28 started burning after the collision and thawed. The remnants of the bomb then plunged through the arctic waters and sank. This weapon is still missing, is said to be irrevocable. 7. 1968: The sinking of the USS Scorpion The USS Scorpion. Photo:; US Navy Nuclear attack submarine USS Scorpion was declared missing on 5/6/1968. The loss was especially difficult for the US Navy because the ship followed a Russian team just before it disappeared. At the time of her disappearance, Scorpion was carrying two Mark 45 anti-submarine torpedoes (ASTOR). The debris was not found until four months later. The Scorpion remains on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of 3,000 meters. The cause of the ship sinking has not been determined. Its torpedo compartment appears to be intact with two nuclear torpedoes in place. Retrieving torpedoes will be extremely difficult. Therefore, the US Navy will need to monitor radiation levels in the area. So far, there has been no sign of leakage from the submarine’s torpedoes or reactors.