Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network

The Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network (MEECN) is a network of systems providing uninterrupted communications throughout the pre-, trans-, and post-nuclear warfare environment. At minimum, MEECN is designed to provide a one-way flow of information to activate nuclear forces during severe jamming and a post-nuclear environment.^[1]

Components[]

As of 1994, MEECN consists of various programs: Miniature Receive Terminals (MRTs) for nuclear bombers, High Power Transmit Sets (HPTS) for E-4B aircraft, Dual Frequency MEECN receivers (DFMRs) for ICBM Launch Control Centers.^[2]

Ground Element MEECN System (GEMS)[]

^[3]

Minuteman MEECN Program (MMP)[]

The Minuteman MEECN Program (MMP) replaced the aging Survivable Low Frequency Communications System (SLFCS) Launch Control Centers (LCCs) with an Extremely High Frequency (EHF) and Very Low Frequency/Low Frequency (VLF/LF) communications equipment.^[4]

MMP consists of EHF Milstar and VLF/LF communications equipment.^[5]

The 91st Missile Wing's Oscar-01 at Minot AFB, North Dakota was the last Minuteman Launch Control Center to have updated to the MMP configuration.^[6]

References[]

^ Aldridge, R. (1983). First Strike! The Pentagon's Strategy for Nuclear War, 0-89608-154-0
^ Air Force Historical Research Agency: PMD 2070(29)/22131F/32015F/11213F Program Management Directive for Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network (MEECN) VLF/LF System Improvements
^ Congressional Research Service: "Nuclear Command and Control: Current Programs and Issues", May 3, 2006
^ Strategic-Air-Command.com: "Minuteman Missile History", no date
^ Air Force FOIA documents: 392d Training Squadron slides on MEECN, no date^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Air Force Space Command: "Minot completes final MEECN modifications", 17 Nov 2005 Archived 2010-03-24 at the Wayback Machine

[1] Aldridge, R. (1983). First Strike! The Pentagon's Strategy for Nuclear War, 0-89608-154-0

[2] Air Force Historical Research Agency: PMD 2070(29)/22131F/32015F/11213F Program Management Directive for Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network (MEECN) VLF/LF System Improvements

[3] Congressional Research Service: "Nuclear Command and Control: Current Programs and Issues", May 3, 2006

[4] Strategic-Air-Command.com: "Minuteman Missile History", no date

[5] Air Force FOIA documents: 392d Training Squadron slides on MEECN, no date^{[permanent dead link]}

[6] Air Force Space Command: "Minot completes final MEECN modifications", 17 Nov 2005 Archived 2010-03-24 at the Wayback Machine

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t United States Air Force system numbers
100–199	100 101 P 102 103 104 105 106¹ 107 A-1 A-2 108¹ 109¹ 110 111¹ 112 113¹ 114¹ 115¹ 116¹ 117 M 118 A 119 C/F E T Y 120 121 122 123 124 125 127¹ 129 131 132 133 134¹ 136¹ 137¹ 138 139 140 141¹ 142 143–197¹ 199 B C D
200–299	200 201 A/L B/W E 202 203¹ 204 205 206 207¹ 208 209¹ 210 211¹ 213 214 215¹ 216 217 218 219¹ 220 221 222 A 223¹ 224 225¹ 226 227–238¹ 239 240–278¹ 279 280–298¹
300–399	300 301¹ 302 303 304¹ 305¹ 306 A/L B 307 308 309 310¹ 311¹ 312¹ 313¹ 314 315 A-1 A-2 316 318¹ 319 320¹ 321 322¹ 324 L M/N 326 327 E 328 E 329 F 330¹ 331¹ 332¹ 333¹ 334¹ 335 336 337 338–379¹ 380 A/B/E/F/N P 381–397¹ 399
400–499	400 B/C/N E G/H M 401 402 403¹ 405 406¹ 408¹ 409¹ 410 E 411 E L 413 414 416 L M (I) 418 419¹ 420 L/W 421¹ 422 423 424 425 426 L 427 L 428 L 429 431 434 435 L 436 441 A L 442 443 444¹ 445 446 447 448¹ 449¹ 450 451 L 452 453 454¹ 457¹ 460 L 462 463 464 465 468 471 L (I) L (II) 474 L N 475¹ 476 E 477 478 A 479¹ 481 L 482 E M/Z 484 485 Z 487 488 490 491¹ 493 494 495 496 497 L 498 C E L 499
500–599	501–519¹ 521–529¹ 531–541¹ 543–549¹ 550 551–559¹ 560 561–569¹ 571–579¹ 580 581–589¹ 591 593–599¹
600–699	601 A 602 A 603 A 605 606 607 608¹ 609 610¹ 611¹ 612¹ 613¹ 615¹ 616 617¹ 619¹ 620 621 A/B (I) 622 624 626¹ 628¹ 629¹ 630¹ 631¹ 634 A B 636¹ 637¹ 638 641 644¹ 645¹ 646¹ 647¹ 648 A P 649 P 653¹ 654¹ 655 656 657¹ 658¹ 659¹ 662¹ 663¹ 665 666 669¹ 671¹ 672 673¹ 676¹ 677¹ 678¹ 681 682¹ 683 A V 684¹ 687 P 688¹ 689¹ 691 C Z 692¹ 693 694¹ 695 A B C L N P Q R S (I) S (II) 696¹ 697¹ 698¹ 699¹
700–799	700–735¹ 737¹ 738¹ 739¹ 740¹ 742 743 744¹ 745 746–753¹ 755–799¹
800–899	800¹ 801¹ 802 803¹ 804¹ 805¹ 807 808–816¹ 818¹ 819¹ 820¹ 821¹ 822¹ 824–831¹ 832 833¹ 834 835–845¹ 847–899¹
900–999	900–951¹ 952 853¹ 854¹ 855¹ 956 957–967¹
¹ Unknown or not assigned

Minimum Essential Emergency Communications Network

Contents

Components[]

Ground Element MEECN System (GEMS)[]

Minuteman MEECN Program (MMP)[]

See also[]

References[]