NORAD to Move?

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jimmnn

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Colorado Springs - The military is relegating its newly renovated airspace and missile defense complex in Cheyenne Mountain to standby status - clouding the future of a Cold War nerve center touted as the most secure spot in America.

The green-jumpsuited sentries who electronically scan the skies from deep inside this granite cocoon southwest of Colorado Springs - built in the 1960s to withstand Soviet nuclear blasts - now are to blend into broader homeland defense operations under prairie skies at nearby Peterson Air Force Base.
"I can't be in two places at one time," said Adm. Tim Keating, commander of both U.S. Northern Command, set up in 2002 to fight terrorism, and North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. Both NORAD and Northcom have their headquarters at Peterson.

U.S. strategists created the mountain complex to prevent nuclear missile and bomber attacks. But today the government's best intelligence "leads us to believe a missile attack from China or Russia is very unlikely," Keating said in an interview this week.

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_4103478

Jim<
 

k0pwo

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I was actually involved in the planning and building of their new location. The facility was completed about 3 months ago and has been outfitted finally. I have no idea when they are going to actually move, but the new area is up and running. The new buildings and command center have actually been under construction for the last 2 1/2 years.

Dave
 

BMT

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I don't see how it will effect what we monitor. What you monitor locally is from the sector controlling A/C in your area. The HF side will probably be the same.

BMT
 

k0pwo

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cstockmyer said:
Am I the only one who thinking this idea can't end well?

What do you mean you don't see how this idea can't end well. Having know idea what the new facilaties are like and how they are built, how can you make that statement. I can assure you the new gig, while not inside of a mountain, will support their mission better than cheyenne mountain did.

The reason for the move is due to the maintance upkeep cost of cheyenne mountain plus a few other reasons.

Dave
 

cstockmyer

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k0pwo said:
What do you mean you don't see how this idea can't end well. Having know idea what the new facilaties are like and how they are built, how can you make that statement. I can assure you the new gig, while not inside of a mountain, will support their mission better than cheyenne mountain did.

The reason for the move is due to the maintance upkeep cost of cheyenne mountain plus a few other reasons.

Dave

I say that becuase we no longer are fighting countries that will lob missiles at us from the other side of the planet. 9/11 showed us they might just use things we take for granit against us. I for one am not sure they'd have time to say " Ok everyone, put on your helmets and get on the short buss, we need to go back the the mountain." That's how I make that statement.
 

Troop

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somthing tells me it's not going to be a complete move...i'm sure they're still going to have the same capabilities from the mtn regardless of the move....I wouldnt expect to see a Century 21 sign out front...
 

cstockmyer

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Troop said:
somthing tells me it's not going to be a complete move...i'm sure they're still going to have the same capabilities from the mtn regardless of the move....I wouldnt expect to see a Century 21 sign out front...

I think big brother uses REMAX, someones brother is a big wig I hear.
 

k0pwo

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First of all, the new complex is not a building as you might think and trooper you are right... They are not removing the equipment from cheyenne mountain. It will be a back up site and in fact I wouldn't be surprised if it is continued to be used as it always has been. But a jumbo jet or a semi trailer full of explosives etc will not even make a scratch on the new facility..
 

firescannerbob

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The original article sited for this thread was from the Denver Post and was hardly complete. The Gazette ran a much longer and much more in depth article. It's not so much a "move" of NORAD as a re-allocation of where certain tasks are performed.
The US and Canada have spent many millions over the last few years upgrading the mountain, so obviously they're not shutting the doors and turning off the lights. The mountain will still be used, but a bit differently.
While the mountain was chosen to withstand nuclear missle strikes, a few things need to be kept in mind: It won't withstand a strike from a modern ICBM, and a strike from a modern ICBM strike is very, very unlikely.
 

TenRingMike

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firescannerbob said:
...and a strike from a modern ICBM strike is very, very unlikely.

For now. That WILL change, probably sooner than we'd like. I'm all for modernization, but don't feel well about the mountain being relegated to backup. That just means that it'll eventually die altogether, quite possibly when we need it most.
 
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