Planned but never built: Deep Underground Command Center

My apologies if this has already been discussed. I can’t imagine being stationed in this thing, 3,000-4,000 feet underground. It was designed to withstand nuclear weapons many times more powerful than the 50-megaton Tsar Bomba — the most powerful nuke ever detonated.

Wikipedia: “The Deep Underground Command Center (DUCC), sometimes also called the Deep Underground Command and Control Site (DUCCS), was a United States military installation that was proposed on January 31, 1962[1],:317 to be "a very deep underground center close to the Pentagon, perhaps 3,000-4,000 feet down, protected to withstand direct hits by high-yield weapons and endure about 30 days in a post-attack period"[1].:318 The DUCC would have been built as "an austere 50-man … or an expanded 300-man version (with the former built to permit expansion into the latter, if desired)"[1].:318–9 It was designed to withstand multiple direct hits of 200 to 300 Megaton weapons bursting at the surface or 100 MT weapons penetrating to depths of 70-100 feet. Based on Strategic Air Command's Deep Underground Support Center (DUSC) planned near the Cheyenne Mountain nuclear bunker[1],:363 the DUCC plan was recommended to President John F. Kennedy for fiscal year 1965 funding shortly before his assassination[1],:318,364 but the underground DUCC, SAC's DUSC, and NORAD's Super Combat Centers were never built.”

Yet another super-deep nuclear bunker that was planned but never built was this monstrosity:

Wikipedia: “The Deep Underground Support Center (DUSC) was a Strategic Air Command nuclear bunker proposal in 1962 for "a hardened command post...to withstand a 100-megaton weapon with a 0.5 n.m. CEP".[1] Favored for a mine near Cripple Creek, Colorado (west of the Cheyenne Mountain nuclear bunker started in 1961), the DUSC was to be 3,500 ft (1,100 m) deep and be "able to accommodate some 200 people for [30 days] to handle the large volume of data processing and analysis required for strike assessment, as well as follow-on strike and other decisions."[2]:325 Cost estimates for the SAC Control System facility increased to $200 million, and when the operational year slipped from 1965 to 1969, SAC decided in 1963 "for a long-endurance, all airborne concept instead" (Wainstein), and the JCS and OSD concurred with the DUSC project cancellation.”

Sure cancelled it...

They just called Them something else. ie D.U.M.B.S.

"200 to 300 Megatons"?? Thats like Tsar Bomba X 6, they sure loved thier overkill back in the 50's and 60's!

This is old , old news

I am willing to bet 10 dollars that there are bases like this hidden around the world.. also underwater bases.

whats the point in surviving the stated attack ?? is your escape tunnels going to survive ??

one of my favourite books = level 7 - it explores the concept of deep shelters in depth < pun >

wikki primer for book

the link has spoilers

copies of book SHOULD be availiavle at amazon and other outlets

originally posted by: ignorant_ape
whats the point in surviving the stated attack ?? is your escape tunnels going to survive ??

one of my favourite books = level 7 - it explores the concept of deep shelters in depth < pun >

wikki primer for book

the link has spoilers

copies of book SHOULD be availiavle at amazon and other outlets

I am sure those massive underground bases have machines that can make new tunnels to escape collapsed ones

a reply to: Spacespider

If not, someone isn't doing their contingency planning very well

Mr. President, we must not allow a mine-shaft gap!