The nuclear suitcase is always carried by a military assistant in the delegation accompanying the US President
But what does the nuclear suitcase actually contain? And how to ensure the smooth transfer of the nuclear suitcase from Mr. Joe Biden to Mr. Donald Trump on January 20?
What exactly is a nuclear suitcase?
The nuclear briefcase, officially named “The President’s Emergency Briefcase”, has the appearance of a thick briefcase, according to AP. This heavy briefcase is carried by an assistant who is a military officer and is never far from the US President, whether the military commander in chief is sitting in a helicopter or leaving meetings with world leaders. .
Contrary to popular belief, the suitcase does not contain a “red button” that can be pressed in case a nuclear weapon needs to be activated directly. The contents of the suitcase were kept secret, but publicly available information showed that the suitcase contained a communications device, plans to respond to unexpected situations, and top secret documents that allowed the president to communicate with the central government. military command center at the Pentagon and related agencies.
In order to authenticate his identity as the legitimate commander in chief of the US military, the president also carries a plastic card clearly stating the necessary codes. This card is also called “biscuit”.
In order to ensure that the US government has full authority when it needs to decide on a nuclear attack in case the president encounters some problem that cannot act, depending on the life of the president, the vice president sometimes also has his own suitcase.
For example, President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) requested that his deputy Walter Mondale also arrange for a military assistant to carry the nuclear suitcase.
The nuclear suitcase is a symbol of the power and strength of the US President
Has nuclear suitcase been used before?
To date, nuclear suitcases have never been used to trigger a nuclear attack. However, during the Cold War, the risk of nuclear escalation was real.
It is necessary to ensure absolute precision in the process of handling suitcases. However, human error cannot be ruled out. A story that was spread by word of mouth but never officially confirmed involved an incident that occurred during Carter’s presidency.
Accordingly, Mr. Carter once forgot the card containing the identity verification code in his vest pocket, and the shirt was transferred to the cleaners to discover.
What happens during the handover of the nuclear suitcase?
On January 20 (Washington DC time), the nuclear suitcase will be handed over according to a standardized process. Specifically, the suitcase was handed over to another military assistant standing at the place where the next president took the oath or nearby, according to CNN.
At the same time, Mr. Biden’s codes will be disabled at the end of his term and Mr. Trump’s codes will be activated immediately after he is sworn into office. This is to ensure a smooth transfer of control of the US nuclear arsenal.
