The announcement that the U.S. president has contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus has caused a scramble in the White House. What is barely being reported is the scramble in the military

 

UPDATE:

Military leaders moved to reassure the public Friday afternoon that it was business as usual at the Pentagon despite President Donald Trump’s announcement that he had tested positive for coronavirus.

“The US military stands ready to defend our country and interests,” Jonathan Hoffman, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, said in a statement. “There’s no change to the readiness or capability of our armed forces. Our national command and control structure is in no way affected by this announcement.”

Initially, early on Friday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that Trump is experiencing “mild” symptoms, but that overall he is “feeling good.” The president’s condition reportedly changed over the course of the day and at approximately 6 PM ET the president was flown by helicopter to Walter Reed Hospital for treatment.

According to CNN reporting late Friday, a Trump adviser said there is reason for concern about the President’s health.

A source familiar with the situation said White House officials have serious concerns about Trump’s health and a top administration official told CNN that Trump is “OK for now, but our fear is that things can change quick.”

 

October 2, 2020

U.S. Nuclear Command & Control Sends a Signal

U.S. Nuclear Weapons communication system is on alert — and aloft

E-6B Mercury’s In the Air

 

Report from David Axe / via Forbes

U.S. president Donald Trump tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Friday morning. Shortly before the news broke, the U.S. Navy’s doomsday planes launched on both American coasts.

The E-6B Mercury is one of the Pentagon’s airborne nuclear command posts. The four-engine planes—derivatives of the Boeing 707 airliner—carry special communication systems and crews for commanding the Navy’s Ohio-class nuclear ballistic-missile submarines…

In the case of the E-6s, “it’s a message to the small group of adversaries with SLBMs and ICBMs,” Hogan claimed. The Pentagon could want atomic-armed rivals of the United States—Russia, China and North Korea—to know that America’s nuclear command system is intact, even if the commander-in-chief might be sick.

 

 

STRATCOM and Global Thunder

Normal — or Abnormal?

via Hans Kristensen

Reminder of this could be a ‘normal Global Thunder STRATCOM exercise

Just a reminder that October is normal Global Thunder STRATCOM exercise season.

— Hans Kristensen (@nukestrat) October 2, 2020