This paper will identify, raise awareness of, and help reduce risks to NATO’s nuclear weapon systems arising from cybersecurity vulnerabilities. It aims to respond to the need for more public information on cyber risks in NATO’s nuclear mission, and to provide policy-driven research to shape and inform nuclear policy at member-state level.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
ACO
Allied Command Operations
ACT
Allied Command Transformation
ALCS
airborne launch control system
ALIS
Autonomic Logistics Information System
ALTBMD
Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence
AMN
Afghanistan Mission Network
APT
Advanced Persistent Threat
BMDS
ballistic missile defence system(s)
BMEWS
Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
C2
command and control
C3
command, control and communication
C3I
command, control, communication and intelligence
C4ISR
command, control, communication, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
CEMA
Chef d’état-major des armées (chief of defence staff)
CEMP
Chef de l’état-major particulier du président de la République (chief of the presidential military staff)
COM JFAC
Joint Force Air Component Commander
DoD
United States Department of Defense
Director, Operational Test and Evaluation
DSP
Defense Support Program
FMN
Federated Mission Network
GAO
Government Accountability Office
GNSS
global navigation satellite systems
GPS
Global Positioning System
ICBM
intercontinental ballistic missile
IHL
international humanitarian law
ISIS
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
ISR
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
JISR
Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
LANDCOM
Allied Land Command
MARCOM
Allied Maritime Command
MDA
Missile Defense Agency
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NC3
nuclear command, control and communication
NCI Agency
NATO Communications and Information Agency
NIAMD
NATO integrated air and missile defence
NNSA
National Nuclear Security Administration
NPT
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
PNT
position, navigation and timing
RAMSES
réseau amont maillé stratégique et de survie (strategic and survival network)
SACEUR
Supreme Allied Commander Europe
SACT
Supreme Allied Commander Transformation
SHAPE
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
STRIKFORNATO
Naval Striking and Support Forces
SYDEREC
système de dernier recours (system of last resort)
TDL
tactical data links