As Cold War tensions between the USA and the USSR intensified at the start of the 1960s, the American military created an intricate failsafe system to coordinate its strategic and nuclear arsenal in case of a nuclear attack. While multiple facilities existed on the ground, Looking Glass provided an additional airborne node in case all these ground centres were somehow wiped out.
The name Looking Glass was chosen since the airborne fleet mirrored operations on the ground. Consisting of specially equipped EC-135 aircraft, Looking Glass flew out of Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, the headquarters of the Strategic Air Command. From the moment the first aircraft took off on 3 February 1961, a Looking Glass plane flew above the United States 24 hours a day for the next 29 years, except for a brief interruption in March 1980.
Each aircraft was crewed by one of seven operational teams consisting of up to 20 skilled individuals known as battle staff. In the event of a devastating nuclear attack that wiped out all ground control centres, the Airborne Emergency Action Officer (AEAO) could assume full authority to coordinate a counterattack. This included the ability to direct bombers and launch intercontinental ballistic missiles using the radio-controlled Airborne Launch Control System. This ability to retaliate was well known to the Soviets, and consequently served as an additional deterrent to any potential attack.
Although Looking Glass’s continuous airborne alert was discontinued on 24 July 1990, the planes and crews continued their 24-hour alert from the ground but with the ability to take off at a moment’s notice. A similar system continues to function today.
