X Research sourceīe aware of other US alert scales.

Though some non-military, non-government sources may claim to know the current DEFCON level, there is no way to verify this. Thus, most of the information that the general public has on the DEFCON scale is based on old declassified documents or historical DEFCON 'spikes' revealed to the public after the fact.

Note again that the precise actions that the military takes at each DEFCON level are, for obvious reasons, kept secret.However, some anecdotal evidence suggests that top-level military leaders are able to increase the DEFCON level without the president - for instance, some sources report that the Strategic Air Command's decision to issue a DEFCON 2 during the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred without input from President Kennedy. It is usually assumed that an upgrade in military preparedness is made by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the highest commanders in the American military) with the approval of the president. The exact process that the military uses to declare a DEFCON increase is not perfectly-understood by the public.

Understand how DEFCON levels are assigned. In this case, a DEFCON 3 was issued because of the possibility that any errors in the resulting standoff might trigger open war across the Korean border (a politically and militarily tense area then, as it is today). For instance, during Operation Paul Bunyan, which resulted in a DEFCON 3, two American officers were killed by North Korean forces in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Historically, DEFCON 3 has usually corresponded to situations in which military action against the US or one of its allies was a distinct possibility.

In addition, all military communications may be encrypted based on classified protocols. At this level, American military forces are put on a heightened state of alert in anticipation of mobilization - in particular, the Air Force is kept ready to launch operations with just 15 minutes of notice. Situations that call for DEFCON 3 are serious - though they may not pose an immediate threat to the existence or stability of the American state, they do call for significant vigilance. Use DEFCON 3 for tense military/political situations.

What defcon level are we in now