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Our Aims
Just like the real Red Telephone (read below) our aim is to reduce the risks of nuclear disasters. While we can’t stop them like the real Red Telephone, we can prepare for them to increase our chances of survival.
We aim to be a source of information on the best ways to prepare yourself for any form of nuclear threat from meltdowns to terrorist attacks to strategic nuclear war. If you are interested in learning more click below.
What Was The Red Telephone?
The Red Telephone, more formally the Washington-Moscow Direct Communications Link, was a system introduced in 1963 to create a direct line for fast communication between the US and Soviet Union. It was significant as it was the first measure put in place to reduce the chances of nuclear war.
It came in to being after the Cuban Missile crisis, during which messages took up to 12 hours to receive and decode. This dangerously long time led to tensions escalating so the hotline was introduced as a way to prevent this.
In 1971 the system had an upgrade from teletype communications to satellite link. It was at this point that it was first established what the system should be used for; informing each other in the event of accidental, unauthorised or unexplained incidents involving nuclear weapons.
It is worth noting that the Red Telephone was never actually a telephone nor was it red. Voice was never used as it was worried it could be misinterpreted. It started of as a teletype before moving to fax and now secure email. The idea of a Red Telephone was made popular by the movie ‘Dr. Strangelove’.
Source: Washington-Moscow Hotline 17/01/23
Image Credit: Defence Media Network