The defense readiness condition (DEFCON) is an alert state used by the United States Armed Forces.[1][2] For security reasons, the US military does not announce a DEFCON level to the public.[1]
The DEFCON system was developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and unified and specified combatant commands.[3] It prescribes five graduated levels of readiness (or states of alert) for the U.S. military. It increases in severity from DEFCON 5 (least severe) to DEFCON 1 (most severe) to match varying military situations, with DEFCON 1 signaling the impending outbreak of nuclear warfare.[1][2]
DEFCONs are a subsystem of a series of "Alert Conditions", or LERTCONs, which also include Emergency Conditions (EMERGCONs).[4]
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