Nuclear football

This article is about the American version. For similar objects worldwide, see Nuclear briefcase.

President Reagan and Nancy Reagan in 1987—the military aide at right-center is carrying the nuclear football

The nuclear football (also known as the atomic football, the Presidential Emergency Satchel,[1] the satchel, the button, the Black Bag, the black box, or just the football) is a briefcase, the contents of which are to be used by the president of the United States to communicate and authorize a nuclear attack while away from fixed command centers, such as the White House Situation Room or the Presidential Emergency Operations Center. Functioning as a mobile hub in the strategic defense system of the United States, the football is carried by a military aide when the president is traveling.

  1. ^ McConnell, Dugald (November 18, 2016). "Wherever President Trump goes, nuclear 'football' to follow". CNN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2017.