If this were in the Soviet era I’d hazard that it was somewhere on Russian or Ukranian soil, not in the United States; while you occasionally hear ignorant blowhards talk about American installations with shoot-on-sight trespass restrictions, I doubt this is the case anywhere; on the other hand, it wouldn’t suprise me one bit in the Soviet Union, particularly since many of their research facilities were located out in the middle of nowhere and no unauthorized person had any reason to be shuffling around. (Plus, the Soviets just weren’t too into that whole human rights thing, even less so than the United States during the 'Fifties H-bomb testing extremes.)
NORAD is built into the side of Cheyenne Mountain, true, but they used to get food deliveries there all the time. I’d agree with Pygmy Rugger; going to a facility where nuclear weapons or components of nuclear weapons are stored is the only time I’ve ever had Armed Forces personnel–not the rent-a-cops that normally provide security at government bases–intentionally point a gun in my general direction. They take this stuff very seriously, and if you are not escorted and don’t have a damned good reason for being there you’re going to find yourself the focus of attention very quickly.
NORAD wouldn’t survive a modern nuclear strike. At the time it was designed and built it could’ve because the targeting systems on ballistic missiles were primitive. NORAD can easily withstand a barrage of nukes going off near it.
Modern targeting systems have advanced to the point where you can drop a nuke on a dime. A direct nuclear hit on NORAD would result in catastrophic damage; it would basically be reduced to a pile of rocks.
I’d vote Fort Knox. There certainly aren’t any tours showing off the gold to the general public. From what a recent History Channel show described, virtually nobody is allowed inside the outer perimeter.
Stranger brings up an excellent point. Using his logic, probably somewhere in China or South Korea, or anywhere that will shoot first and never even bother with any questions.
I’ve physically visited and been inside a Minuteman III LCC (Launch Control Facility, where the missileers sleep), and an LF (Launch Facility, the actual vertical silo). I will say they’re pretty secure. But I’m sure there’s more secure. . .
Tripler
But like Stranger says, if you’re shuffling around unnecessarily, you get the business end of a gun (or at least some curious cops).
Just to expand on my earlier post, it’s pretty interesting watching off site transfers taking place. There will generally be a number of armored vans, which I hypothesize to have armed guards inside of. Let’s say, eight men per van, times three vans*. Then, there will be an armored tractor trailer, with bullet proof windows, about two feet high. This will be followed by one more van, one more tractor trailer, and then three or so more vans. The vans are all black with no windows, and look pretty intimidating.
Also, if you were to somehow breach security and make it into the facility, good luck making it out. Kirtland Air Force base is less than ten minutes away by air, and there are only two roads into and out of the Lab. Four if you want to count forks, but there’s really no place to go.
The most dangerous threat to any facility, though, is the threat from within. It is so dangerous because they’re already inside, and it’s nearly impossible to predict and plan for (compared to an outside breach).
*These are not the actual numbers. They are simply my estimates based on watching several transfers taking place when I happen to see a transfer off lab property.
I used to work in the same room as one of the root servers. It was just sitting there on a small table, not even in a rack. If you could get past one guard (sometimes asleep), or “piggyback” through the door on someone who belonged there, you were in the room with full physical access.
This was before 9/11 though. It’s much more secure now.
Everytime I hear of Site R I think of “Attack Plan R” from Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb. The fact that it’s next to a water treatment plant makes me giggle even harder. “Mandrake, have you ever heard of a thing called fluoridation, fluoridation of water?”
You’d have to add a button so that if security is ever breeched you could automatically destroy the fortress and escape out the bolt-hole to your awaiting stratoplane.
Then what? 15 billion dollars in gold bullion weighs 10,500 tons. Sixty men would take twelve days to load it onto 200 trucks. Now, at the most, you’re going to have two hours before the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines move in and make you put it back. Don’t tell me you’re going to try that old trick of putting a nuclear weapon in the vault to contaminate the gold reserve supply and amplify the value of your own holdings. That never works; the bomb always stops before the countdown is complete.
There have been several news stories of the DNS root servers being attacked. One might not be able to physically get close to one, but electronically they have been vulnerable.
Seriously-I’d like one of our SDMB military types to offer an opinion about the Little Pentagon. From everything I’ve been told, it’s self sufficient for an extended length of time. One would think that they took nuke resistance into the design, given the era.
*Shhhhh… don’t tell anyone, but I’m typing this from inside Fort Knox.
Turns out it wasn’t so hard to get in after all.
Not sure how to get back out though… there’s this big korean dude with a bowler hat just outside the door, I dunno if he’s the doorman or something, but I’ll go ask him for directions.*
Wow. I used to live in Waynesboro and I sometimes bicycled down into Maryland and on Raven Rock Road. I had no idea there was anything like that there.
