For national security reasons, the United States military does not announce its preparedness or DEFCON level to the public. To understand the different DEFCON levels and what DEFCON 3 means, you must first understand what DEFCON is short for. The defense readiness condition (DEFCON) described five gradual levels of readiness, increasing from one to five depending on the severity of the threat.
On a scale that runs backward from five to one, DEFCON levels are: DEFCON 5: The United States military's normal state of readiness during peacetime DEFCON 4: During DEFCON 4, the United States ramps up its intelligence gathering and national security. DEFCON 3: Two steps away from a nuclear exchange, DEFCON 3 is the highest level of military readiness during peacetime. DEFCON 2: One step away from nuclear war, DEFCON 2 is implemented when the United States expects an enemy attack.
During DEFCON 2, nuclear submarines will be at sea, and bombers will be waiting on runways ready to take off. DEFCON 1: The most critical alert, DEFCON 1, signals an imminent attack or one already underway. Hypersonic glide missiles are being developed, and the US Missile Agency plans to intercept them.
How the DEFCON system was created The DEFCON system was created by the US Armed Forces in the 1950s, during the Cold War. The system was designed to provide a clear and concise way of communicating the current level of military readiness to military personnel and government officials. Following the end of the .
