GE 477L Nuclear Detection and Reporting System

The GE 477L Nuclear Detection and Reporting System (NUDETS,^[1] NUDETS 477L,^[2] Program 477L^{[citation needed]}) was a Cold War "Nuclear Detonation and Radioactive Fall-out Reporting System" for the National Military Command System.^[3] Planning/development began "by September 1, 1959, when NORAD had taken over responsibility from CONAD."^[4] In February 1961, General Electric and the sensor subcontractor Dresser agreed on a "team proposal" to the USAF.^[5] GE's oral proposal to the USAF was on October 18 1961, and in early November the GE/Dresser team was selected from 13 proposals.^[5] The contract was completed February 5 1962; specifications were approved June 1962; and the "target cost" and "target fee" amounts were $1,709,755 and $95,000.^[5] Lt Col Elmer Jones was the program chief at the System Program Office.^[6]

Phase I of NUDETS deployed under the code names Deuces Wild and Thirsty Camel^[3] and was a prototype system "in operation in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area and reported data to the NORAD COC for about 20 months (l July 1964 to 27 February 1966)^[4]--Chidlaw Building Combined Operations Center in Colorado Springs until Cheyenne Mountain Complex became operational in 1965-6. The "regional data processing center" was at Benton Air Force Station, and the sensors were at sensors located at Benton; Thomas, West Virginia; Manassas, Virginia, and Hermanville, Maryland (RP-54A/Z-227A, 38°13′40″N 076°24′33″W / 38.22778°N 76.40917°W / 38.22778; -76.40917).^[3] Phase I testing "showed that the data it gave was not reliable"^[4] and by May 1965, NUDETS was planned to be cancelled.^[7] NUDETS was combined with the Army's Improved Biological and Chemical Detection Warning System to form the NORAD Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) Warning and Reporting System effective 1 January 1966 by NORAD Operation Order 303N-66, 26 November 1965.^[4]