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]
NUDETS trailer at Palmyra … Hal Leach, the General Electric team chief; Joe Henry, the electronics whiz who had designed and built the NUDETS prototype system
Nuclear Detection System (NUDETS 477L) is the first defense system combining nuclear and electronic technologies. It is being developed for U.S. Air Force to locate and measure any nuclear explosion in U.S.
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United States Air Force system numbers
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|---|---|
| 100–199 |
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| 200–299 |
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| 300–399 |
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| 400–499 |
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| 500–599 |
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| 600–699 |
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| 700–799 |
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| 800–899 |
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| 900–999 |
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1 Unknown or not assigned | |
