The nuclear launch process of the United States is a topic of high interest and importance, but is subject to considerable misunderstanding. Part of this misunderstanding is rooted in the secrecy that surrounds it: because there has long been a fear that an adversary who knew too much about the launch process could seek to find ways to disrupt it, the specifics about nuclear launch procedure have long been among the most closely kept in the United States. Despite this, several key aspects of the procedure are known, and they relate centrally to questions about Presidential nuclear control.
The launch process today
(Description based on Blair)
The historical development of the launch process
(Outline of what we know about things prior to the SIOP.)
Frequently held misconceptions
(Role of the SecDef, chain of command, role of codes, etc.)
Comparisons with other countries
(What we know about Russia, for example.)