Department of Homeland Security.ĭefense readiness conditions vary between many commands and have changed over time, and the United States Department of Defense uses exercise terms when referring to the DEFCON levels during exercises. military, such as Force Protection Conditions (FPCONS), Readiness Conditions (REDCONS), Information Operations Condition (INFOCON) and its future replacement Cyber Operations Condition (CYBERCON), and Watch Conditions (WATCHCONS), or the former Homeland Security Advisory System used by the U.S. The DEFCON 2 levels in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and 1991 Gulf War were not worldwide.ĭEFCONs should not be confused with similar systems used by the U.S. According to Air & Space/Smithsonian, as of 2022, the worldwide DEFCON level has never been more severe than DEFCON 3.

In general, there is no single DEFCON status for the world or country and it may be set to only include specific geographical areas. Space Force) and different bases or command groups can be activated at different defense conditions.

Secretary of Defense through the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combatant Commanders each level defines specific security, activation and response scenarios for the personnel in question.ĭifferent branches of the U.S. The DEFCON level is controlled primarily by the U.S.

Are we at defcon 3