Security system for warheads

#This invention relates to security systems for warheads and warhead material. Unauthorized access and usurping of warheads and warhead material in the world's stockpile poses a significant risk to world stability and to the lives of its inhabitants. This risk extends to smaller tactical warheads as well as larger strategic warheads. The threat is three fold. First, political/military forces within a government may wish to gain control of warheads to further their political agenda. Second, foreign governments may wish to acquire warheads to intimidate their neighbors. Third, terrorists may wish to acquire warheads to conduct a terror campaign to further their goals. In some areas of the world that have warheads and warhead material, the socioeconomic climate has changed significantly. This creates the potential for local guardians of warheads and warhead material to be compromised by the large sums of money available for unauthorized warhead acquisition. Without a warhead security system that reports directly to a central weapons command center that cannot be compromised without great difficulty, warheads may be stolen and transported beyond the point of retrieval before the central weapons command center is aware of the loss. Therefore, it is extremely advantageous to create a security system that reports virtually instantaneously and directly to a central weapons command center and that is extremely difficult to deceive or disable. This security system allows the central weapons command center to dispatch mobile forces to recover and safeguard the warheads before they can be transported from their home area.

#U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,269 discloses other security methods to counter this threat and is hereby incorporated by reference.

#It is an object of this invention to deny undetected and unauthorized access to strategic and tactical warheads and warhead material. If unauthorized access is attempted, it is reported directly to a central weapons command center, virtually instantaneously, using a highly secure communication system, effectively eliminating the need to rely solely on the integrity of local guardians. Further, it is an object to provide multiple channels of communication to central weapons command center that are locally interconnected such that a local alarm will be transmitted on multiple channels to central weapons command center, making interception very difficult. Further., it is an object that the system be simple, cost-effective, and not significantly inhibiting of authorized access to the warheads. Another object is to deny the ability to arm a warhead or deny unobstructed access to a warhead if it is transported beyond a limited local area. Another object is to provide a separate access barrier by the use of a separate arming or unlocking device. A further object is to require an additional portion of an arming code to be entered into or stored in the arming device to produce arming. Another object is to provide modularity of the installation. Another object is to provide detection of a breach of the security enclosure. Another object is to provide intrusion countermeasure devices within the security enclosures. Another object is to provide warhead disablement devices that are activated if the enclosure is breached. Further objects and advantages will be apparent upon reading the following disclosure in conjunction with the drawings.

#FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the security system including the central weapons command center, local control center, and containers.

#FIG. 2 shows a container in more detail.

#FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the security system including an arming device and a local limited-range transmitter at the local control center.

#In FIG. 1, a central weapons command center 1 is equipped with a transmitter/receiver. Alternatively, several transmitters may be located at dispersed locations and be under remote control of the central weapons command center 1. Central weapons command center 1 may be the sole repository for the unlocking codes for the containers in a political jurisdiction. Alternatively, the unlocking codes may be held by the civilian leadership and passed to the central weapons command center when access is authorized. When access is authorized, the unlocking codes are transmitted by airborne broadcast from the central weapons command center antenna 2 to the antenna 3 of each local control center 4. These commands may be relayed by a satellite 17 positioned over the area in geosynchronous orbit. Also, the unlocking codes may be sent by landline 5. The landline 5 is a signal carrying cable. This cable may be an electrical conductor such as copper, a fiberoptic material such as glass, a coaxial cable, or the like. When the local control center 4 receives the unlocking codes, it transmits them by airborne broadcast from its antenna 12. Alternatively, the local control center may transmit from its antenna 3. That signal is received by each antenna 7 that is coupled to the container control module 20 in each individual container 6. Alternatively, the codes may be sent by the local control center 4 to each container control module 20 in each container 6 by an electrical or fiberoptic cable 8. When the unlocking code is received by a container control module 20 in a container 6, the container control module 20 compares the received code to a previously stored code. If the codes match, or correspond symbol-by-symbol in the same order, the container control module 20 activates electrical or pneumatic actuators to unlock the container doors 21 and deactivates any intrusion deterrent devices or warhead disablement devices, so that the local personnel have ready access to the warheads stored in the containers. The electrical or fiberoptic cable 8 may form a continuous path through the container control modules 20, so that a coded security signal from the local control center 4 may be sent continuously into the first end of the cable 8 to pass through it and exit from the second end of the cable 8 as it returns to the local control center 4. If the continuity of the cable 8 is disrupted, the local control center 4 will not receive the security signal from the second end of the cable and will transmit an alarm signal from its antenna 3 to antenna 2 at the central weapons command center 1. As the cable 8 passes through each container control module 20 in each container 6, the container control module 20 is equipped to interrupt the security signal in the cable 8, and the container control module 20 will do so if it detects an attempt to breach or open its enclosure. Since moving the container 6 any significant distance would require cutting the cable 8, this would also be detected by the interruption of the security signal in the cable 8. Since the local control center 4 is sending and receiving the security signal in cable 8, the local control center 4 knows what the returning signal should be. Therefore, the local control center 4 can send a continuous string of random numbers or the like and compare the returning signal to that which was sent. This method maintains the security of the cable loop and eliminates the possibility of unauthorized personnel inserting a new loop of cable to bypass a container 6 so that it may be opened. This method of using a continuous loop of electrical or fiberoptic cable that carries a continuous signal from a source and returns it to the source may also be applied to the landline 5 connecting the central weapons command center 1 with the local control center 4. The central weapons command center 1 would act as the source of the signal and would receive the returning signal, and the local control center 4 could interrupt the signal to trigger an alarm. Alternatively, the central weapons command center 1 may be connected to the local control center 4 by airborne transmission or landline 5 and the central weapons command center 1 would send different coded messages to the local control center 4. The local control center 4 would respond to each message with another secretly predetermined coded message. The central weapons command center 1 would receive the responding message and determine if it was correct. If it was incorrect, an alarm would be raised indicating that an attempt was being made to deceive the system. If no response was received, an alarm would be raised indicating that the security of local control center 4 had been breached. The local control center 4 would destroy its response message apparatus if it detected a breach in its security. Alternatively, the container control module 20 in each container 6 may broadcast an alarm signal from its antenna 7 if its enclosure is breached. The alarm signal is received by antenna 3 or 12 coupled to the local control center 4. The local control center 4 would then transmit an alarm signal to the central weapons command center 1.

#Alternatively, when the unlocking codes are received by the container control module 20 in each container 6, an external keypad 9 may be enabled to receive an additional portion of the unlocking code entered by a human operator. When this additional portion is entered, the container control module 20 compares the received unlocking code to a previously stored unlocking code. If the codes match, the container control module 20 causes unlocking to occur. Alternatively, when the container control module 20 in a container 6 receives the code, it may enable an electrical port 11 on the container 6 to which the human operator inserts a connector from an unlocking device 10 that provides an internally stored code portion and may have a keypad 9 for additional code input by the human operator. When these codes match the previously stored codes, the container control module 20 unlocks the container doors 21. Alternatively, the door 21 may be externally locked with keys provided to local guardians. In this case, the unlocking sequence described would inactivate alarms and countermeasures. The local control center 4 may be housed in a portion of a container 6 or a similar enclosure with security devices similar to a container 6 so that it may enjoy the same level of security as that of the container 6. The local control center 4 contains an internal power supply that allows it to transmit an alarm signal if external power is interrupted. The local control center 4 maintains a continuous communication with the central weapons command center 1 to verify that it is secure. Alternatively, the door 21 may be externally locked with keys provided to local guardians. The locks only open the physical barriers and deactivate any countermeasures that are utilized, but the alarms are always active. Therefore, any opening of the door 21 will cause an alarm to be transmitted to central weapons control. Response forces would be dispatched if the opening was unauthorized.

#FIG. 2 shows the container 6 in more detail. The container 6 is preferably approximately 8 feet wide by 10 feet high by either 20 feet or 40 feet long. These are the same approximate dimensions of overseas shipping containers. The container 6 may be constructed using the same fabrication techniques as the overseas shipping containers and would be shipped using the existing methods of sea transport, and would be transferred to standard container trailers for over the road local transport. The container walls, doors, floor, and top constitute the enclosure 18 and totally enclose the interior space and act as the security barrier. Typically, these members are constructed of steel or aluminum, but some nonmetallic windows may be used to allow the passage of electromagnetic radiation for communication. Each container would be anchored internally to its foundation, thereby requiring a breach or unauthorized opening in its enclosure to move it.