The system is scheduled to achieve initial operational capability by the end of April. The automation feature makes it easier for operators to generate messages and correct errors, Briggs said.
Messages can now also be automatically compared for similarity.
This is significant because, as a way of providing checks and balances, an emergency action message must be composed independently by two different operators. Then the two messages, which are elaborately encoded, must be compared to make sure they say exactly the same thing, before the order is sent. Because the messages relay nuclear commands, there is no room for error, so this increased accuracy is invaluable. This paved the way for the impending declaration of operational capability.