AN / DRC - 8 Emergency Rocket Communications System The Emergency Rocket Communications System ( ERCS ) was designed to provide a reliable and survivable emergency communications method for the United States National Command Authority , using a UHF repeater placed atop a Blue Scout rocket or Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile . ERCS was deactivated as a communication means when President George H . W . Bush issued a message to stand down SIOP - committed bombers and Minuteman II s . Headquarters SAC was given approval by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to deactivate the 494L payloads beginning 1 Oct 1992 . However , Headquarters SAC believed it was inefficient and unnecessary to support ERCS past fiscal year 1991 , and kept the accelerated deactivation schedule . Mission . The mission of the Emergency Rocket Communications System was to provide assured communication to United States strategic forces in the event of a nuclear attack . ERCS was basically a rocket or missile , that carried a UHF transmitter as a payload instead of a nuclear warhead . In the event of a nuclear attack , ERCS would launch the UHF transmitter into " low space " to transmit an Emergency Action Message ( EAM ) to Strategic Air Command units . , The ERCS sorties had two possible trajectories , East and West , to inform SAC alert forces in the northern tier bases ( i . e . Minot AFB , Fairchild AFB , Grand Forks AFB ) ERCS was deactivated and taken out of the inventory as other means of emergency communication ( i . e . ISST and Milstar ) came online . Nomenclature . ERCS was also known as Project 279 ( Blue Scout version ) and Project 494L ( Minuteman version ) . Sources report that the Project 279 was also known as Project Beanstalk ; while the Minuteman system may have been designated LEM - 70A . Operations . The Blue Scout version of ERCS ( Program 279 ) was deployed to three sites near Wisner , West Point , and Tekamah , Nebraska . The Program 494L Minuteman version of ERCS was only deployed to Whiteman AFB , Missouri ' s 351st Strategic Missile Wing , under the direct control of the 510th Strategic Missile Squadron ( later the 510th Missile Squadron ) . ERCS was a three part communications system composed of the following elements : Interface with ERCS hardware was provided by three modes : Headquarters Strategic Air Command had the ability to make inputs directly into the missile . The Numbered Air Forces could direct the missile crew to make the inputs . In the case of the airborne command post , inputs could be made directly into the missile and missile launch could be made from the aircraft . Testing . Operational tests of the 494L Minuteman II ERCS were conducted by Air Force Systems Command and Strategic Air Command under the code name GIANT MOON . Launch Control Facility Oscar - 1A ( LCF O - 1A ) and Launch Facility Zero Four ( LF - 04 ) at Vandenberg AFB , California were modified in 1977 to perform ERCS - related test functions . ERCS Sortie Location . After the system was declassified , the ten ERCS sorties were powered down and removed from their launch facilities . During these power down operations , the location of the sorties were : Material and Support . The Ogden Air Materiel Area at Hill AFB , Utah was made the Systems Support Manager in August 1963 . In popular culture . ERCS is mentioned in " " by David Hoffman .