U.S. Has Made ‘Dramatic Change’ in Technology Used for Nuclear Code System

FORT MEADE, Md.—The museum of one of the nation’s most secretive government agencies has recently reopened following a two-year pandemic closure, and among its new exhibits is one that provides a rare window into a technological upgrade to the nation’s nuclear command and control system.

The National Cryptologic Museum located outside Washington, D.C. is now home to several pieces of equipment that were in operation until just a few years ago to generate the codes the president could use to authorize the launch of nuclear weapons. The placement of the retired equipment in the National Security Agency’s museum reveals an upgrade to the classified system that is rarely talked about by government officials.