History Main / DefconFive

This is incorrect, and this trope is about the misuse of these terms. DEFCON 5 (codename "FADE OUT"[[note]]These codenames are used during exercises to avoid confusion with the real deal[[/note]]) is the ''lowest'' state of alert, aka completely tranquil peace time. DEFCON 1 (codename "[[DramaticGunCock COCKED PISTOL]]") is the highest, referring to a confirmed state of nuclear war. The use of nuclear weapons is authorized here, but they will still require unlock codes from high authority. The highest state reached for the Strategic Air Command in US history was DEFCON 2 (codename "FAST PACE", during the Cuban Missile Crisis), the Gulf War also led to forces in the Middle East reaching DEFCON 2, for obvious reasons -- i.e., actually being at war. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 saw a brief period at DEFCON 3 (codename "ROUND HOUSE", with some forces in the Middle East being at 2), as did 9/11. It's important to note that DEFCON levels can be limited to geographical regions, DEFCON 2 during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Gulf War were limited to the affected regions. The highest that the worldwide DEFCON level has ever risen to is 3. Currently the DEFCON level is at 5.

* DEFCON 4: Increased intelligence watch and strengthened security measures. Code Name: [[DoubleTake DOUBLE TAKE]][[note]]seems that someone in the military had a odd sense of humor[[/note]]

* DEFCON 5: Lowest state of readiness - this is the normal state of readiness in peacetime.
* DEFCON 4: Increased intelligence watch and strengthened security measures
* DEFCON 3: Increase in force readiness above that required for normal readiness. Air Force ready to mobilize in 15 minutes - this is the first truly "shit is about to get real" phase of the levels.
* DEFCON 2: War is imminent. Armed Forces ready to deploy and engage in less than 6 hours - this is the highest level ever reached in history.
* DEFCON 1: Nuclear war is imminent.

* Used correctly in ''Series/StargateSG1'', notably the episode ''Full Alert''. The progress from condition to condition is treated with appropriate gravity.

* During ABC's pre-debate coverage of the third Democratic presidential primary debate, one of the people on TV mentioned Hillary Clinton's campaign going to [[BeyondTheImpossible DEFCON 7]] over the data breach from the Bernie Sanders campaign.

* During ABC's pre-debate coverage of the third Democratic presidential primary debate, one of the people on TV mentioned Hillary Clinton's campaign going to DEFCON 7 over the data breach from the Bernie Sanders campaign.

* Averted in ''Film{{Salt}}'', [[spoiler: In the White House's bunker, one of the President's Cabinet correctly changes the Defcon level from '4' to '2'.]]

* One issue of ''ComicBook/{{Avengers}}'' has Iron Man announcing a situation is at Defcon ''1000'', due to the sudden appearance of Thanos. Even more egregious given Iron Man used to be U.S. Secretary of Defense, not to mention the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.

* ''Series/TopGear'' got it wrong too, where Clarkson stepping up his Bugatti Veyron (the world's fastest-ever production car) to no-spoiler fast mode took him from Defcon 3 to 4. Clarkson has also announced that it's time to go to '[[BrokeTheRatingScale Defcon Stig]]' once.

* ''Series/TopGear'' got it wrong too, where Clarkson stepping up his Bugatti Veyron (the world's fastest-ever production car) to no-spoiler fast mode took him from Defcon 3 to 4. Clarkson has also announced that it's time to go to 'Defcon Stig' once.

This is incorrect, and this trope is about the misuse of these terms. DEFCON 5 (codename "FADE OUT"[[note]]These codenames are used during exercises to avoid confusion with the real deal[[/note]]) is the ''lowest'' state of alert, aka completely tranquil peace time. DEFCON 1 (codename "[[DramaticGunCock COCKED PISTOL]]") is the highest, referring to a confirmed state of nuclear war. The use of nuclear weapons is authorized here, but they will still require unlock codes from high authority. The highest state reached for the Strategic Air Command in US history was DEFCON 2 (codename "FAST PACE", during the Cuban Missile Crisis), the Gulf War also led to forces in the Middle East reaching DEFCON 2, for obvious reasons -- i.e., [[CaptainObvious actually being at war]]. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 saw a brief period at DEFCON 3 (codename "ROUND HOUSE", with some forces in the Middle East being at 2), as did 9/11. It's important to note that DEFCON levels can be limited to geographical regions, DEFCON 2 during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Gulf War were limited to the affected regions. The highest that the worldwide DEFCON level has ever risen to is 3. Currently the DEFCON level is at 5.

This is incorrect, and this trope is about the misuse of these terms. Defcon 5 (codename "FADE OUT"[[note]]These codenames are used during exercises to avoid confusion with the real deal[[/note]]) is the ''lowest'' state of alert, aka completely tranquil peace time. Defcon 1 (codename "[[DramaticGunCock COCKED PISTOL]]") is the highest, referring to a confirmed state of nuclear war. The use of nuclear weapons is authorized here, but they will still require unlock codes from high authority. The highest state reached for the Strategic Air Command in US history was Defcon 2 (codename "FAST PACE", during the Cuban Missile Crisis), the Gulf War also led to forces in the Middle East reaching Defcon 2, for obvious reasons -- i.e., [[CaptainObvious actually being at war]]. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 saw a brief period at Defcon 3 (codename "ROUND HOUSE", with some forces in the Middle East being at 2), as did 9/11. It's important to note that DEFCON levels can be limited to geographical regions, DEFCON 2 during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Gulf War were limited to the affected regions. The highest that the worldwide DEFCON level has ever risen to is 3. Currently the DEFCON level is at 5.

This is incorrect, and this trope is about the misuse of these terms. Defcon 5 (codename "FADE OUT"[[note]]These codenames are used during exercises to avoid confusion with the real deal[[/note]]) is the ''lowest'' state of alert, aka completely tranquil peace time. Defcon 1 (codename "[[DramaticGunCock COCKED PISTOL]]") is the highest, referring to a confirmed state of nuclear war. The use of nuclear weapons is authorized here, but they will still require unlock codes from high authority. The highest state reached for the Strategic Air Command in US history was Defcon 2 (codename "FAST PACE", during the Cuban Missile Crisis), the Gulf War also led to forces in the Middle East reaching Defcon 2, for obvious reasons -- i.e., [[CaptainObvious actually being at war]]. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 saw a brief period at Defcon 3 (codename "ROUND HOUSE", with some forces in the Middle East being at 2), as did 9/11. It's important to note that DEFCON levels can be limited to geographical regions, DEFCON 2 during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Gulf War were limited to the affected regions. The highest that the worldwide DEFCON level has ever risen to is 3. Currently the DEFCON level is at 4.

This is incorrect, and this trope is about the misuse of these terms. Defcon 5 (codename "FADE OUT"[[note]]These codenames are used during exercises to avoid confusion with the real deal[[/note]]) is the ''lowest'' state of alert, aka completely tranquil peace time. Defcon 1 (codename "[[DramaticGunCock COCKED PISTOL]]") is the highest, referring to a confirmed state of war. The use of nuclear weapons is authorized here, but they will still require unlock codes from high authority. The highest state reached for the Strategic Air Command in US history was Defcon 2 (codename "FAST PACE", during the Cuban Missile Crisis), but the Gulf War led to forces in the Middle East reaching Defcon 1, for obvious reasons -- i.e., [[CaptainObvious actually being at war]]. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 saw a brief period at Defcon 3 (codename "ROUND HOUSE", with some forces in the Middle East being at 2), as did 9/11. Currently the Defcon level is at 4.

* DEFCON 5: Normal peacetime activities and military readiness
* DEFCON 4: Increased military readiness levels, increased intelligence activity
* DEFCON 3: Partial military mobilisation, maximum intelligence-gathering - this is the first truly "shit is about to get real" phase of the levels
* DEFCON 2: Total military mobilisation, war imminent
* DEFCON 1: Combat begins when final authorisation is received from above.

The UK did once operate a 'Queen's Order' level which escalated from 1 to 5, [=QO1=] being the peacetime default and [=QO5=] meaning (at the time) that the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_bombers V-bombers]] had started their one way trip to Russia. The current system, dubbed the UK Threat Levels, doesn't use numbers at all, instead ranking the current likelihood of attack on a scale from Low to Critical (its most recent predecessor, the now-defunct BIKINI scale, used colours). However, these levels do not correspond to US Defcon levels - for example, the UK reached a "critical" Threat Level in 2006 and 2007. Thus, there is currently no real UK equivalent. Other countries have their own status levels, in some cases where this trope is played straight, in others they use phrases or colours instead.

* Done correctly in ''VideoGame:MetalGearSolid:PeaceWalker''. The Americans go into Defcon 3 when NORAD detects unidentified targets, and move onto Defcon 2 when they're confirmed to be multiple Soviet =ICBMs= targeting the west coast, and the Americans prepare their own missiles in response.

* Done correctly in ''VideoGame:MetalGearSolid:PeaceWalker''. The Americans go into Defcon 3 when NORAD detects unidentified targets, and move onto Defcon 2 when they're confirmed to be multiple Soviet ICBMs targeting the west coast, and the Americans prepare their own missiles in response.

* Done correctly in ''VideoGame:MetalGearSolid:PeaceWalker''. NORAD goes to Defcon 3 and then to Defcon 2 in accordance with the escalating series of events in the crisis they faced.

* ''Critical Path'', an interactive movie adventure game which takes place after World War III makes this mistake in the backstory ApocalypticLog. Kat states "We're on DEFCON 5" when describing that a major attack has occurred, signalling the beginning of WWIII.

This is incorrect, and this trope is about the misuse of these terms. Defcon 5 (codename "FADE OUT"[[note]]These codenames are used during exercises to avoid confusion with the real deal[[/note]]) is the ''lowest'' state of alert, aka completely tranquil peace time. Defcon 1 (codename "[[DramaticGunCock COCKED PISTOL]]") is the highest, referring to a confirmed state of war. The use of nuclear weapons is authorized here, but they will still require unlock codes from high authority. The highest state reached for the Strategic Air Command in US history was Defcon 2 (codename "FAST PACE", during the Cuban Missile Crisis), but the Gulf War led to forces in the Middle East reaching Defcon 1, for obvious reasons -- i.e., [[CaptainObvious actually being at war]]. The Yom Kippur War of 1973 saw a brief period at Defcon 3 (codename "ROUND HOUSE", with some forces in the Middle East being at 2), as did 9/11. Currently the Defcon level is at 5.