Documents from The LBJ Library and Museum, Austin, TX
courtesy of Mr. John D. Wilson, archivist
Citation: National Security File, Subject File, Box 8, folder titled "Deep Underground Command Center"
Additional information about the DUCC proposal is found in the text of a presentation given in March 1964 by the Defense Communications Agency to the Commander-in-Chief, North American Air Defense Command:
The Secretary of Defense also issued approval, last December, for immediate initiation of planning and related activities leading to the construction of a Deep Underground Command Center (DUCC). The facility will be based upon design of an austere size facility for housing approximately 50 persons, but with construction design provisions to expand the size later, if functional analysis studies so indicate. The Technical Plan, containing recommendations in the area of survivable communications and technical support (EDP, display, sensor systems, etc.) was submitted on 17 February 1964. The Program Definition Study, being done by the Army Corps of Engineers, is to be submitted to the Secretary of Defense for review not later than 1 April 1964.
Citation: National Archives at College Park
Records of the Defense Communications Agency (Record Group 371)
News Media Release Files 1960-1970 (Finding Aid A1, Entry 2)
Box 3, folder titled "3-4 Mar. 64 (S) NMCS Presentation at CINCNORAD", page 14
What happened to the DUCC? There's no evidence the project was ever implemented; it seems highly unlikely the facility could have been built without the public becoming aware of its construction.
But the concept continued to interest defense planners. Consider the following from the web site of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Protective Design Center:
Special Projects Office (later to become the Protective Design Center) was created in 1977 to work on a classified Department of Defense program. The Alternate National Military Command and Control Center Improvement Program involved criteria development, studies, and preliminary design of a deep underground highly hardened and survivable command and control center. The center included separate structures for command personnel, power, fuel, and water. Over 3 miles of air entrainment tunnels were required as well as access shafts to the surface. Although canceled in 1979, the experience, expertise, and leadership in protective design and classified programs that Special Projects gained from this work brought other unique projects and major programs to the District.(http://pdcunx.nwo.usace.army.mil/protective_design_center_history.htm#Underground Center)
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Updated April 10, 2002 at 00:13