DEFCONs should not be confused with similar systems used by the U.S. There is no single DEFCON status for the country, and in fact different branches of the military can be at different levels of DEFCON at the same time. ĭEFCONs are a subsystem of a series of Alert Conditions, or LERTCONs, that also includes Emergency Conditions (EMERGCONs). military, and increase in severity from DEFCON 5 (least severe) to DEFCON 1 (most severe) to match varying military situations. It prescribes five graduated levels of readiness (or states of alert) for the U.S. The DEFCON system was developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and unified and specified combatant commands. The defense readiness condition ( DEFCON) is an alert state used by the United States Armed Forces. For other uses, see Defcon (disambiguation).
