According to the document, NIGHT TRAIN 84 was designed as a major biennial nuclear war exercise that included elements from previous exercises such as “GLOBAL SHIELD,” “AMALGAM CHIEF,” and FEMA’s “REX 84 ALPHA.” The exercise aimed to simulate coordinated responses to a global nuclear conflict, with live flying and the use of strategic weapon systems incorporated into the exercise play. The scenario was directly shaped by Cold War tensions and modeled on large-scale Soviet exercises reviewed in June 1982.

“The exercise is designed with two four-day phases,” the document states, “on the pre and trans-attack period… A 24-hour administrative break will simulate 15 days of survival and recovery activity. Phase II will begin on Day 6 of the exercise and will concentrate on activities in the post-nuclear attack period.”

A primary objective was to test U.S. continuity of government plans following a nuclear exchange, as well as strategic and tactical military responses. “National participation is anticipated because of the desire to evaluate post-nuclear attack continuity of government plans,” the briefing notes.

The simulated scenario begins with escalating global tensions, including Soviet inroads in the Caribbean, discovery of Soviet SA-5 missile site construction in Cuba, and Soviet opportunism in Ethiopia, Afghanistan, and Iran. The exercise projects events such as open civil war in Iran, increased Soviet military aid and presence in various regions, and NATO’s heightened military readiness in response to Soviet exercises perceived as cover for mobilization.

By 5 April 1984, the exercise posits that “Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces attacked in Central Europe and Turkish Thrace,” with chemical and nuclear weapons employed on 6 April in an attempt to break NATO resistance. The scenario culminates in “Soviet nuclear counterforce attacks against the United States and follow-on theater nuclear strikes on NATO” on 8 April.

In the wake of these simulated attacks, the United States shifted focus to survival and recovery operations during a compressed 15-day period. The exercise outlined that “unified and specified commands will operate at reduced strength from alternate command locations during this phase and will concentrate on reconstitution of their commands and redirection of their forces.” A major emphasis was placed on ensuring coordination between surviving national command authorities (NCA), reconstituted federal agencies, and state governments, with the Commander-in-Chief Readiness Command (CINCRED) playing a central role in civil defense support. This phase was described as “a first step toward defining, developing and evaluating procedures for coping with events which might occur in the aftermath of nuclear war,” highlighting the complexities of maintaining command connectivity and stabilizing the nation following a large-scale nuclear strike.

Meanwhile, the document describes the grim aftermath facing the Soviet Union. “While most of the Soviet and elements of Warsaw Pact leadership survived the U.S. retaliatory strike, they were not able to reconstitute their strategic arsenal as quickly as had been expected… Restoration of key production and services was inhibited by popular unwillingness to return to contaminated areas.”

The exercise also envisioned significant civil unrest within the Soviet bloc and a turn toward diplomatic resolution. “Faced with these problems, Soviet leaders began to seek a political solution to the crisis,” with both sides agreeing on a ceasefire in the European theater after 15 days.

Throughout, the document emphasizes the importance of testing the interaction between surviving national command authorities (NCA), reconstituted government agencies, and state governments. The scenario aimed to “provide study and better understanding of the complex issues involved in the trans- and post-nuclear attack periods.”

Portions of the document remain redacted, withheld under FOIA exemptions including 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(1) for information classified in the interest of national security and 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(3) under 50 U.S.C. 3605, protecting NSA functions and information.

The release of this document comes at a time when global tensions echo some of the very scenarios envisioned in NIGHT TRAIN 84. Today, Iran remains a focal point of international security concerns, with ongoing disputes over its nuclear program, regional influence, and relations with the United States and its allies. The fictional civil war and foreign interventions in Iran portrayed in the exercise underscore the enduring strategic significance of the region, as well as the risks posed by instability there.

Moreover, the exercise’s emphasis on rapid escalation, chemical and nuclear weapons use, and the struggle to maintain continuity of government after a large-scale nuclear exchange serves as a stark reminder of the catastrophic consequences that could arise from modern conflicts spiraling out of control. As nuclear-armed states continue to navigate strained relations, the lessons and planning embedded in Cold War exercises like NIGHT TRAIN 84 remain relevant, highlighting the need for diplomacy, crisis management, and updated continuity plans in an increasingly unpredictable world.

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Document Archive

Exercise Night Train 84 Briefing, August 1983 [24 Pages, 5.5MB]

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The post DoD Releases Previously Unseen Document Detailing “NIGHT TRAIN 84” Nuclear War Exercise Scenario first appeared on The Black Vault.

The 1953 Iranian coup d’état, known in Iran as the 28 Mordad coup d’état was the overthrow of the democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in favour of strengthening the monarchical rule of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi on 19 August 1953. It was orchestrated by the United States (under the name TPAJAX Project or “Operation Ajax”) and the United Kingdom (under the name “Operation Boot”). The clergy also played a considerable role.

Below, you will find the CIA FOIA records released on the topic.

Document Archive

Operation Ajax – 1953 Iranian coup d’état [275 Pages, 84.9MB]

The post Operation Ajax – 1953 Iranian coup d’état first appeared on The Black Vault.

This is part of the document’s introduction, one of the few pieces actually released:

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Chemical Warfare Capability of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Libya – July 1985 [9 Pages, 0.8MB]

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The post Chemical Warfare Capability of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Libya – July 1985 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The post Iran’s Tactical Ballistic Missile Strike on Al-Asad Airbase, Iraq – January 8, 2020 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This Memorandum examines the degree to which chemical warfare (CW) in the Iran-Iraq conflict has been effective and discusses the factors driving decisions to develop and use chemical weapons.

Document Archive

Impact and Implications of Chemical Weapons Use in the Iran-Iraq War, April 1988 [27 Pages, 16MB] – This document is highlighted where new information was released from my MDR request. The previous release was in 2010. The Black Vault’s release below was in March 2020.

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The post Impact and Implications of Chemical Weapons Use in the Iran-Iraq War, April 1988 first appeared on The Black Vault.

This document was first requested, but fully denied, in ISCAP appeal number 2009-054-doc3. It was a CIA document, and it was only referred to by “Title and Date: [Classified], 1976.”

Originally, The Black Vault requested it in 2016, but it was reviewed and denied again.  In 2018, since two years had passed, another Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) request was filed by The Black Vault.

This yielded a response in March of 2020, and about 50% of the record was released. Although much is redacted; the history is partially revealed.

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Possible Resumption of Negotiations for US Reactor, Iran, February 1976 [4 Pages, 1.2MB]

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The post Possible Resumption of Negotiations for US Reactor, Iran, February 1976 first appeared on The Black Vault.

The USS Stark incident occurred during the Iran–Iraq War on 17 May 1987, when an Iraqi jet aircraft fired missiles at the American frigate USS Stark. 37 United States Navy personnel were killed and 21 were injured.

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Department of the Navy, Office of the Judge Advocate General Documents [57 Pages, 2.8MB]

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The post USS Stark Incident, May 17, 1987 first appeared on The Black Vault.

In March of 2016, I requested information on the extent and impact of satellite jamming on BBG signals, such as in Iran and other areas.  I limited the request from January of 2015, through to the date of processing my request, which included records through approximately March of 2016.

Below, you will find the information released in April of 2017.

Document Archive

 Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Documents on Satellite Jamming in Iran, January 2015 – circa March of 2016 [402 Pages, 45.9MB]

The post Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Documents on Satellite Jamming in Iran first appeared on The Black Vault.

(Originally written June 2010)

By John Greenewald, Jr.

A recently discovered US Intelligence Report from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has a striking revelation – Iran may have the capability to attack the United States by 2014 with an ICBM missile.  This report is released amidst allegations that Iran’s nuclear program is progressing to the point of nuclear weapon capabilities.

The document, labeled a Military Intelligence Digest with a SECRET security marking, states that, “An ICBM with a Non-Rotating Earth (NRE) range of 10,000 kilometers would provide the Iranians with missile coverage of Alaska but would not allow them to target CONUS [Continental United States], owing to rotational effects of the Earth.”  The report goes on to state that, “Iran might have the capability to develop and produce an ICBM that can strike the United States in the next 10 to 15 years.”

The release of this report was due to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by The Black Vault internet archive (http://www.theblackvault.com), a website devoted to obtaining and archiving declassified government documents released via the FOIA, filed back in 1997.

It took the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) nearly 13 years for them to process the request, which only yielded three pages of material; 85% of which is completely blacked out.  Although open to interpretation, the DIA stated that some of the material was “Not Responsive to the Request,” even though the original request asked for information pertaining to an Iranian missile hitting the United States, and the blacked out paragraphs under the heading, “The Future of Iran’s Long-Range Ballistic Missile Program (U).”

Subsequent requests have been filed for the rest of the report, and another  11 documents have been forwarded to other agencies for possible declassification.

As of 13 years and four months after the initial filing of the FOIA request by The Black Vault, those documents have not been received.

The documents released by the DIA can be downloaded at:

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/IranMissileUS.pdf

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/IranMissileUS.pdf

The post Iran with Capability to Strike US by 2014 first appeared on The Black Vault.

Coalition jet fighters shot down an Iranian drone that was hovering over Iraq late last month, Multinational Force Iraq officials confirmed today.

 

The incident occurred Feb. 25, about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad, officials said in a statement.

Two coalition aircraft were directed to visually identify the unmanned aerial vehicle after it was detected hovering inside the Iraqi border. The pilots confirmed that it wasn’t a coalition aircraft and that no collateral damage would result from a shoot-down.

Coalition air forces tracked the UAV for nearly one hour and 10 minutes before the pilots engaged and shot it down “well inside Iraqi airspace,” officials said.

Officials said they believe the drone to be an Iranian-made Ababil 3 model UAV.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and military leaders have long accused Iran of interference in Iraq. Iran poses “a real problem,” Gates said on PBS’ “Tavis Smiley Show” March 11.

“I think it’s one of the significant challenges that we’re going to face over the next several years,” he said. (Source)

Documents from the DOD Regarding the Incident [11 Pages, 2.13MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/defenseissues/irandroneshootdown2009dod.pdf

The post Coalition Jets Shoot Down Iranian Drone Over Iraq (03/2009) first appeared on The Black Vault.

Iran has sent six warships to international waters, including the Gulf of Aden, to show its ability to confront any foreign threats, its naval commander said on Monday.

 

Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, quoted by the ISNA news agency, made the announcement five days after Iran said it test-fired a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 2,000 km (1,200 miles), putting Israel and U.S. bases in the area within reach.

 

Iran said on May 14 it had sent two warships to the Gulf of Aden to protect oil tankers from the world’s fifth-largest crude exporter against attacks by pirates but ISNA did not make clear whether they were among the six Sayyari talked about.

 

Iranian waters stretch along the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 40 percent of the world’s traded oil is shipped, if it were attacked over its nuclear programme.

I filed a FOIA request to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), and after years of waiting, finally obtained the material from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) – as the DIA referred my request to them for processing.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Records

 CIA Records about the incident [238 Pages, 27.39MB]

The post Iranian Warships Dispatched to Gulf of Aden, 05/25/09 first appeared on The Black Vault.