In Photos: The U.S. Plan During a Nuclear Armageddon

Atlas ICBM launch site, Wyoming

A decommissioned coffin-style Atlas E intercontinental ballistic missile launch site near Meriden. The Atlas was the first ICBM developed by the US; 28 Atlas E missiles were operational in 1961-65. The missiles were laid flat in the silos and would be raised to an upright position before launch. The development of ICBMs‚ which drastically reduced the time required for a nuclear strike‚ hastened the development of continuity of government procedures, and helped give rise to the military doctrine of mutually assured destruction

Freedman’s Bank, Washington DC

An armoured and unceremonious exit (right) from the White House in the back of the Treasury Annex, now known as Freedman’s Bank. The bank connects to the White House via two tunnels – one under Pennsylvania Avenue to the Treasury Building (left), the second under East Executive Avenue from the Treasury Building to the East Wing of the White House. According to the White House Historical Association, the escape tunnel to the Treasury went out of favour after the construction of the Presidential Emergency Operations Center beneath the White House

Quebec-01, near Cheyenne, Wyoming

The decommissioned control centre inside Quebec-01, the only Peacekeeper missile launch facility left in the country. The Peacekeeper was the most destructive ICBM in the US arsenal. It could carry 12 nuclear warheads, each with a 300-475 kiloton payload. The missile was conceived as a counterstrike weapon. In the event of a nuclear attack from the USSR, the Peacekeeper promised a devastating response, theoretically ensuring the defensive doctrine of mutually assured destruction