National Command Authority
National Command Authority is a term used by the Department of Defense of the United States of America to refer to the ultimate source of lawful military orders.
The NCA comprises the president of the United States and the secretary of defense jointly, or their duly deputized successors, i.e. the vice president and the deputy secretary of defense.
The term also refers to communications with the commanding officers of the Unified Combatant Commands to put U.S. forces into action.Authorization of a nuclear or strategic attack
Only the president can direct the use of nuclear weapons by U.S. armed forces, through plans like OPLAN 8010-12. The president has unilateral authority as commander-in-chief to order that nuclear weapons be used for any reason at any time.
