Martin Buckell
Aug 31, 2018 · 4 min read
The ‘president’s emergency satchel’, the aluminium-framed black leather bag, a.k.a the ‘nuclear football’

Presidents and the Football

It’s black, very important and goes wherever the US President goes. The so-called nuclear football is probably the most dangerous briefcase on the planet, enabling the president to authorise a nuclear strike from any location.

Officially known as the “president’s emergency satchel”, the aluminium-framed black leather bag, weighing around 45 pounds (20 kilograms), is leashed to the wrist of a military aide who shadows the president…

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