This 1967 black and white public information film, “NORAD CPX Simulation for Air Defense Exercises,” was produced for System Development Corporation by Richard Tuber, and could have inspired the classic motion picture “War Games”.

The Command Post Exercise (CPX) background is explained. Enemy bombers are shown as lines on a map, which is translated into data on magnetic tape and spots of light on 70mm motion picture film (1:49-2:16). A hand writes on a pad; a coffee cup and ash tray seen. A group around a conference room table talk. Top Secret manuals are shown (2:17-2:38). The warning horn sounds and American and Canadian interceptors take off (2:39-2:56). Shown are the Weapons Director, spinning radar, direction centers, defense command posts, and the NORAD Combat Operations Center at Cheyenne Mountain (2:57-3:23). The NORAD large screen room includes banks of lights and switches (3:24-4:12). A pilot uses a simulator to fire a missile (4:13-4:20). A room of magnetic tape computers is shown amid scenes (4:21-4:41). The System Development Corporation headquarters is shown, creator of the simulation conditions (4:42-5:26). Shown are magnetic tape spinning, spots of light on film, and a stack of manuals (5:34-5:56). Calculations print on a line printer (5:58-6:10). The NORAD (North American Air Defense) Command Headquarters is shown at Ent Air Force Base. A man diagrams on a chalkboard (6:11-7:20). Hands open a file cabinet drawer and remove a binder. (7:49-8:17). “Conference in Session” sign is lit (8:18). The camera scans the conference table, all men except a woman stenographer. Hands holding pens are shown (8:19-9:40). The interceptors and practice launch missiles are shown (9:41-9:53). A “Debriefing Log” sits atop papers (10:35). Military hats line a table (10:46-11:00). Civilians and military personnel attend meetings (11:01-13:00). Flights are represented on path generation maps (13:01-13:20). An electronic countermeasure (ECM) screen turns (13:21-13:30). The flight paths are translated into numbers and values (13:32-14:00). The data processing magnetic tape computers and stacks of punch cards are correlated. Printers print and computer magnetic tapes are wound (16:09-17:18). Diagrams and formulas are made on a chalkboard (17:20-17:50). Discussion leads to the data library of binders, a spinning computer tape, and diagrams (17:51-19:00). Women keypunch manuscripts onto punch cards (19:31-19:58) A stack of magnetic tape is part of a library (19:59-20:15). Shown interspersed are thick computer cords, computers (some hand winding), printers, and lit knobs (20:16-22:14). Shown are the Stromberg Carlson 1959 SC5000, the SDC High Speed Printer Control, and stacks of binders (22:15-22:52). A cartographer makes a threat summary map (22:53-23:04). A woman double-checks information (23:05-23:45). A stack of perforated computer paper is fed into the printer (23:47-24:02). The computer makes the calculations on tapes. The output is maps and bound information (24:17-25:12). IBM tapes are shown (25:13-25:25). The tape to CRT converter converts digital to analog, displayed on the CRT and photographed on 70mm motion picture film, which is inspected (25:26-25:50). Sage Problem Input (PI) tapes are run on a Q7 computer (25:51-26:03). An officer pushes buttons, a panel of buttons light up, and he picks up a phone (26:45-26:58). Interceptors are shown (26:59)

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com