Hot line is a two-way communication system that links Washington, D.C., and Moscow. It allows the president of the United States and the president of Russia to communicate directly and instantly when an international crisis arises. Its purpose is to reduce the risk of war caused by misunderstanding. Today, communication technology similar to that used for the U.S.-Russia hot line also connects other countries to one another.
The hot line was set up between the United States and the Soviet Union in 1963. The hot line was officially known as the Direct Communications Link. It originally consisted of a wire telegraph circuit, teletype equipment at each end, and a radio telegraph circuit. The hot line was first used when fighting broke out between Israel and Arab countries in 1967. In 1978, a satellite communication system largely replaced the telegraph system. In 1991, after the Soviet Union broke up, the president of Russia replaced the Soviet leader at the eastern end of the hot line.
In 1999, the United States and Russia established the Situation and Crisis Center to allow better emergency communication. The center is in Moscow and has voice and video links to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Emergency Operations Center.
