The Situation Room (WHSR) was established in 1961 in the basement of the West Wing of the White House.
Movies and spy novels depict the WHSR as the only place where the US President meets with his aides to make top secret decisions about a particular crisis. In fact, it’s a suite that White House officials claim is “the most secure in the world.”
The Situation Room was last upgraded in 2006, before it was closed for a year for a $50 million overhaul. The overhaul places a special focus on sophisticated communications equipment and technology to prevent American adversaries from eavesdropping.
The White House Situation Room was recently renovated by President Joe Biden. Photo: Reuters
“Stepping into the center of the newly renovated Situation Room feels like stepping onto the set of a Hollywood horror film” – Newspaper new York Times The comments came after reporters visited the room midweek.
One floor up from the Oval Office, in a windowless basement, the US President’s large swivel chair faces three large screens that can “monitor covert activities around the world”.
Inside the Situation Room there are also clocks displaying real time in cities around the world, including Tehran (Iran) and Kiev (Ukraine). Therefore, aides always know the time, no matter where the US President is.
The walls of the WHSR are clad in precious woods, described by White House officials as the most sophisticated techniques in the American arsenal for securing the room.
The main conference table in the newly renovated Situation Room of the White House, also known as the John F. Kennedy Room. Photo: Reuters
It was this intelligence arms race that led President Biden to approve the upgrade of the Situation Room.
In fact, computer screens and servers that seemed modern in 2006 – the year before the iPhone was announced – have become old and obsolete. Signal blocking technology needs to be modernized in the era of high-tech competition with China and Russia.
“You have to constantly upgrade to keep up with foreign competitors. The overhaul has brought the Situation Room to the highest standards it has today” – said Mr. Mark Gustafson, WHSR principal officer in charge of overhauling. Learn.
President Joe Biden cut the ribbon and held the first meeting in the new Situation Room on September 5, 2023, just two days before leaving on a trip to India and Vietnam.
US President Joe Biden cuts the ribbon to inaugurate the newly overhauled Situation Room of the White House on September 5, 2023. Photo: Reuters
surveillance floor
The largest room here is the headquarters of the Situation Room, which is called the Watch Floor. A series of large flat screens are mounted on the wall of this room, displaying a wealth of data such as videos, social networks, maps and intelligence reports from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Department of Defense. As well as bulletins from many major media agencies.
The room has 3 rows of desks, which are the workplaces of 17 officials from government agencies, the military, intelligence, State Department, Homeland Security…
The day shift is from 5 am to 5 pm, followed by the night shift. These people are responsible for informing the US President and his aides about any crisis. Suppose North Korea launched a missile overnight, it would be the surveillance layer that would (usually) wake up the President’s National Security Advisor.
The surveillance floor also ensures security for calls to and from the White House.
