Raised Alerts
Live DEFCON readiness status and priority alerts from commands at elevated levels.
What Are Raised Alerts?
Defcon Level tracks 14 commands: 11 official U.S. Combatant Commands and 3 monitoring commands (biological threats, natural disasters, and financial stability). Each carries an OSINT-estimated DEFCON readiness level from DEFCON 5 (normal peacetime) to DEFCON 1 (maximum readiness). When a command's estimated level is below DEFCON 5, it is considered "raised." This page shows only alerts from commands currently at raised status.
Alerts are grouped by priority. Breaking alerts cover fast-moving situations that may update within hours. Critical alerts address time-sensitive military or geopolitical developments with potential for escalation. High alerts track significant events affecting regional stability. Each alert is sourced from official statements, government public affairs offices, allied communications, and verified open-source intelligence.
The command grid below shows the current readiness level for every tracked command. The nuclear risk level is assessed separately from individual command readiness and appears below the command grid.
For all alerts including standard-priority updates from commands at normal readiness, visit the main Alerts page. For a breakdown of the indicators behind each command's current readiness estimate, see Raised Levels.
Energy Markets and Global Trade Corridors
CENTCOM's area of responsibility covers the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of global petroleum liquids transit each year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. USPACOM's area of responsibility includes the South China Sea, through which an estimated one-third of global seaborne trade passes annually, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Together, these regions encompass several of the world's most significant maritime energy and trade corridors.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration tracks conditions in both regions as part of its global petroleum supply monitoring, publishing regular assessments of chokepoint risk for energy transit. CISA maintains a public advisory feed at cisa.gov covering active cyber threats to critical infrastructure sectors, including energy, transportation, and financial systems. Current commodity prices, defense sector data, and financial impact analysis are available on the Financial Alerts page.
Current Command Readiness Levels
14 Commands RaisedCurrent OSINT-estimated DEFCON levels for all 14 tracked commands. Commands below DEFCON 5 are considered raised, reflecting open-source indicators that suggest elevated regional readiness. These are estimates, not official government data. Select any command for details and regional alerts.
Geographic Commands
AFRICOM
Africa Command
Raised
CENTCOM
Central Command
Raised
EUCOM
European Command
Raised
INDOPACOM
U.S. Pacific Command
Raised
NORTHCOM
Northern Command
Raised
SOUTHCOM
Southern Command
RaisedFunctional Commands
Current Nuclear Risk Level (OSINT Estimate)
Increased intelligence watch and strengthened security measures. Above normal readiness.
This is an OSINT estimate. Confirmed nuclear readiness status is classified and not publicly released. Assessment derived from open-source intelligence, official government statements, and publicly available data.
Civilian Readiness During Elevated Conditions
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends that households maintain emergency supply kits covering a minimum of 72 hours of water, food, medications, and critical documents, as a baseline measure independent of current threat conditions. Ready.gov provides standardized checklists covering shelter-in-place procedures, evacuation planning, and family communication protocols. Supply chain status and preparedness guidance by threat level are available on the Preparedness page.
Emergency preparedness planning covers both physical supplies and financial readiness, including emergency fund sizing and insurance coverage for extended disruption scenarios. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provides household financial preparedness guidance at consumerfinance.gov and recommends maintaining liquid reserves covering three to six months of essential expenses. Asset protection strategies and portfolio considerations during periods of geopolitical instability are covered on the Financial Readiness page.
Raised Readiness Alerts
The following alerts are from commands currently operating at elevated readiness (below DEFCON 5). Alerts are grouped by priority: Breaking, Critical, High, and Standard.
BREAKING Breaking Alerts
ISIS Calls for Arson Attacks on Synagogues During Easter and Passover Weekend
GLOBAL - The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) published an operational call in Al-Naba Issue 541 on April 3 ordering followers to set fire to......
US Surges Carrier Strike Group and Marine Amphibious Force into Middle East During Iran Campaign
CENTCOM confirmed the arrival of USS Tripoli and approximately 3,500 sailors and Marines while three destroyers from the Bush carrier strike group departed the East Coast, moving toward a three-carrier posture in the theater....
Oahu Evacuation Ordered as 120-Year-Old Wahiawa Dam Faces Imminent Failure
Dam failure in progress or expected at Wahiawa Dam after 13 inches of rain in 12 hours. Over 4,000 residents ordered to evacuate downstream areas of Haleiwa and Waialua. National Guard activated....
Projectile Destroys Structure 350 Meters from Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Reactor; Russia Begins Third Staff Evacuation
MIDDLE EAST - The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on March 18 that a projectile struck and destroyed a structure 350 meters from the reactor at Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant on Tuesday evening. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi reported no damage to the reactor itself, no injuries to staff, and no elevation of radiation levels, but warned that “any attack at or near nuclear power plants violates the seven indispensable pillars related to ensuring nuclear safety and......
U.S. European Command: Bombers Leave RAF Fairford for Home Stations
UNITED KINGDOM - U.S. European Command said on October 4 that the bombers deployed to RAF Fairford were redeploying to their home stations, and a U.S. Air Force statement the same day said every U....
SOUTHCOM Strikes Caribbean Go-Fast Vessel and Says Four Aboard Were Killed
CARIBBEAN - According to U.S. Southern Command, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere struck a go-fast vessel, a small fast boat, in the Caribbean on October 4....
Unknown Projectile Reported to Hit Tanker in Strait of Hormuz
MIDDLE EAST - On October 1 a maritime reporting center received a third-party report that an unknown projectile had struck a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway between Iran and Oman, and that a fire had started....
AFRICOM Struck al-Shabaab Near Qumbi, Somalia
SOMALIA - On September 28, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Public Affairs stated that U.S. forces conducted airstrikes on September 24 targeting al-Shabaab, which the United States designated a terrorist organization in 2008, in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia....
Carrier Theodore Roosevelt Leaves San Diego for Arabian Sea, Trump Confirms Iran Mediator Contact
MIDDLE EAST - The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), flagship of Carrier Strike Group 9, left Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego on September 27 bound for the Arabian Sea station Adm. Daryl Caudle, U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, named on August 31....
UK Police Arrest Five Men Near RAF Fairford on Suspicion of Preparing a Terrorist Act
UNITED KINGDOM - The U.S. Embassy in London said on September 27 that it is aware of arrests on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act near the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Fairford in Gloucestershire and told U.S. citizens to exercise caution and follow local authorities....
West Bank: U.S. Embassy Jerusalem Reports Checkpoint Closures Through October 3
WEST BANK - On September 27, U.S. Embassy Jerusalem said checkpoints across the entire West Bank region will be closed from September 27 to October 3, and that there is no regular entry into Israel except for strictly medical and humanitarian reasons....
U.S. Embassy Advises Against Travel to Amhara, Tigray, and Afar, Fighting Near Lalibela
ETHIOPIA - On September 25, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa said it was aware of reports of active fighting near Lalibela in the Amhara Region, a halt of Ethiopian Airlines flights to and from Lalibela airport on September 24, and a halt of internet and phone service in the Tigray Region....
Latvian National Armed Forces Issue Yellow Airspace Notice for Krāslava Municipality
LATVIA - The National Armed Forces of Latvia issued a yellow-level notice of a possible air threat in Krāslava Municipality and told the public that no further action is required at this time....
North Korea Fires Two East-Coast Ballistic Missiles Into the Sea of Japan
KOREAN PENINSULA - On September 20 at about 8:54 AM UTC (5:54 PM Japan time), North Korea launched at least one ballistic missile from the vicinity of its east coast toward the northeast, the Japanese Defense Ministry and Cabinet Secretariat said....
Putin Sets Nuclear and Air-Defense Priorities and Denies Plans to Attack Europe
EUROPE - Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Military-Industrial Commission in the Kremlin on September 18 that a new State Armament Program and a companion defense-industry program will set what the army and other security services design and build in series. In the same session he said Russi...
Ethiopia Travel Advisory: U.S. Embassy Advises Against Travel to Doolo Zone After Possible Threats to Foreigners
ETHIOPIA - The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa said on September 16 that it is aware of possible threats to foreigners, including U.S. citizens, in Doolo Zone, also spelled Dollo Zone, of the Somali Region....
Drone Crosses Ukraine and Moldova, Crashes in Romanian Cornfield
EASTERN EUROPE - Romania’s Ministry of National Defense said on September 12 that a drone which had already crossed Ukrainian and Moldovan airspace came down in a cornfield near Botoșenița Mare in Suceava County, in northeastern Romania....
AFRICOM Strikes al-Shabaab Near Quumbi Northwest of Kismayo
U.S. Africa Command struck al-Shabaab near Quumbi, Somalia, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Kismayo on Sept. 8, according to a Sept. 11 release from U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Public Affairs. AFRICOM said the strike was carried out in coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia....
SOUTHCOM: Joint Task Force Strike Killed Three on Caribbean Vessel
CARIBBEAN SEA - Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out a lethal kinetic strike on September 9 against a go-fast vessel, a small high-speed boat, on routes the command called established narco-trafficking lanes in the Caribbean....
SOUTHCOM Interdicts and Sinks Eastern Pacific Vessel the Command Tied to Los Choneros
EASTERN PACIFIC - U.S. Southern Command said Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere forces on September 7 interdicted a vessel the command described as a floating refueling station supporting at-sea drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific....
Naval Station Norfolk Closes Some Gates and Cuts Lanes as Precaution
NORFOLK - Naval Station Norfolk, the U.S. Navy installation on Sewell’s Point that Navy Region Mid-Atlantic describes as the largest naval complex in the world, stated on September 1 that it had put in place increased security measures and changed how people enter the base....
U.S. Forces Board and Sink Treasury-Sanctioned Refueling Vessel in Eastern Pacific
EASTERN PACIFIC - U.S. Marines and Sailors launched from the amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17) boarded, searched, and cleared a vessel in international waters on August 28, then sank it after removing those aboard, U.S. Southern Command said....
Trump Rules Out Russian Attack on NATO and Poland Rejects Hosting Warheads
EUROPE - After CIA Director John Ratcliffe met Russian intelligence officials in Moscow on August 25, Washington and Moscow both said in public that NATO territory is not a Russian target....
Joint Task Force-Southern Border Uses Army High-Energy Laser Against Three Cartel Drones
SOUTHERN BORDER - On August 27 U.S. Southern Command reported that Joint Task Force-Southern Border personnel used the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) during the late-night hours of August 25 and 26 against three unmanned aircraft the command called hostile and cartel-linked....
SOUTHCOM: Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere Strikes Vessel on Eastern Pacific Route
EASTERN PACIFIC - On August 23, Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere carried out a strike on a low-profile vessel operating along routes SOUTHCOM described as established narco-trafficking routes, according to U.S. Southern Command....
Projectile Strike Confirmed on Tanker 63 NM West of Yanbu-
Projectile Strike Confirmed on Tanker 63 NM West of Yanbu. The location lies in the northern Red Sea, within Saudi waters near the kingdom’s principal Red Sea crude-export terminal....
Japan-U.S.-ROK Telephone Meeting Follows Missile Launches By North Korea
TOKYO - On August 20, following North Korea’s ballistic missile launch, Deputy Director-General Ariyoshi of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a trilateral phone meeting with Baek Yong-jin, Director-General for Korean Peninsula Policy at South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, and David Wilezol, Deput...
U.S. Agencies Issue Advisory on Active Threat Targeting Siemens S7 Series PLCs
WASHINGTON - The National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Energy, and Environmental Protection Agency released joint Cybersecurity Advisory AA26-231A on August 19, warning of an active cyber threat to Siemens S7 Series p...
Cargo Vessel Boarded and Controlled 4 NM South of Mareeyo, Somalia
MAREEYO, SOMALIA - UK Maritime Trade Operations received a report at 11:36 AM UTC on August 17 from the company security officer of a cargo vessel stating that eight armed unauthorized persons boarded the ship and took control of it 4 nautical miles south of Mareeyo, Somalia....
Spanish F-18 Downs Drone in Romanian Airspace Under NATO Enhanced Air Defense
GALAȚI COUNTY, ROMANIA - Two Spanish F-18 fighter aircraft assigned to NATO’s enhanced Air Defense mission at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base intercepted and destroyed a drone that entered Romanian national airspace from the direction of Moldova in the early hours of August 16....
Raised Alerts: Frequently Asked Questions
What does raised command readiness mean for civilians?
Raised readiness on this site reflects OSINT indicators suggesting a command may be operating at elevated alert levels. It does not represent an official government declaration and does not indicate an imminent emergency. Civilians monitoring conditions can track official guidance through Ready.gov, cisa.gov, and the State Department's travel advisory system for affected regions.
How are readiness estimates calculated?
Readiness levels are OSINT estimates derived from official government statements, military public affairs releases, verified open-source reporting, and publicly available satellite imagery. They are not based on classified intelligence and do not represent official government assessments. The methodology behind site readiness estimates is described on the Current Level page.
How often do command readiness levels change?
Command readiness levels are updated when new OSINT indicators warrant a change. Some commands hold elevated readiness for extended periods tied to sustained regional conditions, while others fluctuate with specific events. The Raised Levels page provides trend data and recent changes for each tracked command.
How is the nuclear risk level different from command readiness?
The nuclear risk level is a site-wide OSINT estimate of global nuclear threat posture, assessed independently from individual command readiness levels. It reflects open-source indicators from nuclear-armed states, arms control treaty reporting, and publicly available strategic posture statements. Detailed coverage, including current assessment and historical context, is available on the Nuclear Threat Level page.
Where can I find official emergency guidance?
Primary civilian guidance sources include Ready.gov for general emergency preparedness, cisa.gov for cybersecurity and infrastructure advisories, and the State Department's travel advisory portal for region-specific alerts. The Department of Homeland Security's public advisory system covers domestic threat conditions, and FEMA's Emergency Management Institute provides training resources for community preparedness at training.fema.gov.
Stay Informed on Raised Alerts
Subscribe to receive notifications when commands raise their readiness levels or when breaking alerts are published.
Related Pages
Monitor readiness conditions, financial market impact, cybersecurity threat activity, and emergency preparedness status across all commands and threat categories.
Raised Levels
Current readiness levels for all commands with trend data and recent changes.
Current DEFCON Level
Global threat assessment and live readiness status.
Financial Alerts
Market impact analysis, commodity prices, and economic risk during elevated conditions.
Cyber Threats
Active cyber operations, infrastructure targeting, and digital security advisories.
Preparedness
Emergency supply status, readiness checklists, and preparedness guidance by threat level.
All Alerts
Complete intelligence alert feed across all commands and priority levels.