(2012-1011-F) Joint Data Exchange Center

The materials in FOIA 2012-1011-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. On June 4, 2000, President Clinton and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Memorandum of Agreement Between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Russian Federation on the Establishment of a Joint Center for the Exchange of Data from Early Warning Systems and Notifications of Missile Launches. This memorandum, which was the first time the two nations had agreed to a permanent joint military operation, was the result of a dialogue that had begun after an incident several years earlier. In January 1995, a team of Norwegian and American scientists launched a Black Brant XII rocket carrying equipment intended to study the aurora borealis. Because it resembled a Trident missile at higher altitudes, and because its trajectory passed near Moscow, Russian nuclear forces went on high alert before it was determined that the rocket did not pose a threat. In response, the Clinton Administration and the Russian government negotiated the establishment of the Joint Data Exchange Center (JDEC) as a means to avoid further incidents. Located in Moscow, the JDEC is staffed 24 hours a day and facilitates the sharing of information regarding the launches of ballistic missles and space launch vehicles. The records responsive to this FOIA consist of emails and cables regarding the establishment of the JDEC. These include press releases, presidential speeches, and discussions of logistical matters related to the Memorandum of Agreement and the function of the facility. Many of the records related to this FOIA are closed for national security reasons.