Space based nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) systems were developed as highly classified and sovereign systems, insulated from external influence and designed to survive in the most extreme circumstances. Constructed in the 1960s, the systems made sure that states were able to reliably identify and retaliate against threats, maintaining deterrence stability. 

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Qurat-Ul-Ain Shabbir is a PhD scholar at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, and currently serves as a research officer at the Centre for International Strategic Studies AJK.