Washington–Moscow hotline

A direct communications link between Washington and Moscow; its official name is the Direct Communications Link.

Description based on the Crypto Museum's crypto glossary.¹

It rests on the US–Soviet Memorandum of Understanding of 20 June 1963 on the establishment of a direct communications link, which according to the State Department was “for use in time of emergency”. An agreement of 30 September 1971 added two satellite channels (brought into service in 1978), and an agreement of 17 July 1984 added the ability to send facsimile messages (from 1986).²

The link, which allows the leaders of the two powers to communicate without going through the usual diplomatic channels, is intended to reduce the risk of war arising from a misunderstanding; the State Department links the 1984 upgrade to a review of ways of increasing international stability and reducing the risk of nuclear war.²