National Communications System

In U.S. telecommunication, the term National Communications System (NCS) has the following meanings:

1. The organization established by Section 1(a) of Executive Order No. 12472 to assist the President, the National Security Council, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in the discharge of their national security emergency preparedness telecommunications functions. The NCS consists of both the telecommunications assets of the entities represented on the NCS Committee of Principals and an administrative structure consisting of the Executive Agent, the NCS Committee of Principals, and the Manager.

2. The telecommunications system that results from the technical and operational integration of the separate telecommunications systems of the several executive branch departments and agencies having a significant telecommunications capability.

Sources: from Federal Standard 1037C and from the Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms