Source Publications: Center For Health Security / John Hopkins
Source Publications: PDF: "Dark Winter" Bio Terrorism Exercise Script
On June 22-23, 2001, these groups created a senior-level war game that simulated a smallpox attack on the United States known as “Dark Winter.” Essentially, it was a mock version of a widespread smallpox attack. On these dates, senior policymakers and U.S. officials meet for the simulation at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
According to Shining Light on Dark Winter, “Dark Winter was a ‘tabletop’ exercise. Decision makers were presented with a fictional scenario and asked to react to the facts and context of the scenario, establish strategies, and make policy decisions. To the extent possible, the decisions made were incorporated into the evolving exercise, so that key decisions affected the evolution and outcomes of the scenario.”
In the scenario, members of the National Security Council (NSC) met to discuss a developing situation in southwest Asia, but they received word of a smallpox outbreak in Oklahoma, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. They are briefed on the outbreak, the time between exposure and symptoms developing, and the lack of vaccines. The NSC was tasked with determining both the cause of the outbreak and how to contain it.
Ultimately, the war game ended without any clear resolution and enormous civilian fatalities.
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