It envisioned a scenario based on what was described as a major attack against the United States involving the near-simultaneous, or closely sequential, detonation of several hundred nuclear warheads.
[2] Plan D-Minus assumed a nuclear attack against the continental United States resulting in 48 million immediate fatalities and a significant number of non-fatal casualties.
[2] Immediately following an attack under D-Minus conditions, the National Security Council's Office of Emergency Planning would initiate and then decentralize its primary post-attack programs, including anti-hoarding and resource conservation measures, to those state and local governments that remained functioning.
Meanwhile, emergency federal departments responsible for the most critical aspects of recovery would be formed and staffed from the "Executive Reserve," a 1,700-person group of public sector employees who had previously received specialized management training.
[2] A series of pre-drafted executive orders would be immediately signed by the President of the United States authorizing extraordinary measures, including preventative detention of persons on the FBI Security Index and suspension of publication of the Federal Register.