USA says it has a "deconfliction line" with Russia. What is the history of this thing? How long has it existed and how has it worked?

by savoytruffle

I've also wondered if this was how USA and USSR would tell each other we're just testing ICBM's, not nuking you. Or just launching Sputnik!

Is that so?

For context as to the terminology I use, NYTimes today quotes Capt. Jeff Davis, “a Pentagon spokesman”, saying, “Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established deconfliction line.” (regarding USA strikes on Syria)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/world/middleeast/us-said-to-weigh-military-responses-to-syrian-chemical-attack.html

savoytruffle

For future reference, I think we have learned that this was something unique to the Syria conflict and different from the famous historical "red phone".