Gulf War Air Defense Essay

It influenced future generations of soldiers and equipment to advance both tactically and technically, greatly increasing the multi-role diversity and capabilities of the Air Defense Artillery systems of today’s United States Army. Compared to the Patriot Launcher Missile system, it showed that Air Defense units could be multifaceted. Like the M42 Duster (SPAAG), the Patriot system demonstrated excellent destruction ratio for aircraft but the system also worked well in defense of TBM’s (Tactical Ballistic

Our nation has been in conflict with the Middle East for over two and a half decades. Air Defense Artillery has made a huge impact in Middle East conflicts. The threats that make Air Defense Artillery a necessity for these conflicts include a number of aircraft, such as planes, jets and helicopters as well as launched munitions like scud missiles and mortars. Air Defense Artillery is an ever evolving force and has been there for protection of American forces against these threats. Air Defense Artillery is a group of weapons that divide the airspace into two different sectors. Short Range Air Defense, also known as SHORAD, defends against low altitude, short range aircraft and munitions. High to Medium Altitude Air Defense, also known

“Air defense artillery units have a proud heritage dating back to the dawn of this country 's history when the colonists erected fortifications and emplaced artillery pieces to defend against attack from the sea. Seacoast defense continued to be the primary mission of "foot" artillery units (as opposed to mounted field artillery units) until World War I, when a new dimension in warfare emerged-attack from the air. Through World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam, air defense artillery units served as an indispensable part of the armed forces of the United States.”

The Patriot Advanced Capability 2 version acquired the capability to operate against other missiles, beyond just aircrafts, by the US armed forces through an improved fuse and warhead in comparison to the PAC-1 (Maital & Seshadri, 2012). Furthermore, the US Army made changes to not only the software of the PAC-2 missile but the radar system which guided it. These improvements gave the missiles the ability to intercept other missiles which was different than previous models. Interception in this case was not considered just the capability to knock a missile off course but to destroy them which was the objective of this product. Beyond physical attributes, it acquired them through the recognition that tactile ballistic missiles were all over Europe and increased threats, prompting improvements to occur (Maital & Seshadri, 2012).

(INTRODUCTION) In August 1964, Vietnamese DRV torpedo boats attacked two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. President London B. Johnson ordered the retaliatory bombing of military targets in North Vietnam. Shortly after the incident, U.S. congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, giving President Johnson war-making powers, and U.S. planes began regular bombing raids (Reference http://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history ). In Vietnam, the US enjoyed virtual air supremacy. Nevertheless, Air Defense Artillery (ADA) units were able to distinguish themselves and prove their versatility by providing fire support to ground forces. ADA earned more than 450 medals for valor, receiving more than 1000 Purple Hearts, and one Congressional Medal of Honor awarded to SGT Mitchell Stout (Reference http://www.usc.edu/dept-00/dept/armyrotc/branches/air_defense.html ). Despite there being no confirmed aerial engagements, Air Defense Artillery played a vital role in the Vietnam War, and were at times crucial to battle success, proving their versatility, adaptability, flexibility.

As a branch the air defense artillery is not well educated on its history. With this paper we will show that air defense artillery was vital asset for Korean and United States forces. We will also cover the history of coastal artillery along with a few early weapon systems and the minor changes made to them during the evolution of the air defense from the beginning leading up to the Korean War. In doing so we will highlight the weapon systems used by the United States during the Korean War. Our thesis in this paper is that the Korean War was one of the key points in the development of the air defense branch as a whole.

In the 1940’s, radar was introduced to assist with enemy tracking and aircraft guidance systems such as the GPS. Radar calculated the location of an aircraft from the ground (Eyewitness Visual Dictionaries 54) in order to find its direct location. This was significant because it aided as part of the warning and communication systems of a nearby enemy which was key for World War II. Without the radar, the Allies would have struggled to prepare for enemy attacks. The GPS relied on radio navigation and satellites for the guidance systems and created a lead on enemies. Likewise, in order to defend against possible air attacks, the United States War Department formed the U.S. Air Defense Command on February 26, 1940 (Taylor 5). With this new installation,

Air defense artillery (ADA) units date back to the dawn of this country's history when the colonists erected fortifications and emplaced artillery pieces to defend against attack from the sea. Little did they know, this new innovative way of combat would evolve and change the front lines forever. Through World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam, air defense artillery units served as an indispensable part of the armed forces of the United States. It gave the Army a tactical advantage and allowed ground troops to move more efficiently, by protecting them from above. The Air Defense Artillery branch of the US Army specializes in anti-aircraft weapons. In the Army, these groups are composed of many air defense systems such as the Patriot Missile System, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), and the Avenger Air Defense system.

1948). It is essential to ground forces success that they receive anti-aircraft support. Before, during and after World War 2 we are able to perceive more clearly the significance of Air Defense Artillery (ADA) in the twenty first century. Air Defense Artillery’s roots travel as far back as to the revolutionary war. Understanding that during those times there was no such thing as airplanes but keep an open mind as to where we are heading here. Air Defense Artillery originated from the Coast Artillery Corps who were the guardians of the coast from incoming aggressive ships and boats. It was during World War 1 (WW1) that the army realized the need for

In today’s digital age, development of new technology and weapons are at an alarming rate, hence arises the need to stay ahead of advancements in order to properly defend the nation, as well as coalition forces and allies. In this period of warfare, the number one threat comes in the form of air breathing and ballistic missiles. During World War II, this threat was present, but was not thought to be prevalent.

WWII and the war in Iraq were two vastly different wars, due to the time period, differences in technology, which countries were involved, and their purposes. However, the soldiers who fought in these wars share the fact that they chose to spend their youth bravely fighting for their country. The difference in the documentaries created about these wars is eye opening. The filmmakers and photographers during WWII put their lives at risk to document the battles and bravery of the U.S. soldiers. They were on the frontlines of the war, whereas the other documentary on Tortuga explored what happens on the every day, daily life of the soldiers who are not on the frontlines. This seems much safer for reporters. Viewers got and inside look at what goes on in the soldiers’ minds and what their lives were really like in both films. Due to the time period of WWII, the working conditions veterans described seemed much more brutal. My impressions of what it means to be in the service have not necessarily changed; rather, my appreciation and knowledge of what it means to be a soldier have deepened. It is one thing to understand and it is another to truly sympathize and put oneself in a soldier’s shoes, to feel the adrenaline, fear, loneliness, and courage that are his daily regime. Documentaries have a special effect that other films simply cannot achieve, and that is the reality of the story. Nothing has been dramatized and hearing these people’s stories, hearing it come from them with

In October of 1964, the Secretary of Defense started a program for Surface to Air Missile, Development (SAM-D). In May of 1976, the Secretary of Defense renamed SAM-D to Patriot Air Defense Missile System and tested joint engagement operations with HAWK in 1977. In May of 1982, the first Patriot unit started under 32d Army Air Defense Command. During a tactical exercise at White Sands Missile Range in September of 1986, the Patriot successfully deflected a LANCE missile, which was simulating the SS-21 tactical ballistic missile (TBM) threat. During the exercise, Patriot, for the first time, had defended a protected asset against a TBM. In August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and problems began to rise in the Middle East. The nation would

The United States gains a major battlefield advantage from the Advanced Gun System [AGS], another weapon with components so advanced it redefines the idea of conventional weaponry and the nature of enhancements. The AGS is essentially a modified version of the 5-inch gun found on many battleships. According to its developer, “the AGS will provide flexible, sustainable and affordable firepower against a wide range of littoral and inland targets, as well as highly-advanced gunfire capabilities for anti-surface warfare” (BAE Systems). The AGS uses an automated magazine with 155mm Long Range Land Attack Projectiles [LRLAP] manufactured by Lockheed Martin. It is “the most accurate and longest-range guided projectile in U.S. Navy history, with a

Air Defense had a prominent involvement in The Persian Gulf War. The Patriot missile system demonstrated its effectiveness in combat in 1990 and United States (U.S.) forces as well as Iraqi forces utilized the Homing All the Way Killer (HAWK) missile system. Air Defense’s considerable involvement in the Persian Gulf War accredited to the developments and capabilities of the Patriot missile system along with the HAWK missile system’s Iraqi dilemma.

Ballistic missile defense became a necessity after World War II when Germany developed and launched several missiles at targets around Europe. During the Cold War, the United States and Russia began developing technologies to build and use long range missiles at a moment's notice. Before the Gulf War and Desert Storm there were no systems to defend against theater ballistic missiles or TBM’s. The Patriot missile system had been developed in the 1970’s to counter threats from enemy aircrafts. Shortly before the Gulf War, testing and production of the first PAC1 missiles had begun to be used against Short range missiles. The use of the Patriot system had a huge impact to the success of the Gulf War and Desert Storm by defending US and coalition assets in Saudi Arabia and Israel from Scud Missile attacks by Iraqi Forces.