Essay about The Missile Defense System of the United States

The impact made by ADA forces spanned over many countries, the main ones being Germany, Israel, Turkey and Iraq. Using their newest developed missiles, Patriot Antitactical ballistic missile Capability, phase 1 (PAC-1) and Patriot Advanced Capability-2 (PAC-2), the Iraqi army had nothing as a comparable counterpart (Burr, 2001). These missiles were 17 feet, 5 inches in length, had a warhead with 221 pounds of high explosive, and could fly at Mach 3 up to 78,000 feet in altitude with a range of 43 miles (Leyden, 1997). The radar, control station, and launchers were all connected via computer, activating when a launch was detected and the “highest probability of a kill [was] obtained” (Burr, 2001). The newer PAC-2 missiles were capable of self-guidance with track-via-missile software and were more effective than their PAC-1

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.

By 1962, the Soviet Union was considerably behind the United States in the nuclear arms race. The Soviet Union had limited range missiles that were only capable of being launched against Europe, but the United States possessed missiles that were capable of striking anywhere within the entire Soviet Union. As it is often said, when it comes to national security, leaders sometimes make irrational decisions. In an effort to restore the balance of power Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev devised the idea of placing intermediate-range missiles in Cuba (14 days in October). This deployment of weapons in Cuba would double the Soviet strategic arsenal and provide a credible deterrent to a potential U.S. attack against the

President Kennedy came to office with warnings of a missile gap. The Soviets had achieved or were achieving a significant advantage in strategic nuclear weapons. Though tensions ran even higher, "Eisenhower’s strategy of massive retaliation made little sense and did not account for the rapidly growing Soviet nuclear arsenal4. Kennedy's nuclear strategy became known as flexible response. The idea was to acquire the military forces that could deal flexibility with varying levels of Soviet Aggression3. The most serious confrontation between Russia and the US was the Cuban Missile Crisis. (Link to Stephanie's page) Soviet leader Khrushchev attempted to place intermediate range missiles in Cuba. Kennedy responded by imposing a quarantine on Cuba. This resulted in the removal of the Soviet missiles and led to Kennedy making the decision to dismantle U.S. missiles based in Turkey. Some analysts argue that the successful outcome was due to the United States’ nuclear superiority, which proved that strategic superiority offered important political advantages5.

In the aftermath of World War II, tensions heightened between the two dominant powers: America and the USSR. The differences between the ideologies of the communist USSR and the capitalist United States led to a rapid deterioration in relations. The era between 1945, which marked the end of World War II, to 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved, became known as the Cold War due to the fact that despite the lack of large scale conflict, both sides still feared a nuclear holocaust. Both the United States and the Soviet Union followed the military strategy of mutually assured destruction (MAD), meaning that neither side was willing to risk first attack lest the other nation retaliate massively . The fundamental tenet behind MAD that enabled it to serve as an effective deterrent was the idea of secondary strike capability. In essence, it was the ability of a nation to launch a counterattack and thereby ensure mutual destruction. Submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) fulfilled this criteria admirably due to their ability to stay submerged for extended periods of time, the difficulty involved with locating a submarine, and their invulnerability to nuclear missile attacks when submerged. As a result, the United States attempted to corner this leg of the nuclear triad.

John Foster Dulles, Eisenhower’s Secretary of State, reported in June 1954 that the possible spread of communism into South America could be absolutely detrimental and devastating to the United States (Doc B). Though Dulles is rallying the American people to the cause of containment, he is also making them realize that the expansion of communism is right at their footsteps, intensifying fears in the long run. And while increased defense spending and better protection may cause Americans to feel safer, the new modernized era of intercontinental ballistic missiles would change the face of foreign policy, homeland security, and national safety forever. A 1958 Washington Post cartoon ridiculing the grand commitment to missile programs during the Cold War brings to light the public and governmental “hysteria” pertaining the looming missile race (Doc F). The cartoon emphasizes on the lack of government focus on other things like welfare programs, civilian services, and space development, which can be linked to the launching of the Sputnik satellite in 1957. When Eisenhower left office and John F. Kennedy became president in 1961, Kennedy gave a tantamount inaugural address in which he underscored the new missile race and missile program focus that the United States had taken on in the previous

The United States and Soviet relations worsened. A campaign for a multinational freeze on the manufacturing and deployment of nuclear weapons was sparked. A nuclear war was feared. In March of 1983, Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) to counter the freeze campaign. Critics believed this program could cause more of a problem than good. Regan on the other hand, believed that this defense would make nuclear war

With Trump’s election this year, his rhetoric of “Making America Great Again” and therefore revitalizing our military will soon become a reality. Trump has formally requested a reappropriation of funds; around $54 Billion, towards the US military. Part of Trump’s campaign promises had to do with making the military more robust; ensuring America’s title of militarily strongest in the world. In order to achieve this goal. Trump’s federal government has the option of many different aspects of the military to focus on. Of these, funding weapons of mass destruction, cyber security, and further military research and development prove themselves as most relevant in the contemporary military.

After the Second World War, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as superpowers and subsequently a period of tension and hostility arose, known as the Cold War. During this time, a new possibility of complete nuclear destruction that would claim the lives of many emerged, therefore “the easing or relaxing of tensions” on both sides was needed, this period would be known as detente. Both countries had been guaranteed mutually assured destruction as they had both managed to stay ahead in the development of nuclear arsenals. By the late 1960s the Soviets had surpassed the United States in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) by 1,300 to 1,054. Although the U.S was still

The Missile Crisis developed in 1962 because Fidel Castro believed that America would soon try again to invade his country. He asked the Soviet Union for help in defending his island nation. The Soviet Union replied by sending small arms, tanks, and infantry units to Cuba, as well as secretly transferring nuclear missiles to missile silos that were under construction in Cuba. The Americans were shocked when one of their U-2 spy planes discovered the nuclear silos under construction in Cuba because it meant that for the first time the Soviet missiles were within range of most major U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C. This created a very difficult problem for American President John F. Kennedy for which he needed to find a solution. He could not allow the missile silos to finish being constructed because that would place the United States in danger. That meant that either he would have to try diplomatic means to attempt to negotiate the removal of the weapons, or he would have to use the might of the American military to remove the weapons by force. Neither option looked particularly favourable. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (the President's military advisors) urged a swift and strong military invasion to destroy the silos before the Soviets could react. Kennedy was concerned, however, of the possibility of Soviet nuclear retaliation for the invasion because invasion was clearly an act of war. Up until that point, neither side had been willing to risk direct

After World War II, America continued to increase their defense to avoid more losses like the Pearl Harbor incident that killed 2,300 Americans and destroyed ships and aircraft. Furthermore, the Cold War raised the demand to increase the American defense system. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the supreme commander of the Allied Forces during WWII and two-term President, was concerned about the sudden growth and cost of the American defense system. During his “Farewell Address,” Eisenhower addressed his concerns about keeping the peace, the creation of numerous weapons for the national defense, and how scientific and technologic development becomes a powerful and unregulated tool.

-its mission: to protect and defend the United States against domestic and international threats that are deemed to large for local or state authorities to handle alone as well as those that may compromise the foundation of american society.

In 1968, the Soviet Union came up with a new development- the building of antiballistic missiles defence systems. These were to be used for nuclear, chemical, biological or even conventional warheads in the homeland defence of such a strike because they were designed to counter ICBM’s. As a method to counter this development, United States came up with multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRV’s) which improved the chances of avoiding detection by ABM systems. In addition to this, United States also developed its own IBM in order to match that of Soviet Union.

“North America – Our Nation’s most vital interests are the safety and security of our people and territory and our way of life. We will defend the homeland and play a critical role in supporting homeland security. We will work with the Department of Homeland Security, particularly the Coast Guard, to improve air, maritime, space, cyberspace and land domain awareness to help secure the approaches to our continent and Nation.” (National Military Strategy, Mullen, 2011, p.10) The National Military Strategy outlines specifically that the U.S. military will work synergistically with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure the security of our nation’s core territory and interest. The requirements levied upon the homeland defense mission are very overt in nature. The military takes bold action to the conventional threats against the United States such as nuclear inter-continental ballistic missiles or unwarranted territorial expansions. Today we see violent extremism spreading across and controlling other nations which poses a major threat

The Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 was the closest the world has ever come to nuclear war. The crisis was a major confrontation between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The confrontation was caused by the Soviets putting missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles off the coast of the United States of America. The world was in the hands of President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khruchchev. These two men would have to reach a compromise or else the results would be fatal.