The Pershing Missile System : Cold War Evolution

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.

When President Truman authorized the use of two nuclear weapons in 1945 against the Japanese in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II, the nature of international security was changed irreversibly. At that time, the United States had what was said to have a monopoly of atomic bombs. Soon thereafter, the Soviet Union began working on atomic weaponry. In 1949, it had already detonated it first atomic bomb and tensions began to heat up between the two countries. With the information that the Soviets had tested their first bomb, the United States began work on more powerful weapons1, and a fight for nuclear superiority had begun.

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.

The artifact that I choose was the Cuban missile, and the reason I choose the missile was because that was used as a main defense, and attack weapon in the cold war. Soviet Union during the Cold War whichwas the moment between two strong powers that came closest to nuclear conflict. The crisis was different in many ways, as well as direct and secret communications and misunderstanding between the two sides. There are serval types of missile but of them is called a Ballistic Missile According Office of Historian The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred from October 15th through October 28th, 1962, and it was a direct attack and dangerous battle between the Soviet Union and the United States throughout the Cold War. According to Engineering and Technology

During the cold war, both nations built up massive stockpiles of nuclear weapons to achieve nuclear supremacy over the other. Both the soviets and the US hoped to use nuclear weapons as leverage against each other by assuring Mutually Assured Destruction, or MAD.

Even before the outbreak of War, the United States was concerned with a fascist regime in Europe researching in nuclear weapons. In retaliation, the United States began to fund an atomic weapon development program which became known as “The Manhattan Project” led by J. Robert Oppenheimer. Over the next several years, the Manhattan project started obtaining key materials such as Uranium-235 and Plutonium and testing prototypes until they reached a working model (Coroner).

A system which the United States severely opposed of. ((n.d.) www.designer-daily.com) shows two Cold War American Propaganda posters, both illustrating the American perspective of disgust towards the Soviets' political system of 'communism'. A quote from '((n.d.) www.brighthubeducation.com)' states, 'The Soviet Union told its people that sacrifices had to be made in order to prevent the devastation endured during World War 2'. This was the Soviet Unions' justification for spending 60% of their budget on defence. ((n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.brighthubeducation.com) quotes, 'The U.S, huge amounts of money were spent on missiles, nuclear weapons, and anti-missile defence system research right up to the Cold War. Therefore, the Cold War had huge significance in creating somewhat 'mini-wars' such as the Vietnam War, and also splitting the world into supporting the Capitalist country of America, or the Communist country of the Soviet

The physical weapons used in the Cold War were nuclear weapons. Though the Cold War never resulted in these weapons being used, the US and the Soviet Union both strived to develop better, more destructive bombs before the other. In one graph, it is shown that, from 1960 to 1977, the amount of nuclear warheads on ICBMs increases exponentially for both countries(Document 5). The graph also shows the

This preparation took the form of an arms race. The arms race was a “competitive acquisition of weapons by the Soviet Union and the United States.” (Boilard 1). The strategy behind the arms race was to amass more nuclear weapons than the opponent, thus enabling them to win any future nuclear war. It was assumed that if nuclear war happened, then the country with the most nuclear weapons would destroy more of the other country, consequently winning the war (Boilard 1). Under this strategy, the Soviet Union built about 45,000 nuclear warheads, and obtained enough radioactive materials to triple that. The Soviet Union also placed tactical missile sites in many countries from Cuba to Kazakhstan, hoping to be able to perform a fast strike from close range if necessary (O’Neal 1). Likewise, the US placed missiles in Europe and started the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program. The SDI program was meant to defend against a nuclear attack. The SDI program included satellites with lasers and nuclear-powered railguns, which would ideally be able to shoot down approaching missiles long before they reached their target. The SDI program was also referred to as “Star Wars” because its use of lasers in space made it seem like science fiction. Furthermore, the price, amount of electricity needed to power these weapons, and amount of research needed was so great that the project was abandoned several billion dollars later (Rudolph 2). In essence, the

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 ahead

By September, 1944, before Roosevelt’s death, the threat of a nuclear arms race and possible retaliation for the use of this weapon is already a point of concern. The Office of Scientific Research and Development’s memorandum to Secretary of War Henry Stimson outlines some of the dangers the United States and Great Britain face in continuing the secret development of this “art”. Realizing this technology in the hands of the Soviet Union or other countries, especially defeated enemies, would make highly populated cities especially vulnerable. They also concluded that there was a high possibility of a “major power, or former major power undertaking this development.” The threat of the Soviet Union or Germany developing this weapon was a

As the United States faced two world wars in less than fifty years, the American government is obligated to create military weapons and equipment from an armament specialized industry, not from other industries. “American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions” (Ravitch 537). With the government investing millions to billions of dollars in armament industries, these industries create and innovate various equipment, weapons, and technology for the military to employ in their duty defending the country from outside threats. As the fear of communism continued to spread across the country, the American government invested billions of dollars in wars against communist regimes. Furthermore, missile forces expanded even further. Some people may argue the American government exploited the Red Scare to enhance patriotism, national unity, and authority. However, there is no evidence to back up this claim since it is a conspiracy theory based on intuition. The Arms Race during the Cold War is an example of the American government compelled to employ numerous weapons and technology to demonstrate the strength of their military. With the Soviets continuing to send satellites such as “Sputnik” and develop their own versions of the Atomic and Hydrogen bombs, the Americans employed initiatives such as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) to counter the Soviet threats. The Arms Race continued until the Soviet Union disbanded in the early ‘90s and ruined the economy spending money on weapons and technology. In a sense, the Cold War prevented a WWIII since the Americans and Soviets spent billions of dollars on their national defense rather than initiating a

After World War II, a new enemy was in the horizon: technology. In the 1940’s, the United States was the leader of the “Free World” paving a path and setting an example for the rest of the world to follow (Maland 191). Americans believed the misconception that “American society was sound, and that communism was a clear danger to the survival of the United States and its allies” (Maland 191). The U.S. maintained a policy of containment by fighting communism wherever it may be, and in a show of might in 1952, they detonated the first hydrogen bomb (Maland 192). Only a short year later, the mighty Soviet Union announced that they too had the Atom bomb (Maland 192). And, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, the United States became alarmed that they were falling behind in science and technology. Because the Soviets had the same capability to annihilate the world with the bomb as the United States, tensions between the two countries increase daily. But, this new war tactic brought into question man’s ability to make decisions of nuclear proportions with

This was after a public outcry that the country must rapidly build up its block of ICBM’s. The United States then went ahead to develop U-2 spy planes, which played a great role in helping United States spy the Soviet Union weapons and facilities. This build up forced USSR to try and catch up with United States development at all costs despite its weakening economy. One of the following developments was the announcement by United States that it possessed submarine-launched ballistic missiles, the third and most effective delivery system developed. The USSR maintained silence until 1968 when they too started using the new technology. This new technology came up with various new challenges because the country had very few harbours that could service its nuclear submarines (Phillips, 2003).

The development of nuclear weapons helped to end World War II, but in turn created their own war between the United States and the Soviet Union. The development of modified military missiles such as the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, or ICBM, by Americans and the Soviets, had an impact on the struggle of power of the Cold War. The importance of military involvement in the creation of modified missiles and engines were critical events of the Cold War. Additionally, the steps taken to get to space were a byproduct of this Arms Race and the Cold War. Because the United States and the Soviet Union feared what the other country would or could do with weapons of mass destruction and the thought of the opposing country being able to control