To Defend and Deter: The Legacy of the United States Cold War Missile Program

This massive ebook provides encyclopedic coverage of the missile programs of the United States during the Cold War era, with extraordinary details about the headline programs of Nike Ajax, Nike Hercules, ABM, Safeguard, BOMARC, ICBM, Atlas, Titan I and II, Minuteman I, II and III, Jupiter, Thor, and Snark. It is one of the best single source documents official histories of these incredible missile systems. Contents:

Introduction: The Cold War and the Nation * Part I: A History of the United States Cold War Missile Program * Chapter 1 * In the Beginning: The Early History of Rocket and Guided Missile Development * Chapter 2 * The Immediate Post-War Era, 1945-1950: Opportunities and Constraints * Chapter 3 * The Beginning of Rearmament, 1950-1954 * Chapter 4 * The ICBM Program Takes Flight, 1954-1955 * Chapter 5 * The Debate Over Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles, 1955-1958 * Chapter 6 * The Air Defense Debate * Chapter 7 * Building Missiles, 1954-1966 * Chapter 8 * ICBM Deployment * Chapter 9 * America's Missile Communities: Social and Economic Impact * Chapter 10 * Antiballistic Missile Defense: Nike Zeus Through Safeguard * Chapter 11 * Modernizing the ICBM Force * Chapter 12 * Arms Control Agreements: The Legacy for Preservation * Chapter 13 * Conclusion * Bibliography * Part II: System Profiles * Introduction * Defensive Missile Systems * Nike Ajax * Nike Hercules * Antiballistic Missiles (ABM): the Safeguard System * BOMARC * Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles * Atlas * Titan I and II * Minuteman I, II, and III * Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles * Jupiter * Thor * Long-Range, Air-Breathing Missiles * Snark * Part III: Site Overviews: * Histories of Missile Development and Deployment Sites in the United States * Appendices * A: A Chronology of the United States Missile Program During the Cold War, 1945-1989 * B: An Inventory of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Launch Facilities and Air Defense Missile Sites in the United States * Glossary

To Defend and Deter is the product of a 2-year effort by personnel from the Tri-Services Cultural Resources Research Center, located at the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (USACERL), working in cooperation with Dr. Cameron and other members of the military history community. The goal of this effort was to develop a history and reference guide suitable for use in identifying and evaluating the historical significance of missile-related cultural resources. The authors have supplied the information necessary to locate, identify, and understand Army and Air Force guided missile facilities. This, coupled with evaluative guidelines currently being developed within DoD, will help cultural resources personnel make substantive evaluations.

Excerpt: The Development of the Defensive Missile Force - The primary responsibility for defending the United States against air attack rested with the Air Force. To accomplish this mission, the Air Force developed a defense-in-depth strategy that encompassed early warning radars, fighter aircraft, and long-range antiaircraft missiles positioned to detect and engage the enemy before they entered American airspace. If the enemy penetrated this outer layer, the last line of defense was the Army's antiaircraft missile batteries that defended key urban, industrial, and military targets. The long-range antiaircraft missile was the Air Force's BOMARC. Development began in 1946 but the first units were not deployed until 1959. BOMARC resembled a long, sleek fighter with sharply swept wings. The 45-foot missile was powered by ramjet engines and traveled at nearly four times the speed of sound. It had an effective range of 440 miles and could carry either a conventional or nuclear warhead. During the 1960s eight BOMARC missile squadrons were deployed along the eastern seaboard and in the midwest. The Army's contribution to the air defense network was the Nike antiaircraft missile system.