History Of Strategic And Ballistic Missle Defense, Volume Ii 1956-1972

history of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense Volume II: 1956–1972 Center of Military History PIN : 084335–000 United States Army history of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense Volume II 1956–1972 Executive Summary A. Introduction This is the second of two draft volumes on the history of strategic air and ballistic missile defense from 1945 to 1972. It covers the 1955–1972 portion of the larger period, and is organized into five interrelated and progressively more detailed chapters. Chapter I provides a comparison of U.S. and Soviet strategies, Chapters II and III deal with U.S. strategy and Soviet strategy, while Chapters IV and V cover U.S. systems and Soviet systems. This Executive Summary is drawn directly from, and highlights critical judgments of, these five chapters. As such, it outlines the substance of the much larger body of primary evidence contained in the separate books in this draft volume which was gathered to address the reasons underlying policy formulation and decision making for strategic defense and the relationship between the superpowers within that highly complex security policy arena. Results of research concerning factors influencing attitudes of policy/decision makers at critical times appear in Chapters II and III. This Executive Summary has three major groupings: one, to reflect the contextual setting of decision-making, circa 1955; the second, to highlight strategic air defense policy comparisons and contrasts, 1955–1972; and a third, to present judgments and conclusions about the results of the play of factors and perceptions which molded air defense decisions during these years. These three sections derive from and are firmly tied to an evidential base; however, time and documentation constraints have limited the effort to develop that base. Conse­quently, important elements of the story may appear to be slighted. The essential and significant, however, are here. Central questions faced the U.S. and Soviet defense planners. Fundamentally they asked: “How to defend the country?” and “How may we be attacked?” B. The Setting 1. Influential Factors During this period, U.S. and Soviet perceptions of strategic air and missile defense requirements were strongly influenced by (1) science and technology, (2) uncertainties in the future environment as to the continuity of the other’s policies and nuclear strategies, and (3) the growing wish to move toward some limitations on arms. 2. Context in 1955 a. U.S. Strategy and Policy U.S. national policy called for a strong and effective secur­ity posture with emphasis on strategic retaliatory forces and an integrated continental defense system. U.S. continental defense policy called for 1 History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense, 1956–1972: Volume II intensification and acceleration of programs in order to be prepared against a Soviet threat anticipated to be grievous by 1957. Disarmament arrangements, if practicable, would be sought. b. Soviet Strategy and Policy Soviet strategy in the Spring of 1955 built on a fundamentally changed doctrine of preemption designed to frustrate an enemy attack. This provided the basis for having strategic forces not only for offensive employment but also to disrupt a Western surprise attack. In addition, the Soviets had an active defense system to help secure a growing strategic deterrent force and to defend the homeland. A missile development program was being pushed. 3. General Overview a. Factors Influencing Deterrence Concern over a perceived vulnerability to a surprise nuclear attack led both nations to develop powerful deterrent forces and supporting postures. Technology was the predominant factor influencing the character of the strategic choice made during this extended period for national defe