Cold War Military Sector Trends: Air Balance

Figure 1.--This American press photo from Sedalia, Missouri was captioned, "Missile Happy". The text read, "Bob Williams of Kirksville, Mo. has visions of being the first msn into outer space as he climbs on this AirForce X-17 nissile on display at the Missouri State Fair being held at Sedalia, Bob is watched by Fred Bail, also of Kirlsville. The photograph was taken August 20, 1958. The initial American work with the German V-2s were conducted by the Army. The U.S. Air Force's long-range ballistic missile development began later (1953). Seciebtits at the time realized that data woukld be needed on the aerothermodynamics of the atmospheric reentry of a missile nose cone at very high speeds. The Air Force contracted Lockeed to build a research vehicle. The result was the X-17 missile (January 1955). The X-17 was a multi-stage vehicle using already developed rocket engines and a relatively simple control system.

What stopped the Soviet advance in Europe was the U.S. Airforce and the American nuclear capability, at first bombers and eventually than missles. The Soviet Union like Russia before it was a formidable landpower. And totalitarian powers, what ever their limitations, were capable of generating awesome military power. The Red Army had a land capability that the West never even tried to match. The Americans decided early on that a nuclear deterent was much less expensice and socially acceptable than building a huge land army. The Soviets of course set about building a huge nuclear arsenal. One of the most dangerous point of the Cold War is when the Sovie leadership convinced themselves that the Americans were planning a first nuclear strike. The cruitical change in the Cold War canme when President Reagan and West German Chancellor Kohl convinced the Soviets in the the IRBM confrontation that the Soviets were not capsble of outspending the West. Air weapons in the Cold War included not only fixed-wing planes, but thanks to the German World War II weapons development, a entirely new category of weapons--the balistic missle. Even before the end of World War II, teams from America, Britain, and the United states were scouring areas of the occupied Reich searching for high-technology German weapons, research data, and scientists. The Germans were much more advanced in many areas (chemical weapons and jet aircraft). In other areas the Germans were woking in other areas that the ASllies had not even begun (nalistic missles and rocket planes). As a result, the military reserarch programs of all three countries. France had more limited resources. A complication for the Americans were the NAZI connections of some of the scientists. The NKVD shot some of the German scientists that demanded to go home after a few years. The United States Air Force would be the preminent world air power throughout the Cold War. The Soviet aviation industry produced some excellent air frames and jet engines. The first major encounter of the Mig15 and the Sabre Jet in Korea involved very closely matched planes that even looked alike, primarily because of the German influences. But Soviet aircraft in air combat were unable to compete with American counterparts in Korea, Vietnam, or the proxy wars fought in the Middle East. And this was the case even when flown by Soviet pilots. The difference appears to have been electronics, tactics, and training. The German V-2 was the most advanced World War II research prohram other than the atomic bombs. Neiter the Americans or Soviets were working on balistic missles. Both the Americans and Soviets got hold of V-2s. The Americans got hold of Von Braun. The SDoviets got some other German missle scientists. This was the beginning of both the space race and the balistic missle program of both countries--the weeapn that would prove the backbone of each country's defense system. An off-shoot of the Missle Race was the Space Race. The ultimate weapon was the Inter-Contimental Balistic Missle (ICBM) which was made even more fearsome with Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. A turning point in the ams race was when America and Germany stood up to the Soviets on the deployment of Intermediate-range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs) despite massive protests from the Western Peace Movement. (Notably there was no comparable protests behind the Iron Curtain.) The American Star Wars (Anti-Balistic Missle System project would play a role in ending not only the Cold War, but the Soviet Union itself.

Deterence

What stopped the Soviet advance in Europe was the U.S. Airforce and the American nuclear capability, at first bombers and eventually than missles. The Soviet Union like Russia before it was a formidable landpower. And totalitarian powers, what ever their limitations, were capable of generating awesome military power. The Red Army had a land capability that the West never even tried to match. The Americans decided early on that a nuclear deterent was much less expensice and socially acceptable than building a huge land army. The Soviets of course set about building a huge nuclear arsenal. One of the most dangerous point of the Cold War is when the Sovie leadership convinced themselves that the Americans were planning a first nuclear strike. The cruitical change in the Cold War canme when President Reagan and West German Chancellor Kohl convinced the Soviets in the the IRBM confrontation that the Soviets were not capsble of outspending the West.

Acquiring German Weapons Technology

The United States and Britain were working on jet aircraft during World War II. Both were behind the Germans who deployed the first jet aircraft during the War and were about to deploy another generation of even more advanced jets when the Allies overran the Reich. Had the Whermacht bought more time, these new jets might well have allowed the Luftwaffe to regain air superiority over the Reich. Even before the end of World War II, teams from America, Britain, and the United states were scouring areas of the occupied Reich searching for high-technology German weapons, research data, and scientists. The Germans were much more advanced in many areas (chemical weapons and jet aircraft). The Germans were woking in other areas that the Allies had not even begun (ballistic missiles and rocket planes). As a result, the military reserarch programs of all three countries. France had more limited resources. A complication for the Americans were the NAZI connections of some of the scientists. The NKVD shot some of the German scientists that demanded to go home after a few years.

Air Craft

German technology enabled both America and Britin as well as the Soviets to begin developing high performance jet aircraft. German jet technology was mich more advanced than British and American jets. Soviet jet research seems non-existent. German tecnology and scienyists as well British jet enfine technology resulted in the Mig-15. When American and Soviet jets met in Korea they were very similar. The Mig-15 and American F-86 Sabre both looked similar and was comparable chracteristics. Even so, American pilots reportedly achieved a 10 to 1 kill ratio becaue of superior training. Some authors question this high kill ratio.) The United States Air Force would be the preminent world air power throughout the Cold War. The Soviets devoted enormous resources to aviation. And the Soviet aviation industry produced both some excellent air frames and jet engines. It was the fighters that were at the leading edge of aviation tchnology. The Soviets assumed after Wortld War II that the superiority of Communism would begin to be reflected in technological superiority. Soviet aircraft in air combat were unable to compete with American counterparts in Korea or the proxy wars fought in the Middle East. And this was the case even when flown by Soviet pilots. The difference appears to have been electronics, tactics, and training. Vietnam was different. The F-4 Phantom was designed as an interceptor to stop Soviet bombers with misles (1960s). They were not designed for dogfights. The F-4 did not even have guns because the Air Force believed that missiles were adequate. Early missles, however, had serious flaws. The Soviet deployment of the Mig-25 Foxbat threatened to over turn Western air superority. The F-15 Eagle proved to be a decisive turning pont in the Cold war. It was the Isreali Air Force that first demonstrated the technological superority of the West in enggements with the Syrians (1980). It would be 10 years before American pilots would go into combat with the F-15. This occurred over Iraq during the Gulf War against Soviet aircraft (1990). This time the American F-15s faced the Soviet supplied Mig-29 Fulcrums. This occuurred just as the Cold War ended. The Berlin Wall came down (1989) and the Soviet Union was disolved (1991).

Ballistic Missiles

The German V-2 was the most advanced World War II research prohram other than the atomic bombs. Neiter the Americans or Soviets were working on ballistic missiles. Both the Americans and Soviets got hold of V-2s. The Americans got hold of Von Braun. The Soviets got some other German missile scientists. This was the beginning of both the space race and the ballistic missile program of both countries--the weeapn that would prove the backbone of each country's defense system. An off-shoot of the Missile Race was the Space Race. The ultimate weapon was the Inter-Contimental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). Soputnik gave rise to fears of a Missile-Gap. The defining momment of the Cold War took place over Cuba where the Soviets attempted to install short range missiles before ICBMs were opoerational. ICBMs were made even more fearsome with Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. A turning point in the arms race and Cold War was when America and West Germany stood up to the Soviets on the deployment of Intermediate-range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs) despite massive protests from the Western Peace Movement. (Notably there was no comparable protests behind the Iron Curtain.) Only when the Germans agreed to acceot the American IRBMs did the Soviets begin to negotiate in good faith. The American Star Wars (Anti-Ballistic Missile System project would play a role in ending not only the Cold War, but the Soviet Union itself.

Country Trends

Created: 2:52 AM 1/30/2010
Last updated: 3:46 AM 8/3/2012