Bomber : The Formation and Early Years of Strategic Air Command

"The drastic demobilization following World War II and the onset of the Cold War placed heavy pressure on the US Air Force to project power abroad, establish credible deterrence in a dawning nuclear age, and be prepared to launch retaliatory strikes should that deterrence fail. That challenge was met ably—- but not without growing pains—by Strategic Air Command under Lt Gen Curtis LeMay. Bomber attempts to describe SAC in the context of what was then a new global dynamic, later dubbed the Cold War, showing how it faced the continually evolving challenges of its time. Lessons learned in the development of SAC and the culture that surrounded it can inform twenty-first-century strategies and force planning, once again in an era of budget reductions and evolving global dynamics." --Back cover The intellectual and organizational imperatives for bombing The influence of Billy Mitchell The Air Corps tactical school-the early years The Air Corps Tactical School-the golden age Bombing accuracy and targeting Summary The realities of war and strategic bombing Organization for combat Planning the air campaign-AWPD-1 Problems and the development of operations research Air intelligence and targeting Analyzing the effects - the US Strategic Bombing Survey Summary Formation The bomb and its relevance Planning the atomic Air Force Reorganization and Strategic Air Command Initial problems The deployment challenge The Bikini atomic tests Summary Independence mixed with challenges Roles and missions Planning for atomic war The Berlin crisis and the rebirth of SAC Summary Expansion and adversity Reforging the weapon The revolt of the admirals Evaluating the atomic air offensive Budget battles Intelligence and Joe 1 Summary Nuclear weapons, custody, and the Korean war The outbreak of war Custody of atomic weapons Stalemate in Korea Summary The technological imperative Building the bombers The challenge of range The penetration problem The importance of electronic warfare and countermeasures Summary Expansion, intelligence, and targeting in the nuclear age Thoughts on total war The "new look" and tactical nuclear weapons Intelligence and targeting Summary Retrospect and epilogue.