The arms race: Delivery systems and the origins of the Cuban Missile Crisis
- Created by: Emma-Louise
- Created on: 07-06-15 23:26
Fullscreen
Delivery systems and the origins of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Delivery systems
- During the 1950s and 1960s the superpowers developed 4 delivery systems:
- strategic bombers
- ICBMs fired from underground bases
- short-range nuclear missiles stationed outside territory of the superpowers
- ballistic missiles fired from submarines
Soviet developments
- 1956 Soviets deployed the TU20 Bear - a long range bomber that could reach US territory from Soviet air bases. However they were slow and could be intercepted by US fighter planes.
- First successful Soviet ICBM test was May 1957.
- Later that year Sputnik showed the world that Soviet missiles were powerful enough to reach space.
- However ICBMs were expensive and Khrushchev tried to find a cheaper alternative.
US developments
- US ICBM technology lagged behind the USSR in the late 1950s so they focused on deploying …
Comments
No comments have yet been made