Abstract
In August 1949, the Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb, abruptly ending the American monopoly on nuclear weapons. While many in the Truman administration had believed that no other nation could construct the bomb, war planners were now faced with the possibility of an "atomic Pearl Harbor". In response, NSC-68 would be published, granting an unprecedented level of attention and investment to developing air defense measures. Throughout the following decade, new command structures coincided with rapid developments in radar, aircraft, and missile technology. Furthermore, the development of the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) integrated radar, interceptors, and Nike missile systems into a real-time defensive computer network, transforming continental air defense coordination and setting the foundation for the future of NORAD.
Recommended Citation
Battle, Jacob A.
(2026)
"Lines in the Sky: American Air Defense Strategy 1950-1958,"
Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History: Vol. 8:
Iss.
2, Article 2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ljh/vol8/iss2/2
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