Guarding the Cold War Ramparts: The U.S. Navy's Role in Continental Air Defense

Authors

Joseph F. Bouchard

Abstract

Homeland defense was pushed to the top of the national security agenda when in August 1998 North Korea's flight test of its Taep'o­ dong ballistic missile sparked a renewed debate over national missile defense. The Navy has become embroiled in that debate because its theater ballistic mis­ sile defense programs could provide a foundation for developing a sea-based national missile defense. It is seldom remembered that the Navy in the recent past took on a significant homeland defense mission-continental air defense. The Navy excelled at the continental air defense mission but found it difficult to reconcile with its other missions of sea control, power projection, and forward presence . That experience is worth examining as we contemplate our role in national defense today.

Recommended Citation

Bouchard, Joseph F. (1999) "Guarding the Cold War Ramparts: The U.S. Navy's Role in Continental Air Defense," Naval War College Review: Vol. 52: No. 3, Article 6.
Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol52/iss3/6