Safeguard

Safeguard. Pyramids on the Prairie. , Ballistic Missile Development , world war two spurred a huge leap in missile technology. During the last months of world war two, the Germans introduced the V2, which is considered the first ballistic missile. At the conclusion of world war two, German V1 and V2 rockets were recovered and brought to the United States to be studied. , The research was conducted at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico and at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. Much of this research was conducted with the assistance of German engineers and technicians who had consented to come to the United States and be part of this program. This process began the evolution of ballistic missile technology for the United States and set the stage for the formation of the Army Air Defense Command, commanded by Lt. Gen. Stanley R. Mickelsen, which began working on an anti-ballistic missile system in the years following world war two., Soviet Relations Sour , Toward the end of the war, divisions were established for dividing up the German Empire that were agreed upon at the Malta Conference between Stalin of Russia, Churchill of the United Kingdom, and President Roosevelt of the United States. The divisions slowly became a problem with communist policies established by Stalin of the Soviet Union. Distrust between the two nations was further fueled with the development of each country's arsenal of ballistic weapons, which created an enormous problem because of the inability to strategically defend against such a ballistic missile attack. At this time, the United States had extensive Air Defense Systems deployed throughout the United States; however, none with the capability to defend against the speed of ballistic missiles. , Fears of the Soviets obtaining a nuclear missile grew, but it was believed they would not achieve that capability until 1952. In August of 1949, the USSR surprised the world and detonated their first atomic bomb ahead of the expected timeline. Fears of Soviet technology increased when the Soviet Union successfully tested an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) and successfully orbited Sputnik in 1957. , ABM Evolution and Testing , With the announcement by the Soviet Union that a successful ICBM Test Flight had been achieved, the Defense Department awarded Western Electric Corporation a contract to develop an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system. Western Electric and its subcontractors, in conjunction with Bell Laboratories, systematically progressed through extensive research and improvements of air defense components and systems which were developed under the Nike-Zeus antimissile program. ABM development continued slowly and transitioned through the Nike X System to the Sentinel ABM System. It was eventually fielded as the Safeguard System. , The major components of this system were tested on the Island of Kwajalein in the middle of the Pacific Ocean against ICBMs launched from Vandenberg AFB, California. With these successful engagements, this new technology was proven., The accomplishment of achieving an ABM capability proved to be the culmination of years of pioneering research to design, test, and develop a system with the capability to defend against the speed of ballistic missiles. At this time in world history, both the United States and the Soviet Union had enormous arsenals of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Sea Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs). , Deployment Decision , On February 20, 1969, Deputy Secretary of Defense David R. Packard presented a report which offered the Nixon administration four ABM options. The first called for a thick ABM shield around 25 major American cities. A second alternative was the continuation of the Sentinel program that began in the Johnson administration. The third possibility was a Sentinel system deployed to defend ICBM fields. The final choice was to cancel plans to build an ABM system. President Nixon directed Packard to study all four of the options in greater detail. , The decision became involved in much controversy within presidential administration, congress, and the public as to the wisdom of fielding such an expensive system. On March 14, 1969, the Nixon Administration decided to field this ABM System in a phased manner with a limited deployment of 12 Sites. In doing so, he renamed the system Safeguard. 12 Safeguard sites were proposed around the nation. In August of 1969, authorization for two sites, Montana and North Dakota, was approved by one vote. Vice President Spiro Agnew cast the deciding vote, as it was a tie in the senate. , Text prepared by: Clinton A. Esckilsen, CW4, US Army, Retired, The Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex was named after Lieutenant General Stanley Raymond Mickelsen (1895-1966), who is recognized specifically for his support of the ballistic missile defense program. Lt. Gen. Mickelsen enjoyed a successful 40-year Army career which spanned World War I, World War II, and the Korean Conflict.