By December 31, 1949, the Strategic Air Command (SAC) possessed a total of 837 aircraft, out of which 521 were capable of carrying atomic bombs. The photo depicts a formation of Republic F-84E Thunderjet aircraft from the 474th Fighter-Bomber Wing during a combat mission in Korea. The Korean War, which took place from 1950 to 1953 and involved significant participation from the Soviet Union and China, hindered the deployment of additional U.S. troops in Europe, while the prospects for post-war rearmament remained uncertain.
A substantial portion of the increased military expenditure during this period, as evidenced by the growth of the U.S. defense budget from $14.2 billion in fiscal year 1951 to nearly $66 billion in fiscal year 1952, was allocated to support the Asian conflict. Despite this focus, Europe continued to be the primary area of concern, yet the conventional defense of Western Europe faced critical shortages in both manpower and equipment. At the beginning of the new decade, the Pentagon estimated that Soviet forces comprised 266 divisions, including 175 line divisions, thirty-five artillery divisions, and fifty-six satellite divisions. Their air power included 20,100 aircraft, including 1,725 long-range bombers capable of reaching targets in North America. The Soviet Navy boasted 400 submarines and 3,225 aircraft. The Soviet military possessed the logistical capability to simultaneously launch attacks on Western Europe, Scandinavia, Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, and the Near East.
Meanwhile, within the NATO alliance, only ten divisions were deployed in West Germany, while defending the Rhine Line required eighteen divisions. Shortages were evident in the alliance’s inventory, including a deficit of 8,000 tanks, 9,200 half-tracks, and approximately 3,200 artillery pieces. Consequently, the NATO alliance had to rely on American nuclear weapons in a global conflict. The solution to this predicament was strengthening the coalition and rearming Germany and Japan. The Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP) was established to support NATO and non-aligned countries in containing the Soviet Union. Subsequently, there was a substantial buildup of American forces in Germany, the United Kingdom, and France.
Photo: U.S. Air Force.
Abstract from ON THE EDGE – Part One
Great article.