A Concise History of the US Air Force - Air Force Historical Studies ...
A Concise History of the US Air Force - Air Force Historical Studies ...
A Concise History of the US Air Force - Air Force Historical Studies ...
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The Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt, top, <strong>the</strong> McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, center,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, bottom. These attack and fighter<br />
aircraft armed with missiles, cannon, and various electronic countermeasure (ECM)<br />
features have been in service since <strong>the</strong> 1970s and performed outstandingly in <strong>the</strong><br />
Gulf War.<br />
tion with one <strong>of</strong> assured survival, in <strong>the</strong> form <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Strategic Defense<br />
Initiative (SDI). SDI was to focus on <strong>the</strong> development and deployment <strong>of</strong><br />
a combination <strong>of</strong> defensive systems such as space-based lasers, particle<br />
beams, railguns, and fast ground-launched missiles, among o<strong>the</strong>r wea-<br />
pons, to intercept Soviet ICBMs during <strong>the</strong>ir ascent through <strong>the</strong> Earth’s<br />
outer atmosphere and <strong>the</strong>ir ballistic path in space. While <strong>the</strong> ABM Treaty<br />
restricted various methods <strong>of</strong> testing SDI weapon systems, <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Cold War and collapse <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Soviet Union removed <strong>the</strong> justification for<br />
<strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> research and development associated with this project,<br />
although research continued at a much reduced level under <strong>the</strong> Ballistic<br />
Missile Defense Organization.<br />
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