Deter, Detect, Defend, 1962

Defending North America, August 1962 Even before the 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis, a big fear of North Americans was the threat of manned bombers attacking from the Soviet Union. Concern over a "Bomber Gap" and "Missile Gap" and worry over the vulnerability of American cities to nuclear attack were very real. School kids and adult workers alike practiced "Duck and Cover" drills as the immediate action should an atomic attack occur. Government, business and private fallout shelters were everywhere, many stocked with food and water in anticipation of an attack. And civil defence authorities drummed it into the population that an attack could happen at any time and with very little notice. In 1958 the United States and Canada created the North American Air Defence Command (NORAD) and although the Canadian military contribution was minor compared to that of the USAF, by virtue of geography Canada was essential to America's air defence and was an equal partner in the NORAD command structure. Both the RCAF and USAF Air Defense Commands were subordinated to NORAD HQ. NORAD's motto and Mission Statement was Deter, Detect and Defend. It was to remain a model of a successful bilateral defence treaty for decades. In this scenario, you are Commander of NORAD Region 25 headquartered at McChord AFB near Tacoma WA. A full scale nuclear attack is anticipated and DEFCON 1 has been ordered. You will get radar information from stations including those on the Pinetree Line as well as radar picket ships and aircraft over the Pacific ocean. The crisis has escalated into nuclear war very fast so your interceptor squadrons are largely at peacetime alert status. This was generally two aircraft at Ready +5, two or four at Ready +60 and the remainder unarmed and unready unless conducting training flights. Release of nuclear weapons has been authorized and confirmed by the National Command Authority. We do not know or care what sequence of political or military events spawned this full-scale nucl