Assessment of Quanbeck-Wood Report 1/; 1/ Modernizing the Strategic Bomber Force Why and How by Alton H. Quanbeck and Archie L. Wood (The Brookings Institution)
Washington DC: United States Air Force, Headquarters, Air Force Studies and Analysis, 1976. Presumed First Edition, First printing thus. Stapled at upper left corner. [1], ii, 32, [1] pages. Printed single sided. Tables. RARE! OCLC World Cat reports: 1 edition published in 1976 in English and held by 4 WorldCat member libraries worldwide. This paper assesses the Quanbeck-Wood report, which proposes to replace the concept of manned aircraft penetrating hostile airspace with air launched cruise missiles launched from aircraft flying outside of the defended airspace. The discussion contained herein deals with the relative effectiveness of either force concept in the context of the strategic nuclear mission. Air launched cruise missiles are small, pilotless, fan jet powered aircraft using advanced propulsion and guidance techniques and modern structural design and materials. In this paper, such cruise missiles are used exclusively with nuclear warheads to attack fixed, preplanned targets on the ground. Nothing in this commentary should be construed to denigrate the value of cruise missile technology as it might apply to other missions, to include a wide variety of nuclear and non-nuclear roles. Such subjects were not addressed in the Quanbeck-Wood report. The Air Force believes that there are promising applications for air launched cruise missiles in many areas. This assessment summarizes the study conclusions and recommendations, and provides a comparison with the Joint Strategic Bomber Study. The assessment concludes with a review of the Quanbeck-Wood study threat projections and examples of inconsistencies contained in the report. The Quanbeck-Wood study was an analysis of the complex and controversial B-1 bomber issue. The authors examined five alternative bomber forces in terms of relative costs and of expected performances against various hypothetical threats. Concluding that the proper future role of such a force is to act as insurance against the failure of land-based missile forces, they argue that this can be adequately achieved with the present B-52s, and ultimately by a missile-carrying "stand-off" bomber, a less expensive weapon system than the B-1. Condition: Good.
Keywords: Strategic Forces, Quanbeck-Wood, Joint Strategic Bomber Study, Prelauch Survival, Penetration Survival, Estimated Soviet Capability, Comparison of Forces
[Book #80216]
Price: $400.00