The Role of the Navy in the Cuban Missile Crisis
In the fall of 1962, the world was pushed to the brink of a global nuclear war as the Soviet Union and United States underwent a massive power struggle.
As part of the arms race, Soviet Premier Nikita S.
Khrushchev decided the USSR needed to correct a strategic imbalance of nuclear weapon deployment locations.
He ordered that medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles be placed in Cuba and targeted at high value locations within the United States.
Before the secret deployment was completed, the United States intelligence services learned of the operation.
In what was to become known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy brought the full force of the US Government and Military to bear on this problem and by an overwhelming show of force, caused the Soviets to back down and remove both the missiles and all other offensive weapons from Cuba.
A crucial component of the success of JFKs pressure was the US Navy.
The Navy applied overwhelming sea and air might in a cordon around Cuba, essentially choking off all sea and air transportation to and from Cuba.
Naval destroyers, frigates and radar picket ships constantly patrolled the waters around Cuba while Naval aerial photographic and patrol aircraft performed constant fly-bys of Cuba to monitor the situation at the nuclear weapon sites.
Without a powerful and prepared Naval force, this strategy would not have been available to the US and its allied.
And the final result of the Cuban Missile Crisis could have been much different.
This strategy of "controlling the seas" proved so effective, it has been used to great effect many times since then in preventing the escalation of hostilities in many hot spots around the world.
The blockade proved more than Khrushchev's missile and bomber forces could handle and was feced with a tough decision: either place his country in great peril or find a way to unravel the situation.
Fortunately for Khrushchev, Kennedy had a peaceful agenda in spite of the overwhelming military force he brought to bear.
By showing Khrushchev the might of the US and allied military forces arrayed against his country but not pushing the issue of the combined might against his country, he was given a way to peacefully disengage from this, the most serious Cold War confrontation.
Had actual forced been employed, rather than just a show of massive force readiness, the situation could have turned out much differently to the detriment of the entire world.
In this, the world owes a great debt of gratitude to the cool decision making of John F Kennedy and his advisors and military staff.
Perhaps the greatest lesson to be learned from the Cuban Missile Crisis is that there are multiple ways to effect an outcome with the military - and the use of force is not always the best use of the armed forced.
As part of the arms race, Soviet Premier Nikita S.
Khrushchev decided the USSR needed to correct a strategic imbalance of nuclear weapon deployment locations.
He ordered that medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles be placed in Cuba and targeted at high value locations within the United States.
Before the secret deployment was completed, the United States intelligence services learned of the operation.
In what was to become known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy brought the full force of the US Government and Military to bear on this problem and by an overwhelming show of force, caused the Soviets to back down and remove both the missiles and all other offensive weapons from Cuba.
A crucial component of the success of JFKs pressure was the US Navy.
The Navy applied overwhelming sea and air might in a cordon around Cuba, essentially choking off all sea and air transportation to and from Cuba.
Naval destroyers, frigates and radar picket ships constantly patrolled the waters around Cuba while Naval aerial photographic and patrol aircraft performed constant fly-bys of Cuba to monitor the situation at the nuclear weapon sites.
Without a powerful and prepared Naval force, this strategy would not have been available to the US and its allied.
And the final result of the Cuban Missile Crisis could have been much different.
This strategy of "controlling the seas" proved so effective, it has been used to great effect many times since then in preventing the escalation of hostilities in many hot spots around the world.
The blockade proved more than Khrushchev's missile and bomber forces could handle and was feced with a tough decision: either place his country in great peril or find a way to unravel the situation.
Fortunately for Khrushchev, Kennedy had a peaceful agenda in spite of the overwhelming military force he brought to bear.
By showing Khrushchev the might of the US and allied military forces arrayed against his country but not pushing the issue of the combined might against his country, he was given a way to peacefully disengage from this, the most serious Cold War confrontation.
Had actual forced been employed, rather than just a show of massive force readiness, the situation could have turned out much differently to the detriment of the entire world.
In this, the world owes a great debt of gratitude to the cool decision making of John F Kennedy and his advisors and military staff.
Perhaps the greatest lesson to be learned from the Cuban Missile Crisis is that there are multiple ways to effect an outcome with the military - and the use of force is not always the best use of the armed forced.
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