Air Operations in the Taiwan Crisis of 1958 is one of a series of studies on air operations in international incidents, prepared by the USAF Historical Division Liaison Office at the request of the Directorate of Plans, Headquarters USAF. This historical narrative, by Jacob Van Staaveren, is based on primary source materials available in 1960--messages and correspondence--and on histories from many levels of the Air Force, including units, commands, and the Air Staff. Originally prepared in a very few copies, the study has been in great demand by the Air Staff, major commands, and Department...

This study is concerned primarily with the concluding phase of the program to develop a nuclear-propelled aircraft for manned flight. Covering the period from January 1959 to March 1961, it seeks to make clear the factors that brought about the termination of the program. The emphasis is on the policy-management level, and technological factors are dealt with only to the extent that they became involved at that level. A summary review is given of the earlier phase from 1946 through 1958. For this phase the study draws heavily, though by no means exclusively, from a historical study prepared...

This study analyzes one of the most difficult problems that continues to face the U.S. Government: how to balance the costs of national security against the overall needs of the nation and how to divide up the defense costs among the military services so as to secure the most effective forces and weapons. Strategy and Money traces some of the causes of interservice controversy to the complicated factors of budget-making and shows the effects of the budget on military policy. Using the defense budget for fiscal year 1961 as an example, the author describes the budget process during 1959-60,...

Probably no phase of recent Air Force history has been more significant than the development of strong general purpose forces to deter or win limited conflicts, including the "wars of national liberation" advocated by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in January 1961. Strengthening USAF General Purpose Forces, 1961-1964, an account of this buildup, also includes a brief summary of the change in national military policy which gave rise to it. The author discusses the viewpoints of the top planners in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force and in Headquarters USAF. At the same time, he...

Concurrently with the buildup of its general purpose forces to deter or win limited conflicts instigated by Communist nations, the Air Force strengthened its airlift forces appreciably. This was a logically necessary step, since Army as well as USAF combat units would depend on efficient airlift to deploy quickly to widely scattered locations where aggression against U.S. allies appeared likely to occur. Strengthening USAF Airlift Forces, 1961-1964 is an account of the airlift buildup and should be read in conjunction with the author's previous study, Strengthening USAF General Purpose...

Short histories of the U.S. Air Force combat units involved in World War II.