The Cold War: Weaponry--Conventional Weapons

Figure 1.--Artillery has been referred to as the Queen of the Battlefield. Artillery was ghe mail killer in World War I. It was also important in World War II, although somewhat less so with advances in tanks ans airpower.. This continued to be case in the first phase of the Cold War. Missles at first appeared as strategic delivery system for nuclear weaoinds (1960s). Soon the began to change the land battlefied. The great advantage of missles is that that they could be aimed precisely. A foot soldier could tke out a plane or tank. This greatly increased the combat power of an infantryman. Here we see American heavy artillery, the M110 Self-Propelled Artillery (SPA) 203mm gun. Children at a military museum in Hue, Vietnam are playing on it. It was left with ARVN forces when the United States pulled out (1973). ARVN was overrun by the North Vietnmese Army after the U.S. Congress cut off funds.

Many advances made during World War II were perfected during the Cold War. The Soviet Union produced excellent land army weapons. Russia has a long tradition as a land power and produced many fine weapns during World War II. Artillery and the innovative Katyusha rocket launchers came to dominate the Eastern Fronnt battlefield. Sovier Cold War land weapons were generally comparable to American weapon and in some cases superior. The threat of Soviet tank armies sweeping over Western Europe was a real danger throuhout the Cold War. Soviet weapons tended to be robust, proving especially durable in battlefield conditions where high-tech weaponry is often difficult to maintain. The Kalashnikov assault weapon became an ikon of the Cold war, even appearing on Third World flags. The Soviet Union produced one of the best World War II tanks--the T-34. By the Cold War, American tank technology had caught up. American and Soviet tankers never fought each other, but American and Soviet tanks were used in several, mostly Middle Eastern battlefields. Soviet tanks came off poorly, but here training and tactics were factors as well as airpower. The Soviet Navy stated far behind the U.S, Navy both in size and quality. Unlike the Army, Russia did not have the traditiin of a great naval power. America's dominant navy and carrier battle groups played a key role throughout the Cold War. The Soviets made, however, considerable progress as the Cold War continued and by the 1980s was a substntial threat to the U.S. Navy, especially their submarine force. In particular the Soviet's made considerable progress in reducing noise made by their submarines, a critical factor for the 'silent service'. Here both Soviet technology and espionage played important roles. It was air power where the Soviets lagged consistently behind the United States. Here it was not so much the air frames or even the engines that proved inadequate, although some Soviet aircraft might be called 'flying tanks' in the Stemoval tradition. The critical difference was electronics, although training was another important factor. Soviet pilots rarely flew against American pilots, but combat in Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East pitted American and Soviet aircraft in aerial combat.

Army Weapons

For much of the Cold War armies were equipped with World War II era weaponry. Infantry got automatic weaons as standard issue which grearly increased the combat power of the infantryman. The most land warfare develoment besides automatic weaoons ws the devlopment of missles for lnd forces. Missles a first were a strategic delivery system to project atomic weapons. Missles halfway through the Cold War began to take on roles previously filled by artillery. Mussles reached the infantryman and armored services. Infantrymen had little protection from aircraft in World War II. Missles began reaching the foot soldier (1970s). The American Stinger missle essentilly forced the Soviets out of Afgahnistan. Missles also increased the punch of tanks. Soviet missles almost allowed the Egyptians to defeat the Israeles in the Yom Kipur War. The Soviet Union produced excellent land army weapons. Russia has a long tradition as a land power and produced many fine weapns during World War II. Artillery and the innovative Katyusha rocket launchers came to dominate the Eastern Fronnt battlefield. Sovier Cold War land weapons were generally comparable to American weapon and in some cases superior. The threat of Soviet tank armies sweeping over Western Europe was a real danger throuhout the Cold War. Soviet weapons tended to be robust, proving especially durable in battlefield conditions where high-tech weaponry is often difficult to maintain. The Kalashnikov assault weapon became an ikon of the Cold war, even appearing on Third World flags. The Soviet Union produced one of the best World War II tanks--the T-34. By the Cold War, American tank technology had caught up. American and Soviet tankers never fought each other, but American and Soviet tanks were used in several, mostly Middle Eastern battlefields. Soviet tanks came off poorly, but here training and tactics were factors as well as airpower.

Navy Ships and Weapons

The Soviet Navy stated far behind the U.S, Navy both in size and quality. Unlike the Army, Russia did not have the traditiin of a great naval power. America's dominant navy and carrier battle groups played a key role throughout the Cold War. The Soviets made, however, considerable progress as the Cold War continued and by the 1980s was a substntial threat to the U.S. Navy, especially their submarine force. In particular the Soviet's made considerable progress in reducing noise made by their submarines, a critical factor for the 'silent service'. Here both Soviet technology and espionage played important roles.

Aircraft and Weapons

It was air power where the Soviets lagged consistently behind the United States. And air power proved especially important in the Cold War, beginning with the Berlin Air Lift. Stalin did not take air lift capability seriously after the German disaster at Stalingarad where the Luftwaffe despite leveling the city proved an abject failure at supplying the encircled German 6th Army. The capability of the United States proved very different than that of the Germans and not only supplied the military garrison in West Berlin, but the entire city as well. In fact, the city was better supplied than during the Soviet blockade. Cold War aircradt would be dominated by jet poweer, introduced by the Geranmns at the end of World War II. It is not soirprising that tyhe first vCold War air combat would be conducted by the Soviets and Americans in Korea using aircraft that looked suorisingly similar (the Amnerican F86 Sabre and the Soviet Nig-15) and not surtprisinglike like German World War II jets. As the Cold War unfolded, Sovier aircraft would fail time and time again to deliver victory to Soviet allies and client sdtatess--beginning in Korea (1950-53). Here it was not so much the air frames or even the engines that proved inadequate, although some Soviet aircraft might be called 'flying tanks' in the Sturmovik tradition. The critical difference in Cold War air combat was both electronics and training. And of course before electronics bedcame increasinglyn important, training was vital. Notably Soviet and Sioviet clinents never got the training of American and Israeli piloyt. Soviet pilots rarely 'officially' flew against American pilots, but combat in Korea, Vietnam, and the Middle East pitted American and Soviet aircraft in aerial combat. The Isreali Defense Force (IDF) after the Independence War (1948-49) at first used French planes, but eventually got top-of-the- line American aircraf. The devestated Soviet armed Egyptian/Syrian/Jordanian/Iraqi air forces in enconter after encounter. The IDF rang up lopsided victories even against the most advanced Soviet aircraft. The same occurred in both Korea and Vietnam in aerial combat between fighters. The aerial victories of Col. Robin Olds is a notable example. The leading all jet ace was an Israeli IDF pilot flying American aircraft, Giora Epstein. His victiries came with French Mirages and Isreali Miarage clone, although he finished his career flying American F-16s. In the later period of the Cold War, missles became increasingly imprtant. They became the primary delivert system for nuclear apons. In conventional terms anti-aircraft mijssles necame imprtant. They reduced the vimpact of Amerian aircraftb in Vietnam and Soviet aircraft in Afgahanistan.

Created: 11:39 PM 3/26/2014
Last updated: 8:53 PM 1/27/2022