On Air Defense

(Paperback)

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Description

This text is a study of all aspects of air defence from its beginnings during the French Revolution when artillery gunners tried to hit primitive balloons with their cannons to the use of Patriot missiles in the Gulf War to shoot down tactical ballistic missiles. Crabtree's history focuses on the development of tactics and technology from the Franco-Prussian War to the present. The strategic air defence of World War I and World War II are featured, as are the development of surface-to-air missiles by Germany in World War II and by the United States and the USSR in Vietnam and the Middle East.

Author Bio

JAMES D. CRABTREE's experience in air defense began in 1982 when he enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery. He was trained in Hawk II, Patriot and Stinger Missile systems and was then sent back to the United States from West Germany with an active duty ROTC scholarship. Returned to active duty as a 2nd Lieutenant, Crabtree served as a Hawk III Tactical Control Officer during Desert Storm and led a survey team into southern Iraq. Before leaving the service, he was assigned to a General Staff position.