Mell What type of missiles were in Cuba?
Despite the warning, on October 14 a U.S. U–2 aircraft took several pictures clearly showing sites for medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles (MRBMs and IRBMs) under construction in Cuba.
What nuclear weapons were used in the Cuban missile crisis?
The Soviets planned to deploy two types of missiles: the R-12, whose range of 1,292 miles could hit as far north as New York or as far west as Dallas, and the R-14, which had a larger range of 2,500 miles, making most of the United States a potential target. Only the R-12 would ever make it to Cuba.
What options did Kennedy have during the Cuban missile crisis?
Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara presents JFK with three options: diplomacy with Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, a naval quarantine of Cuba, and an air attack to destroy the missile sites, which might kill thousands of Soviet personnel and trigger a Soviet counterattack on a target …
How did the United States handle the Cuban Missile Crisis?
After many long and difficult meetings, Kennedy decided to place a naval blockade, or a ring of ships, around Cuba. The aim of this “quarantine,” as he called it, was to prevent the Soviets from bringing in more military supplies. He demanded the removal of the missiles already there and the destruction of the sites.
How was Cuban Missile Crisis resolved?
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev orders withdrawal of missiles from Cuba, ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy announced a naval blockade to prevent the arrival of more missiles and demanded that the Soviets dismantle and remove the weapons already in Cuba. …
Who was president when the Cuban Missile Crisis happened?
In October 1962, an American U-2 spy plane secretly photographed nuclear missile sites being built by the Soviet Union on the island of Cuba. President Kennedy did not want the Soviet Union and Cuba to know that he had discovered the missiles.
Why did the Soviet Union put nuclear missiles in Cuba?
Soviet General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev’s decision to put nuclear missiles in Cuba was precipitated by two major developments. The first was the rise of the Cuban communist movement, which in 1959 overthrew President Fulgencio Batista and brought Fidel Castro to power.
What was the range of the Cuban missiles?
Why was the B-59 lost in the Cuban Missile Crisis?
The diesel-powered B-59 had lost contact with Moscow for several days, and thus was not informed of the escalating crisis. With its air conditioning broken and battery failing, temperatures inside the submarine were above 100ºF.