First Strike (1979 film)
Encyclopedia
First Strike was a 1979 documentary created by PBS which discusses the United States armed forces
strategy for dealing with nuclear warfare
. The film became far better known when various clips were edited into the 1983 TV film The Day After
.
nuclear weapon
s against the United States. The premise of the attack is based on Russian nuclear submarine
s approaching the United States west coast undetected and launching a barrage of missiles at ICBM silos and B-52 bomber bases, while other Soviet forces manage to destroy a number of U.S. ballistic missile submarine
s at sea. In the film, by the time Strategic Air Command
realizes what is happening, over 80% of U.S. strategic forces have been destroyed and the President of the United States
is forced to surrender to the Soviet Union. American casualties are stated to be eight million dead - this "low" number is due to the Russian attack hitting military bases instead of cities.
The second portion of the film is a series of interviews where analysts discuss American security and the ability of the Russian military to attack with little to no warning.
would not have been able to deploy its submarine fleet and approach the United States coast undetected: Soviet submarine technology of the 1970s could not have breached U.S. sonar
detection, and any attack on America would have unleashed a swift response by the entire armed forces of NATO in Europe
.
to depict an American nuclear attack. The scenes used in The Day After were:
command planes out of Offutt Air Force Base
and also shot footage inside NORAD.
The nuclear missile launch sequence seen in the film (and later in The Day After) was performed by actual Air Force officers stationed with the 742d Missile Squadron
at Minot Air Force Base
. The alert launch of B-52 bombers was performed by the 22nd Bombardment Wing
at March Air Force Base, California
. An additional scene provided by the United States Navy
depicts the USS Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657)
getting underway for a patrol.
None of the Air Force personnel were credited in the film, however the ICBM launch crew have visible name tags as "Lieutenant Krause" and "Captain Stanton".
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
strategy for dealing with nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
. The film became far better known when various clips were edited into the 1983 TV film The Day After
The Day After
The Day After is a 1983 American television movie which aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network. It was seen by more than 100 million people during its initial broadcast....
.
Plot summary
The documentary is divided into two main segments. The first section of the film is a dramatization of a sneak attack by Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s against the United States. The premise of the attack is based on Russian nuclear submarine
Nuclear submarine
A nuclear submarine is a submarine powered by a nuclear reactor . The performance advantages of nuclear submarines over "conventional" submarines are considerable: nuclear propulsion, being completely independent of air, frees the submarine from the need to surface frequently, as is necessary for...
s approaching the United States west coast undetected and launching a barrage of missiles at ICBM silos and B-52 bomber bases, while other Soviet forces manage to destroy a number of U.S. ballistic missile submarine
Ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine equipped to launch ballistic missiles .-Description:Ballistic missile submarines are larger than any other type of submarine, in order to accommodate SLBMs such as the Russian R-29 or the American Trident...
s at sea. In the film, by the time Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
realizes what is happening, over 80% of U.S. strategic forces have been destroyed and the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
is forced to surrender to the Soviet Union. American casualties are stated to be eight million dead - this "low" number is due to the Russian attack hitting military bases instead of cities.
The second portion of the film is a series of interviews where analysts discuss American security and the ability of the Russian military to attack with little to no warning.
Feasibility
Since its original release, the scenario in the film has come to be seen as extremely unrealistic by military theorists. The main flaw in the documentary has been stated that the Soviet NavySoviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
would not have been able to deploy its submarine fleet and approach the United States coast undetected: Soviet submarine technology of the 1970s could not have breached U.S. sonar
Sonar
Sonar is a technique that uses sound propagation to navigate, communicate with or detect other vessels...
detection, and any attack on America would have unleashed a swift response by the entire armed forces of NATO in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Depiction in "The Day After"
Four years after its release, significant scenes in the documentary were incorporated into the film The Day AfterThe Day After
The Day After is a 1983 American television movie which aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network. It was seen by more than 100 million people during its initial broadcast....
to depict an American nuclear attack. The scenes used in The Day After were:
- The SAC Airborne Command Center generalGeneral (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force; the Marine Corps does not have an...
boarding his command plane and receiving a morning briefing - An ICBM crew arriving at a missile command centerLaunch control center (ICBM)A launch control center , in the United States, is the main control facility for intercontinental ballistic missiles . A launch control center monitors and controls missile launch facilities. From a launch control center, the missile combat crew can monitor the complex, launch the missile, or relax...
for a shift change - B-52 bomber forces being placed on alert
- A scene in the SAC command plane where the general in command, along with an aide, opens the nuclear missile launch code safe
- A Minuteman MissileLGM-30 MinutemanThe LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States...
crew launching their nuclear missiles - Beale Air Force BaseBeale Air Force BaseBeale Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located approximately east of Marysville, California. Originally known as Camp Beale....
radar stations detecting inbound Soviet missiles - Command plane reports that over 300 Soviet ICBMs were inbound
Air Force personnel
The documentary used actual Air Force personnel for actors, filming on location at various United States air force installations. Specifically, the documentary used cameras on-board Strategic Air CommandStrategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
command planes out of Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base
Offutt Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation near Omaha, and lies adjacent to Bellevue in Sarpy County, Nebraska. It is the headquarters of the U.S...
and also shot footage inside NORAD.
The nuclear missile launch sequence seen in the film (and later in The Day After) was performed by actual Air Force officers stationed with the 742d Missile Squadron
742d Missile Squadron
The 742d Missile Squadron is part of the 91st Missile Wing based at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. It operates Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.-World War II:...
at Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base
Minot Air Force Base is a U.S. Air Force installation in Ward County, North Dakota, north of the city of Minot. In the 2010 census, the base was counted as a CDP with a total population of 5,521....
. The alert launch of B-52 bombers was performed by the 22nd Bombardment Wing
22d Air Refueling Wing
The 22d Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command's Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and also functions as the host wing for McConnell AFB....
at March Air Force Base, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. An additional scene provided by the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
depicts the USS Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657)
USS Francis Scott Key (SSBN-657)
*-External links:...
getting underway for a patrol.
None of the Air Force personnel were credited in the film, however the ICBM launch crew have visible name tags as "Lieutenant Krause" and "Captain Stanton".
External links
- First Strike at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- "First Strike" forum information