Now showing
War and Peace in the Nuclear Age (1987-12-19)
About this film
Charles Townes was Vice Chairman of the President's Science Advisory Committee from 1965 -1969, Chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee for the Apollo Program from 1966-1970, and Chairman of the so-called Townes Panel on MX basing. He explains the panel's decision to look at the entire strategic force structure rather than just basing modes. No fully satisfactory safe modes were found but he notes that some were worth pursuing, such as the air mobile and MPS systems, which he describes. He says that one of the panel's main recommendations was to focus on command-and-control, which he also discusses in depth. Along the way, he describes inter-service concerns, particularly the Air Force's reservations, as well as heated debates within the Cabinet, and his own views on a range of related strategic issues. He acknowledges that a real solution to the problem has still not been found, and that it might have been better to have foregone the MX and built smaller missiles.
Directors & creators
WGBH
Subjects
public broadcasting, AAPB, Charles Townes, Caspar Weinberger, Ronald Reagan, President's Science Advisory Committee, Technical Advisory Committee for the Apollo Program, Townes Panel on MX basing, MX missile, Minuteman missile, strategic nuclear forces, nuclear triad, Multiple Protective Shelter system, command and control, ABM Treaty, ballistic missile defense, Utah, Nevada
More from this pool