Balance of power Cuban Missile Crisis

when kennedy ran president in 1960, 1 of key election issues alleged missile gap soviets leading. in fact, led soviets wide margin increase. in 1961, soviets had 4 intercontinental ballistic missiles (r-7 semyorka). october 1962, may have had few dozen, intelligence estimates high 75.

the u.s., on other hand, had 170 icbms , building more. had 8 george washington– , ethan allen–class ballistic missile submarines, capability launch 16 polaris missiles, each range of 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km).

khrushchev increased perception of missile gap when loudly boasted world soviets building missiles sausages soviet missiles numbers , capabilities close assertions. soviet union had medium-range ballistic missiles in quantity, 700 of them, unreliable , inaccurate. had considerable advantage in total number of nuclear warheads (27,000 against 3,600) , in technology required accurate delivery.

the led in missile defensive capabilities, naval , air power; soviets had 2-1 advantage in conventional ground forces, more pronounced in field guns , tanks, particularly in european theater.