Sky Watch (1960)

[Music] [Music] la [Music] the city is awake and headed for  work most of the occupants of these cars know that when 5:00 rolls around they can  head for home most of them but a few like the man in this car will have to work a little  longer maybe by noon tomorrow his job will be done maybe but no one especially him will lay  bets on that and he wouldn't have it any other [Music] way this is Major Paul Dobbins US Air  Force his title is easy to remember commander of a b52g missile bomber code named buz saw  48 his job is to keep the peace that's all just keep the peace he and the other 260,000  men of the Strategic Air Command along with other members of the US Armed Forces but they  don't think of it as just a job to them peace is their profession their B-52s represent a  shield Field behind which a nation may work pray and sleep undisturbed to ensure peace  sack keeps in fighting trim making sure it remains too tough to tackle airplanes get  their pre-flight checks now the crew of buz saww 48 joins other Crews for this Mission at  a pre-take-off briefing last minute changes in weather air routs and even World politics could  affect their flight plans each crewman has known all other details concerning the mission since  crew briefings yesterday these men are preparing for a mission unique in military history the  bombers they man will be an Airborne force that will Patrol the skies for 24 hours in their bomb  bays and under their wings will be more potential destructive power than that expended in all wars  fought since time began a force poised and alert ready to LEAP into action at the first warning  that an enemy's missiles or bombers are on the way from here on everything goes by the  book The Airborne alert Crews know to the minute when Wheels must clear the runway  and almost to the second when each change in route and speed will occur there's no  room for guesswork one slip could spell disaster the men guarding the waiting bombers can't afford slips either each alert crew is checked  and double check before getting near the airplanes the last hurdle could be a rough  one unless the right password or signal is given these are the men and weapons that will  help Shield the Free World for many more years along with sack's Mighty missile Force but  man is the vital element man has judgment something a missile lacks once fired missiles  cannot be shifted to other targets or called back but no deadlier combination can now be  found than the manned bomber married with the missile [Music] [Applause] [Music] TI this  is Busa 48 we're taxiing Roger 48 you were cleared for Runway 35 the men of buz saww  48 and the Airborne alert Mission they fly could be compared to the club carried by the  prehistoric caveman that club represented what is known today as the deterrent concept  preventing an enemy from attacking because he knows that an attack would mean instant and  devastating [Music] retaliation TI this is bus off for 48 we're ready for take off Roger  48 you are cleared for [Music] [Applause] takeoff but this retaliatory force is not a wooden  Club it is an instrument of senu and steel the senu of dedicated men and the steel of weapons  the like of which the world has never before [Music] [Music] known each man on buz saww is vital  and they work together like a team of pro proven Champions all stations this is AC Comm  at your weapons checks let's meet these men individually major Dobbins boss of buz saww his  wife is baking a cake for him tomorrow he'll be 38 Captain Peter Scott co-pilot he's been flying  bombers since the Korean conflict Captain Jack Evans Navigator he plotted his first mission  more than 10 years ago Lieutenant Ral coaber defensive systems operator youngest of the crew  but a veteran of many missions senior master sergeant Jeff Peppers he is plenty tough and  so are the deadly tail guns he [Music] operates major Al Johnson Bombadier he can drop a  bomb with deadly accuracy from 10 mil in the sky croses this is bua 48 this is  Crowes proceed 48 we're commencing operation Skywatch Roger 48 grows nest  out now the mission begins operation Skywatch a 24-hour hack any minute  of which the order to attack might be [Music] [Applause] [Music] given early in the jet age our defense planners  recognized a chilling fact enemy jet bombers coming in over the Arctic wastelands would be  able to attack the great industrial centers of the Midwest and East without detection until it  was too late a super warning system was quickly established over the roof of the North American  continent topping it off was the duw line an invisible net of electronic Sentinels which no  plane could Pierce [Music] undetected [Music] completing this system were radar installations  along each Coast including prowling airplanes and offshore Texas towers until recently this gave  America that one precious commodity time time in which to launch our retaliatory Force but  this warning cushion evaporated in the Searing blast of the first test is cbms work was started  immediately on a ballistic missile early warning system even when finished however it will give  only 15 minutes warning that enemy missiles are on the way in the meantime sack must operate on  the theory that no warning would be received and that if the missiles reach their targets before  our retaliatory Force could be launched that force would die on the ground so sack took additional  steps to ensure that it could survive such an attack and still destroy the enemy first base  dispersal fewer planes on more bases ensuring that a small number of direct missile hits could  not destroy all our bombers on the ground second a ground alert that could put onethird of that  Fleet in the air within 15 minutes and third A New Concept the Airborne alert was tested proven  and placed on standby until needed this plan provided for a bomber force in the air constantly  during periods of international attention these bombers ready to go on an instance notice would  be under Direct Control of sack headquarters in Omaha Nebraska here positions of the Airborne  alert planes would be recorded throughout their 24-hour missions from here any counter attack  would be ordered following approval by The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the president of the  United States however if an enemy attack appeared probable the commander of sack could order  the Airborne alert planes to stand by for a go cod the order to attack he would then launch the  ground alert aircraft sending them toward targets under positive control that is each would fly to  predetermined positions if additional orders were not then received every bomber would automatically  turn back but if reports showed the Free World to be under actual attack the go code would be  issued by Presidential authorization and the Airborne alert bombers and those under positive  control would attack simultaneously sax icbms would be launched Roger buz 48 your last position  check is recorded black Tech Ace this is buzo 48 preparing for refueling Rendevous tanker and  radar contact 48 out Roger 48 Blackjack a [Music] out with 14 hours of its Mission completed buz saww  48 is winding up refueling and preparing for 10 more hours in the air there is no practice on  these missions the Airborne alert planes have but one purpose retaliation if war begins  but let's go back to the time before these men were assigned to Airborne alert a training  period in which they underwent long grueling hours of practice to qualify as combat crews  in those days one goal stood out above all hit the targets every time AC this is Navigator  go ahead Jack the heading to the IP is 110° the IP Air Force jargon for initial point the  point where the bomb run begins major Dobbins bomber will hit its IP shortly after Dawn but  before that it will theoretically wipe out two widely separated targets with its missiles before  making a simulated bomb run on a third target Delta practice targets chosen for the training  missions are based on the similarity of radar pattern Reflections given off by actual targets  that would be hit in case of aggression [Music] [Music] this is Navigator AC go ahead Navigator  decoy firing time in 10 minutes initial launch of assault missiles in 18 minutes  okay Jack coordinate all firings on scheduled decoy missiles if the missile bombers  ever Thunder into enemy territory all weapons will be trained on them in defense  a number of small decoys will be released by the bomber each will give off the same  radar impulses as the B-52 result instead of one B5 two streaking to Target ground  radar screens will show several the enemy must then decide which is the real bomber by  the time he decided the targets would be in [Music] Ruins AC this is bombarder we have  Target on scope the practice missile fire firings against targets coko and Bravo are  only minutes away while the hound dog missiles will be fired only in America's defense they  are nonetheless ready now on this simulated attack switches are thrown but the missiles  are not launched instead electronic impulses recorded on the ground tell the crew where each  missile would have struck but here is what the two nuclear armed missiles and later the new  Air launched ballistic missiles could do if the firing switches are ever thrown in retaliation  two strategic targets many hundreds of miles apart would be leveled while buz saw sped on to  drop its bomb load on a third [Music] [Applause] [Music] target now the bomber is ready for Target  Delta about this is Bombadier mate arrival at the IP at 27 are we cleared  for the bomb run everything's set out you're cleared for the Run got  a bomb plot we are departing the IP electronic plotters are ready to measure  the accuracy of the simulated bomb drop 50 mi from drop point the missile bomber reports  and again from 25 miles Dr bomb plot we're at 25 out acknowledge transmission good  luck on your ride AC this is Boomer give me second station she's all yours Al  with second station the Bombadier is in charge and will control the giant  bomber until the practice bomb run is completed [Music] Bader this  is AC we're 1 minute out and closing we're 30 seconds out Al stand  by on the tone 20 seconds out tone on oh the long wait begins 20 seconds to Zer if  for real it could be 20 his seconds from [Music] eternity BS away that the  training paid off is shown in the professionalism of buz saww 48's  crew now nearing completion of its alert Mission Pete I'm about ready to call it  a day let's see if Crow will let us come home I won't argue with that commence final  leg of mission 48 Crows Nest out thank you Crow Nest 48 out take over for a while Pete  I'm going to try for a little shed [Music] I attention skywat attention skywat this  is Blackjack a this is Blackjack a all aircraft stand by for go code until 10:38  Zulu all aircraft standby for goat code until 1038 [Music] Zulu all stations this is AC  we're on a go code standby on 1038 Zulu only one thing matters now the radio any call during  the next 46 minutes could send all of the Airborne alert bombers speeding to top priority  targets at sack headquarters a different call is received from the commander of sack launch  the ground alert Force Under positive control when this red phone is picked up direct lines to  sack bases on four continents are seized this is Blackjack King this is Blackjack King commence  operation Rock Crusher commence operation Rock Crusher this Force has never been launched  in anger or by accident only in practice but when the claxon sounds even in training  it Screech means but one thing when it goes everything is for Real until the  alert is [Music] cancelled [Music] [Music] a [Music] b-47s and b52s taking off from bases  throughout the Free World Morocco Spain England Guam from throughout  the United States wherever free men stand ready they are now galvanized into  immediate but carefully pre-planned action [Applause] [Music] each crew and bomber has specific targets  to strike those targets must be taken out the force will not go in as a massive Fleet each  bomber will go in alone jabbing into the enemy's vitals from every direction and altitude some  will drop their deadly loads from 10 mi in the sky others will bore in at rooftop level screaming  along scant feet from the ground to slip under the enemy defensive radar Nets and to elude missile  and fighter plane interception the die is cast the planes on Airborne alert are standing by ready  to go the ground alert force is headed toward targets a third part of sack's knockout punch the  ballistic missile Force must wait out the attack the reason is simple once launched  the ICBM cannot be recalled each missile is Reed but will not be fired until attack  is a certainty the mix of bombers and icbms however must be preserved giving sack weapons  with retaliatory power plus the versatility and will to win provided by man thus bombers  and icbms represent sack's recipe for [Music] peace new Target headings from the Navigator are  relayed to Major Dobbins throughout the alert now the order is given to start up the missile engines  start switches are thrown and the hound dogs bark to life they will remain on until the alert  is canceled or until they SL climb into their targets time is the only Factor now for buz saww  48 and others like her time that is speeding by in the sky and in sacks underground command  post now a hub of activity continuous check is kept on the Airborne bombers while  defensive Force Headquarters check and evaluate reports to determine if the Free  World is actually under attack television cameras monitor the path and position of  each of the Airborne alert aircraft this information is fed to the Joint Chiefs of  Staff and the president who must decide if the bombers and missiles will be ordered to  attack that decision will then be relayed to the commanderin-chief of sack who will order  the force to targets by a coded voice message over sack special radio network if the aircraft  radios remain silent the planes will turn back automatically buz saww 48 and other airborne  alert bombers are in Prime position for the dash to targets if the go code is given here  comes a position change on buz saww [Music] 48 another 5 minutes will decide the issue home  [Music] or and this then a missile bomber called 48 is prepared for the worst it and the other  Airborne bombers poised in the murky air of our time like Guardian Angels prepared to go the limit  for [Applause] [Music] [Applause] freedom to co pilot Run final check on assault missile operation  the final check the missiles are ready they have no qualms about what might have to be done but  the men the men are ready also if they must make the dreaded run however they will have anxieties  it will not be from fear fear is a reflex they mastered long ago it will be from the knowledge  of the Havoc they will inflict upon the enemy in the dawn of the atomic age a strangely shaped  object was dropped on a city in Japan that weapon had the same explosive power as 20,000 tons of TNT  these men may have to drop a bomb many times more powerful than the one which destroyed Hiroshima  and the enemy's will to continue World War [Music] II this is why major Dobbins and other men like him dedicate their lives to  peace without peace no life will [Music] exist silence is the sweetest of  sounds now silence unmarred by the crackling radio and the coded voice message ordering the  bombers to attack less than a minute [Music] remains [Music] the zero hour has passed  it wasn't the real thing this time it was another test to keep crw razor sharp and ready buz  saww 48 and go home but other B-52s like her are even now thundering into the air from farflung  bases taking to the air to man the ramparts of Freedom forming a fist in the clouds a fist that  is clad in steel gripping lightning and an olive branch he let's that for home so long as the  freedom of man and his right to live in peace is threatened sack must maintain its posture  of power a mighty Force casting a shadow of Peace buying time to perfect a world in which man  may work and pray and sleep without [Music] fear [Music] the [Music]