THE BMEWS PROJECT

Early in 1958, the United States Air Force announced the selection of the Radio Corporation of America as Weapons System Manager for the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System Project. The overall management responsibilities for the creation of this powerful space radar net was delegated to RCA.

The RCA Service Company is responsible for the operation and maintenance of this BMEWS system.

The project is a momentous endeavor to establish a giant electronic system to probe thousands of miles over the polar wastes, to detect and track an invading missile raid and to predict its point of impact. The success of such an endeavor depends greatly upon the cooperation and teamwork of the organizations working within the Project.

Brute force radar transmitters illuminating small cross-section targets at extreme ranges; ultrasensitive radar receivers, reading microvolt echoes through intensive electromagnetic disturbances, and generating precise position information; data converters, translating data to digital information; complex solid state computing systems, making microsecond decisions – these are the basic components of BMEWS.

THE PURPOSE

BMEWS is an epoch-making endeavor that was inspired through common purpose and need. The problems of environment, capacity, and performance inherent in the development, design, and installation of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System make it unique in the history of military electronics.

The swift advance warning provided by BMEWS is the most effective known deterrent of surprise missile attack, and thus plays a major role. in maintaining the security and well-being of the free world.

As an employee of RCA and a member of this gigantic BMEWS team, you should find your assignment at Site I an exciting and rewarding challenge.