The late 1940s represented a period of transition from the World War II Japanese threat in the North Pacific region to the threat posed by Soviet bombers. Alaska became an air theater of operations and the senior commanders were assigned from the ranks of Air Force generals.
The Soviets had developed a four engine powered long range bomber capable of delivering nuclear weapons to Northwestern United States targets on one-way flights from Arctic staging bases near Alaska.
The bomber’s range could be extended farther by capturing forward bases in Alaska. It resulted in the construction of an extensive aircraft control and warning system with radar stations located on Alaska’s periphery and interior, later augmented by the Alaska Segment of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line.