Home > Bomarc Missile Program

The Bomarcs were capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads. Their intended role in defence was in an intrusion prevention perimeter. Bomarcs aligned on the eastern and western coasts of North America would theoretically launch and disintegrate enemy bombers before the bombers could drop their payload on industrial regions.

The name Bomarc was conceived as a merge of the two organisations who played the most prominent roles in its creation: Boeing and the Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (MARC).

The Bomarc IM-99A was the first production Bomarc missile. It had an operational radius of 200 miles and was designed to fly at Mach 2.5 at a cruising altitude of 60 000 feet.

The Super Bomarc IM-99B was the 99A's successor with improvements to its operational parameters. It was capable of striking targets within a radius of 400 miles and able to fly at Mach 4 as high as 100 000 feet.

At the height of the program there were 14 Bomarc sites located in the United States and two in Canada.

The Bomarc Missile Program was highly controversial in Canada. The Progressive Conservative government of John George Diefenbaker initially agreed to deploy the missiles and controversially scrapped the Avro Arrow fighter program arguing that the missile program made the Arrow unnecessary.

Initially, it was unclear whether the missiles would be equipped with nuclear warheads. Once their use as nuclear weapons became known in 1960 a debate ensued about whether Canada should accept nuclear weapons. Ultimately, the Diefenbaker government decided that the Bomarcs should be equipped with conventional warheads. The dispute split the Diefenbaker Cabinet and led to the collapse of the government in 1963Events January-March January 11 The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. January 14 George Wallace becomes governor of Alabama. January 22 Elysee treaty between France and Germany January 28 Black student Harvey. The Opposition LiberalsLiberal Party of Canada Current Leader Paul Martin Founded July 1, 1867 (nation's founding) Headquarters Suite 40081 Metcalfe Street Ottawa, OntarioK1P 6M8 Colours Red Political ideology liberal International alignment Liberal International The Liberal Pa argued in favour of accepting nuclear warheads and after winning the 1963 Canadian election the new Liberal government of Lester Pearson proceeded to accept nuclear warheads, with the first being deployed on December 31December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, as the final day of the Gregorian year. Events 406 Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia 1600 British East India Company is ch 1963Events January-March January 11 The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. January 14 George Wallace becomes governor of Alabama. January 22 Elysee treaty between France and Germany January 28 Black student Harvey.