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It being a catalyst for the collapse of the Soviet Union may be inferred from the fact that [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] had decided, under the impetus of the U.S. administration, to deploy [[Pershing II]] and cruise [[missile]]s in [[Europe]], primarily [[West Germany]]. This deployment would have placed missiles just 6-10 minutes striking distance from [[Moscow]]. But support for the deployment was wavering and many doubted that the missile deployment would find enough support to effect it.

It being a catalyst for the collapse of the Soviet Union may be inferred from the fact that [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization|NATO]] had decided, under the impetus of the U.S. administration, to deploy [[Pershing II]] and cruise [[missile]]s in [[Europe]], primarily [[West Germany]]. This deployment would have placed missiles just 6-10 minutes striking distance from [[Moscow]]. But support for the deployment was wavering and many doubted that the missile deployment would find enough support to effect it.

When the Soviet Union shot down Flight 007 with 269 people aboard—an act which U.S. President [[Ronald Reagan]] characterized as a "massacre"—enough support was galvanized for the deployment. Many believe this U.S. confrontational demonstration of strength to be a factor in the demise of the Soviet Union.

When the Soviet Union shot down Flight 007 with 269 people aboard—an act which U.S. President [[Ronald Reagan]] characterized as a "massacre"—enough support was galvanized for the deployment. Many believe this U.S. confrontational demonstration of strength to be a factor in the demise of the Soviet Union.

 

==The Flight==

==The Flight==

KAL 007, a commercial [[Boeing]] 747-230B [[747|jumbo jet]] (registration number HL7442) departed [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]] in [[New York]] on August 31, 1983, stopped at [[Anchorage]], Alaska for refueling at 3:00 AM local time, then departed on the final leg to Seoul-Kimpo International Airport in South Korea. On board, there were 269 occupants comprised of 3 flight crew, 20 cabin attendants, 6 dead-headers (repositioning KAL employees), and 240 passengers (including air marshals). Nationalities (in descending order) were 76 Koreans, 61 Americans, 28 Taiwanese, 23 Japanese, 16 Filipinos, and a lesser number for remaining nationalities. There were 22 children on board under the age of 12 years.<ref>For passenger (and crew) seating, photos, and stories for some, written by family and loved ones see [http://www.rescue007.org/passengers.htm Rescue 007: Passengers].</ref>

KAL 007, a commercial [[Boeing]] 747-230B [[747|jumbo jet]] (registration number HL7442) departed [[John F. Kennedy International Airport]] in New York on August 31, 1983, stopped at Anchorage, Alaska for refueling at 3:00 AM local time, then departed on the final leg to Seoul-Kimpo International Airport in South Korea. On board, there were 269 occupants comprised of 3 flight crew, 20 cabin attendants, 6 dead-headers (repositioning KAL employees), and 240 passengers (including air marshals). Nationalities (in descending order) were 76 Koreans, 61 Americans, 28 Taiwanese, 23 Japanese, 16 Filipinos, and a lesser number for remaining nationalities. There were 22 children on board under the age of 12 years.<ref>For passenger (and crew) seating, photos, and stories for some, written by family and loved ones see [http://www.rescue007.org/passengers.htm Rescue 007: Passengers].</ref>

[[Image:Chun byung in.jpg|Capt. Chun byung-in, Pilot of KAL 007|left|thumb|200px]]

[[Image:Chun byung in.jpg|Capt. Chun byung-in, Pilot of KAL 007|left|thumb|200px]]

KAL 007's flight plan was to take it southwest from Anchorage to [[Japan]], staying over sea with the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands far to the west, then cross Japan's mainland to South Korea.  The aircraft's principal mode of navigation was to be the INS, or [[Inertial Navigation System]]. Based on [[radar]] information it was determined that KAL 007 had in fact strayed off course too far west, placing it directly over Soviet territory more than once.  It was about 10 minutes after take-off that the jumbo jet began its deviation to the west.  Twenty minutes after, civilian radar at Kenai, Alaska tracked KAL 007 5.6 nautical miles (NM) deviated. Fifty minutes after, military radar at King Salmon, Alaska tracked it at 12.6 NM deviated. One by one, KAL 007 plunged through its navigational checkpoints ever increasing its deviation&mdash;60 NM at waypoint NABIE, 100 NM at waypoint NUKKS, and 160 NM at waypoint NEEVA, until 3 hours after take-off, it entered Russian territory north of the port city of [[Petropavlovsk]] on Kamchatka.  Home to the Far East Fleet Inter-Continental Ballistic Nuclear Submarine Base, Petropavlovsk was bristling with weaponry. For a summary of the ICAO analysis as to why KAL 007 strayed off course, see [[How KAL 007 was Lost]].

KAL 007's flight plan was to take it southwest from Anchorage to [[Japan]], staying over sea with the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands far to the west, then cross Japan's mainland to South Korea.  The aircraft's principal mode of navigation was to be the INS, or [[Inertial Navigation System]]. Based on [[radar]] information it was determined that KAL 007 had in fact strayed off course too far west, placing it directly over Soviet territory more than once.  It was about 10 minutes after take-off that the jumbo jet began its deviation to the west.  Twenty minutes after, civilian radar at Kenai, Alaska tracked KAL 007 5.6 nautical miles (NM) deviated. Fifty minutes after, military radar at King Salmon, Alaska tracked it at 12.6 NM deviated. One by one, KAL 007 plunged through its navigational checkpoints ever increasing its deviation&mdash;60 NM at waypoint NABIE, 100 NM at waypoint NUKKS, and 160 NM at waypoint NEEVA, until 3 hours after take-off, it entered Russian territory north of the port city of [[Petropavlovsk]] on Kamchatka.  Home to the Far East Fleet Inter-Continental Ballistic Nuclear Submarine Base, Petropavlovsk was bristling with weaponry. For a summary of the ICAO analysis as to why KAL 007 strayed off course, see [[How KAL 007 was Lost]].

'''August 31/September 1, 1983 was the worst possible night''' '''for KAL 007 to “bump the buffer” for a complexity of reasons—all of them ominous. It was but a few short hours before the time that Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov, Soviet Chief of General Staff, had set for the test firing of the SS-25, an illegal (according to SALT II agreements) mobile Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). The SS-25 was to be launched from Plesetsk, the launch site in northwest Russia which was used for test firing of solid fuel propellant ICBMs—24 minutes later to land in the Klyuchi target area on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Home to the Soviet Far East Fleet Inter Continental Ballistic Missile Nuclear Submarine base, as well as several air bases and Air Defense Missile launching batteries, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the southern coast of Kamchatka was bristling with weaponry.'''

'''August 31/September 1, 1983 was the worst possible night''' for KAL 007 to “bump the buffer” for a complexity of reasons—all of them ominous. It was but a few short hours before the time that Marshal Nikolai Ogarkov, Soviet Chief of General Staff, had set for the test firing of the SS-25, an illegal (according to SALT II agreements) mobile Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). The SS-25 was to be launched from Plesetsk, the launch site in northwest Russia which was used for test firing of solid fuel propellant ICBMs—24 minutes later to land in the Klyuchi target area on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Home to the Soviet Far East Fleet Inter Continental Ballistic Missile Nuclear Submarine base, as well as several air bases and Air Defense Missile launching batteries, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the southern coast of Kamchatka was bristling with weaponry.

Prior to his appointment as Marshal of the Soviet Union and Chief of the General Staff, General Ogarkov had been Chief of the Main Operation Directorate of the General Staff and, as such, had begun and had directed the Strategic Deception Department, or “Maskirovka,” which was charged with hiding Salt 2 violations from United States intelligence. On August 31/September 1, Soviet aerial “jammers” under Maskirovka were sent aloft to prevent United States intelligence eyes and ears from obtaining the illegal SS 25’s telemetry data. The SS-25 was in violation of the SALT II agreements on three counts:  

Prior to his appointment as Marshal of the Soviet Union and Chief of the General Staff, General Ogarkov had been Chief of the Main Operation Directorate of the General Staff and, as such, had begun and had directed the Strategic Deception Department, or “Maskirovka,” which was charged with hiding Salt 2 violations from United States intelligence. On August 31/September 1, Soviet aerial “jammers” under Maskirovka were sent aloft to prevent United States intelligence eyes and ears from obtaining the illegal SS 25’s telemetry data. The SS-25 was in violation of the SALT II agreements on three counts: