Operation Chrome Dome was an Air Force operation that reduced in importance due to what development?

• A. Space-based weapons
• B. B-2 stealth bombers
• C. Intercontinental ballistic missiles
• D. Strategic Defense Initiative

Answer: (C)

The question tests how strategic deterrence shifted as missile technology improved. Chrome Dome kept B-52 bombers on continuous airborne alert to ensure a credible second-strike capability. As intercontinental ballistic missiles became widespread and more reliable, they provided a fast, survivable way to strike back from hardened silos, reducing the need to maintain crews constantly aloft. That shift toward a missile-based deterrent made the airborne alert concept less central, so Chrome Dome declined in importance. The other options don’t explain the change as directly: space-based weapons, a later strategic defense initiative, or the later B-2 bomber-era developments didn’t drive the decline in the same period or context.