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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

SIOP for Perestroika. Research report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5413749

The pursuit of greater stability through arms reductions is an important component of perestroika. Assuming strategic weapons reductions, the general nuclear war plan, the Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP), will change to employ fewer nuclear arms. If stability and threat reduction are authentic goals, the composition of nuclear offensive forces and the SIOP alert force will evolve accordingly. Greater reliance will likely be placed on bombers. The United States and the Soviet Union can use the opportunity provided by perestroika to agree that the only legitimate role of nuclear weapons is to deter nuclear weapons by threatening nuclear reprisal or punishment. Both sides can then share a strategic catechism that would allow them to move toward small reprisal forces.

Research Organization:
Air Univ., Maxwell AFB, AL (United States). Air War Coll.
OSTI ID:
5413749
Report Number(s):
AD-A-234519/7/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English