Nuclear weapons at sea
It is important to consider naval strategy in the context of the forces available to implement it: any strategy not based on existing force capabilities is just talk. An examination of US and Soviet naval forces reveals two important points: First, the current US naval force structure provides significant advantages over the Soviet Union and permits an aggressive forward strategy, while Soviet naval force structure and practice require the Soviet Navy to stay closer to home. Second, for different reasons both navies are thoroughly armed with tactical nuclear weapons; this creates a risk that any superpower naval conflict will escalate to the use of nuclear weapons. This risk may be increasing because of disparities between US and Soviet naval forces and strategies: whereas the US Navy concentrates its offensive power in its aircraft carriers, for forward operations, the Soviet Navy concentrates its offensive power in land-based aircraft and in its submarines, for operations closer to home. Any US naval advantages pertain exclusively to conventional forces and conflict. Once nuclear weapons are used any superiority will evaporate. The full implications and dangers of this fact have been ignored in the proposed US maritime strategy, which overlooks the probability of the use of nuclear weapons and focuses exclusively on a conventional war. 10 references.
- Research Organization:
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Sweden
- OSTI ID:
- 6142406
- Journal Information:
- Bull. At. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. At. Sci.; (United States); ISSN BASIA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450202 -- Explosions & Explosives-- Nuclear-- Weaponry-- (-1989)
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ASIA
CONVENTIONAL WARFARE
EASTERN EUROPE
EUROPE
MILITARY STRATEGY
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PROLIFERATION
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
USA
USSR
WARFARE
WEAPONS