Debating counterforce: A conventional approach in a nuclear age

Book · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6256009

David, C P

Since the presidential elections of 1980, debate has intensified between those who believe that nuclear weapons can only deter a war not intended to be fought, and those who see nuclear weapons as an advancement in weaponry that allows for the waging and winning of a nuclear war. At the focal point of this debate is the rise of the ''counterforce'' doctrine-the concept of a nuclear attack exclusively against the enemy's military forces. The author, in outlining the unresolved tension between the two approaches, examines the reasons counterforce has become widely accepted in U.S. nuclear weapons policies. He argues that many strategists are worried that the counterforce strategy is out of touch with the reality of the nuclear world and see it as a merely a ''technical fix'' for a dilemma that may have no solution. Finally, he discusses the implications of adherence to the counterforce doctrine despite increasing popular support for avoiding nuclear war through deterrence and arms control.

• OSTI ID: 6256009
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
350000* -- Arms Control-- (1987-)
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ARMS CONTROL
COOPERATION
DOCUMENT TYPES
FORECASTING
FOREIGN POLICY
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
MILITARY STRATEGY
NUCLEAR DETERRENCE
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
POLITICAL ASPECTS
REVIEWS
RISK ASSESSMENT
WARFARE
WEAPONS