Long-range nuclear cruise missiles and stability
- Massachusetts Inst. of Technology, Cambridge (United States)
Long-range nuclear-armed cruise missiles are highly accurate and are capable of reaching most targets within the United States and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) from launch points beyond their borders. Neither the United States nor the CIS has air surveillance systems capable of providing reliable warning against cruise missiles. Thus it is possible that a small-scale cruise missile attack could go entirely undetected until the nuclear weapons arrived over their targets. Such an attack could destroy the other country's entire strategic bomber force on the ground and severely damage its strategic command and control system, perhaps to the point of endangering the ability of its ICBM force to be launched on warning. This capability makes long-range nuclear cruise missiles potentially one of the most destabilizing of all nuclear weapons.
- OSTI ID:
- 6523710
- Journal Information:
- Science and Global Security; (United States), Vol. 3:1-2; ISSN 0892-9882
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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