On the Value of Overseas Bases

Abstract

Overseas bases are of great importance, but not all arguments to support their importance are right. Among those that are wrong is the notion that in the face of a well coordinated enemy missile attack, missiles placed overseas without protection are sure either to retaliate and disrupt the opening enemy salvo or to provide extra warning for the continental U.S. They can guarantee neither one. But deterring a well coordinated thermonuclear attack on the U.S., while vital, is by no means all we want to do. We must have insurance that we can limit damage in case deterrence fails whether by accident or deliberation. And overseas bases can help disrupt the poorly coordinated attacks that are now likely in the event that the war starts by accident (and this, in turn, if we have a good high confidence deterrent, is more likely to be the way a war starts if it starts at all). Finally, the overseas bases play a principal role in limited wars.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 05, 1960
Accession Number
AD0616502

Entities

People

  • Albert Wohlstetter

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accidents
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Birds
  • Continents
  • Detection
  • Deterrence
  • Electronic Equipment
  • Flat Trajectories
  • House Of Representatives
  • Low Angles
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Second Strike Capability
  • Trajectories
  • United States
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Aviation Safety Risk Assessment.
  • Strategic Security Studies