U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues
Abstract
During the Cold War, the U.S. nuclear arsenal contained many types of delivery vehicles for nuclear weapons, including short-range missiles and artillery for use on the battlefield, medium-range missiles and aircraft that could strike targets beyond the theater of battle, short- and medium-range systems based on surface ships, long-range missiles based on U.S. territory and submarines, and heavy bombers that could threaten Soviet targets from their bases in the United States. The short- and medium-range systems are considered non-strategic nuclear weapons and have been referred to as battlefield, tactical, and theater nuclear weapons.1 The long-range missiles and heavy bombers are known as strategic nuclear delivery vehicles.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 10, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1006616
Entities
People
- Amy F. Woolf
Organizations
- Congressional Research Service