NATO's Nuclear Forces: Maintaining Deterrence in the Face of Uncertainty.

Abstract

This paper is based on a premise that, by the mid-90s, political and economic considerations will force SACEUR to maintain theater nuclear deterrence with dual-capable aircraft alone, rather than the Triad of aircraft, artillery, and short-range missiles he employs today. The paper briefly reviews today's force structure and strategy, then moves to the future with a forecast of NATO's likely mid-90s tactical nuclear force structure and the role of these forces in future NATO strategy. The bulk of the paper deals with a list of potential force enhancements SACEUR might employ to maintain deterrence in the face of deep force structure cuts and reliance on a single delivery system. It concludes with a potential framework to make decisions between these various alternatives.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 20, 1991
Accession Number
ADA240597

Entities

People

  • Glenn C. Waltman

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Counter WMD
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Air Defense
  • Airborne Warning And Control System
  • Aircrafts
  • Arms Control
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Central Europe
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Organizations
  • International Security
  • National Security
  • Negotiations
  • Security
  • Standoff Missiles
  • Treaties
  • Warning Systems
  • Weapons Effects

Readers

  • Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
  • Economics
  • European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).