What is the nuclear triad strategy?
Sources:
The nuclear triad strategy involves three different kinds of nuclear weapons systems: land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers. This strategy emerged as each branch of the U.S. military sought to integrate nuclear weapons into their arsenals.
Initially, the Air Force focused on maximizing its budget by emphasizing the need for numerous nuclear bombs, considering only the blast effects and not the fire effects. Subsequently, other branches of the military began to incorporate nuclear capabilities as well. The Army developed tactical nuclear weapons for field use, and the Navy focused on building nuclear submarines capable of carrying ballistic missiles in a secure and undetectable manner. This led to the formation of the so-called "triad" of nuclear capabilities.
The triad's essence was the belief that possessing these three types of systems would ensure a credible deterrent by providing multiple methods of retaliation, thereby complicating an enemy's attack planning. However, Richard Rhodes suggests that even relying solely on nuclear submarines would be sufficient for national security, as these submarines alone have the capacity to cause massive destruction and are highly secure 1.
Nuclear Weapons Evolution
00:39:48
RELATED QUESTIONS