It does require continuous readiness to launch nuclear ballistic missiles from a surprise location, otherwise the “mutual” part of mutually assured destruction

It does require continuous readiness to launch nuclear ballistic missiles from a surprise location, otherwise the “mutual” part of mutually assured destruction is less assured: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine-launched_ballistic_missile https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine-launched_ballistic... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_strike https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_strike Also, the US essentially controls the world’s oceans, and that comes with a whole bunch of benefits, wartime or peacetime.