4 ms·
It's a lot harder to get a missile to turn around. In theory (specifically US nuclear deterrence) each leg of the nuclear triad has a different purpose (and in
by nataz 6y ago
It's a lot harder to get a missile to turn around.
In theory (specifically US nuclear deterrence) each leg of the nuclear triad has a different purpose (and institutional stakeholders).
Bombers flying at a target are slow enough that in theory you can convince someone they are about to make a serious mistake, while still maintaining the ability to deescalate/give the adversary an off ramp.
Bombers are visible, verifiable, and put a clock on negotiations. They are a form of communication. They signal premeditated violent intention. ICBM/SLBM are an act of war.
There is lots of literature on the practical use of nuclear weapons. All of it thankfully questionable and untested. It can get pretty wonky pretty fast. Countervailing, decapitation, C4ISR, escalation ladders, tactical vs. strategic nukes, etc.
- hpoe 6y agoAnd all it takes is one blasted radio to be on the fritz and it won't matter. Dr. Strangelove was a fascinating movie.
- souprock 6y agoThe nuclear triad probably isn't everything. I wonder which embassies contain nuclear warheads. For the ones that do, which staff know what is in the mysterious secretive box? Who presses the button, and does that person know what the button does?
- arethuza 6y ago"I wonder which embassies contain nuclear warheads" I would guess as a first approximation - almost certainly zero. The risks of discovery are far too high.
- ufmace 6y agoI doubt any do. Those things take maintenance. It'd be tough to transport them and any repair parts and needed personnel in and out without anyone ever noticing. Risks of discovery are pretty high, considering how many bugs and spies have been successfully snuck into most embassies. Hell, if I was going to plan such a thing, I'd probably rather stick it in a random building somewhere than in an embassy. Maybe more importantly, if you've got a nuclear war in progress, it's not necessarily such a good idea to kill the only people who can surrender.
- ufmace 6y agoThey're still useful indeed for those reasons. What's now much less useful is to maintain some number of bombers with live weapons airborne at all times to guard against a possible sneak attack on airfields. Missiles don't turn around either, but I wonder if any of them have the ability to be disarmed or self-destructed. Might be a useful ability in some situations, but also a vulnerability that an enemy might exploit. I expect people like us would never know for sure if such a thing existed anyways.