3 ms·

MAD isn't a doctrine. US doctrine is simply Assured Destruction. Russian doctrine is escalate to deescalate. Neither doctrine actually contemplates that mutual

by chipsa 4y ago

MAD isn't a doctrine. US doctrine is simply Assured Destruction. Russian doctrine is escalate to deescalate. Neither doctrine actually contemplates that mutual destruction is a good thing.

mort96 4y ago
The wikipedia article consistently refers to it as a doctrine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_assured_destruction https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_assured_destruction > Mutual assured destruction (MAD) is a doctrine of military strategy and national security policy ... I'm unable to find anything about the "Assured Destruction" doctrine which isn't about MAD. If you have some links I should read to learn more, please do send them. But presumably, the US's official doctrine is that if Russia sends in a first strike, the US will retaliate with a second strike? And presumably Russia's official doctrine is the same? If that's the case, isn't that just the MAD doctrine, even if it's under a different name officially? Or has both countries officially said that a first strike won't be followed up by a second strike?
- chipsa 4y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_doctrine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_doctrine - Military doctrine is the expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements. MAD is a game theory construct. It may inform doctrine, but it doesn't actually dictate how we employ forces. US doctrine can be found in the nuclear posture review : https://media.defense.gov/2018/Feb/02/2001872877/-1/-1/1/EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY.PDF https://media.defense.gov/2018/Feb/02/2001872877/-1/-1/1/EXE... It amounts to : the primary point of the US arsenal is deterrence. As such, we will assure that we can destroy the enemy as necessary. Russian doctrine had explicitly contemplated the first use of nuclear weapons "in response to large-scale aggression utilizing conventional weapons in situations critical to the national security of the Russian Federation." So if they get in a war and start losing. The critical part of MAD is a so called balance of terror. But the US doesn't use nuclear weapons because it's afraid of getting nuked in return, and Russia believes that they can win a nuclear war. So it's both not doctrine (because it's not how either military plans to use forces) and not real (because the preconditions don't exist).

by chipsa 4y ago

MAD isn't a doctrine. US doctrine is simply Assured Destruction. Russian doctrine is escalate to deescalate. Neither doctrine actually contemplates that mutual destruction is a good thing.

mort96 4y ago

The wikipedia article consistently refers to it as a doctrine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_assured_destruction https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_assured_destruction > Mutual assured destruction (MAD) is a doctrine of military strategy and national security policy ... I'm unable to find anything about the "Assured Destruction" doctrine which isn't about MAD. If you have some links I should read to learn more, please do send them. But presumably, the US's official doctrine is that if Russia sends in a first strike, the US will retaliate with a second strike? And presumably Russia's official doctrine is the same? If that's the case, isn't that just the MAD doctrine, even if it's under a different name officially? Or has both countries officially said that a first strike won't be followed up by a second strike?

chipsa 4y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_doctrine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_doctrine - Military doctrine is the expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements. MAD is a game theory construct. It may inform doctrine, but it doesn't actually dictate how we employ forces. US doctrine can be found in the nuclear posture review : https://media.defense.gov/2018/Feb/02/2001872877/-1/-1/1/EXECUTIVE-SUMMARY.PDF https://media.defense.gov/2018/Feb/02/2001872877/-1/-1/1/EXE... It amounts to : the primary point of the US arsenal is deterrence. As such, we will assure that we can destroy the enemy as necessary. Russian doctrine had explicitly contemplated the first use of nuclear weapons "in response to large-scale aggression utilizing conventional weapons in situations critical to the national security of the Russian Federation." So if they get in a war and start losing. The critical part of MAD is a so called balance of terror. But the US doesn't use nuclear weapons because it's afraid of getting nuked in return, and Russia believes that they can win a nuclear war. So it's both not doctrine (because it's not how either military plans to use forces) and not real (because the preconditions don't exist).