DDRS, Comments on Department of Defense Draft Memorandum: Strategic Striking Forces

Description

This document analyzes a Department of Defense memorandum evaluating U.S. first-strike capability against the Soviet Union and capacity to achieve so-called “assured destruction” with Minutemen missiles. “Assured destruction” is defined as “a high degree of assurance that, under pessimistic assumptions and adverse conditions, the programmed force can destroy a sufficient fraction of Soviet industrial capacity and kill a sufficient fraction of the Soviet population to put beyond question a deliberate nuclear first strike on the US as a rationale Soviet policy.” The document argues, contrary to the DoD evaluation, that a more conservative arsenal of Minutemen would suffice to achieve strategic goals against the Soviets.

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Document entry started by Max Rizzuto on June 5, 2018. Entry last updated by Mikael Kelly on October 2, 2018.