First-strike attack, the use of a nuclear first strike capability, was greatly feared during the Cold War between NATO and the Soviet Bloc. … See more

Any missile defense system capable of wide-area (e.g., continental) coverage, and especially those enabling destruction of missiles in the boost phase, is a first-strike-enabling … See more

According to the theories of nuclear deterrence and mutual assured destruction, full countervalue retaliation would be the likely … See more

• CEP – circular error probable; the radius within which a weapon aimed at a given point will land with a 50% confidence; for example, a CEP of 150 m indicates that 50% of the time, the … See more

Because of the low accuracy (large circular error probable) of early generation intercontinental ballistic missiles (and especially submarine-launched ballistic missiles), counterforce strikes were initially only possible against very large, undefended targets … See more

• UGM-133 Trident II missiles may carry up to 8, 100 kt W76 (C4) or 12 (START-limited 8, SORT-limited 5) W76 or 475 kt W88 MIRVed warheads (D5). The circular error probability of … See more

MIRVed land-based ICBMs are generally considered suitable for a first strike or a counterforce strike, due to:
1. Their … See more