Knowra Second-strike capability Second-strike capability Second-strike capability is the ability to launch a nuclear retaliation after surviving an adversary’s nuclear first strike. It makes a disarming attack unlikely to eliminate the target’s capacity to retaliate.
Nuclear triad : A nuclear force structure comprising land-based missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and strategic bombers. Distributing weapons across three delivery systems makes a single first strike less likely to destroy them all.
Mutual assured destruction : A deterrence condition in which opposing nuclear powers can each inflict catastrophic damage after being attacked. Secure second strikes help make retaliation credible for both sides.
First strike : A nuclear attack intended to destroy an adversary’s forces and ability to retaliate before they can respond. It is the attack that second-strike forces are designed to survive.
Missile defense : Systems designed to detect, track, intercept, or otherwise defeat incoming ballistic or other missiles. Effective defenses could weaken confidence that a retaliatory strike would penetrate.
Ballistic missile submarine : A submarine designed to launch ballistic missiles, typically while remaining hidden beneath the ocean. Its concealment makes it one of the hardest nuclear forces to eliminate in a surprise attack.
Nuclear deterrence : The use of threatened nuclear retaliation to discourage an adversary from taking hostile action. Second-strike capability is a physical foundation for deterrence by retaliation.
Preemptive nuclear strike : A nuclear attack launched to forestall an imminent attack by an adversary. Preemption seeks to act first, whereas second-strike planning assumes the first blow has already landed.
Hypersonic weapon : A weapon that travels at hypersonic speed, generally above Mach 5, and may maneuver during flight. Maneuvering, fast weapons can challenge warning systems and complicate force protection.
Nuclear command and control : The institutions, communications, and procedures used to authorize and direct nuclear forces. Surviving weapons cannot retaliate if command authority and launch communications fail.
Nuclear arms race : Competition between states to expand or improve their nuclear arsenals and delivery systems. Efforts to preserve retaliation can spur investments in more survivable forces and countermeasures.
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