Editing Nuclear strategy (section)

==Nuclear deterrent composition==
The doctrine of [[mutual assured destruction]] (MAD) assumes that a [[Deterrence theory#Nuclear deterrence theory|nuclear deterrent]] force must be credible and survivable. That is, each deterrent force must survive a [[Pre-emptive nuclear strike|first strike]] with sufficient capability to effectively destroy the other country in a [[second strike]]. Therefore, a first strike would be suicidal for the launching country.

In the late 1940s and 1950s as the [[Cold War]] developed, the [[United States]] and [[Soviet Union]] pursued multiple delivery methods and platforms to deliver nuclear weapons. Three types of platforms proved most successful and are collectively called a "[[nuclear triad]]". These are air-delivered weapons (bombs or missiles), [[ballistic missile submarines]] (usually nuclear-powered and called SSBNs), and [[intercontinental ballistic missiles]] (ICBMs), usually deployed in land-based hardened [[missile silo]]s or on vehicles.

Although not considered part of the deterrent forces, all of the nuclear powers deployed large numbers of [[tactical nuclear weapon]]s in the Cold War. These could be delivered by virtually all platforms capable of delivering large conventional weapons.

{{Anchor|deter2016-01-29}}During the 1970s there was growing concern that the combined conventional forces of the [[Warsaw Pact|Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact]] could overwhelm the forces of [[NATO]].  It seemed unthinkable to respond to a Soviet/Warsaw Pact incursion into Western Europe with [[strategic nuclear weapon]]s, inviting a catastrophic exchange.  Thus, technologies were developed to greatly reduce collateral damage while being effective against advancing conventional military forces.  Some of these were [[Neutron bomb|low-yield neutron bombs]], which were lethal to tank crews, especially with tanks massed in tight formation, while producing relatively little blast, thermal radiation, or radioactive fallout.  Other technologies were so-called "suppressed radiation devices," which produced mostly blast with little radioactivity, making them much like conventional explosives, but with much more energy.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Solem|first=J. C.|year=1974|title=Tactical nuclear deterrence|journal=Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory Report LA-74-1362}}</ref>