"Nevertheless, both the United States and the Soviet Union made efforts to develop offensive capabilities sufficient to allow a “splendid first strike” that would destroy their enemy’s ability to retaliate."
Another factor besides showcasing your commitment to striking (back) may be that the the capability to execute a "winning" first strike is far cheaper than any insurance against this, therefore trading military expenditure at a favourable ratio. For example, the sheer existence of short reaction time first strike weapons forces your enemy into a high readiness, hardened nuclear diade or triade, which will be more expensive than your small numbers of IRBMs launched from submarines/ships or allies close to the enemy heartland.
USSR has not ICBMs with 15 minutes warning time on radar-->you can park your bombers in America on normal readiness.
USSR has ICBMs with 15 minutes warning time on radar-->you need to keep a share of the bomber force 24/7 in the air and another on quick start readiness, both massively more expensive.
Is nuclear warfare one of the few fields where the well-proven heuristic "the defence is the stronger form of combat" often does not hold?
"Nevertheless, both the United States and the Soviet Union made efforts to develop offensive capabilities sufficient to allow a “splendid first strike” that would destroy their enemy’s ability to retaliate."
Another factor besides showcasing your commitment to striking (back) may be that the the capability to execute a "winning" first strike is far cheaper than any insurance against this, therefore trading military expenditure at a favourable ratio. For example, the sheer existence of short reaction time first strike weapons forces your enemy into a high readiness, hardened nuclear diade or triade, which will be more expensive than your small numbers of IRBMs launched from submarines/ships or allies close to the enemy heartland.
USSR has not ICBMs with 15 minutes warning time on radar-->you can park your bombers in America on normal readiness.
USSR has ICBMs with 15 minutes warning time on radar-->you need to keep a share of the bomber force 24/7 in the air and another on quick start readiness, both massively more expensive.
Is nuclear warfare one of the few fields where the well-proven heuristic "the defence is the stronger form of combat" often does not hold?