counter-force strategy

In this strategy, McNamara emphasized a nuclear retaliatory force that could survive a first strike by the enemy and was invulnerable to the enemy. McNamara initially emphasized a counter-force strategy of attacking the enemy's nuclear forces, but as the Soviet Union's nuclear forces became less vulnerable, he shifted to a counter-city strategy of attacking cities and industrial areas. He believed that it was necessary to attack the enemy's nuclear forces to limit damage to the United States, and to have the ability to retaliate with the surviving nuclear forces in the event of a surprise attack by the enemy, inflicting damage on the enemy that would be unacceptable. This was called an assured destruction strategy, and became the basis of nuclear strategies from the 1960s onwards.

*Some explanations of terms that mention "counter-force strategy" are listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…　この戦略において，マクナマラは核戦力については，敵の先制攻撃を受けても生き残れる非脆弱な核報復力を重視した。マクナマラは当初，敵の核戦力を攻撃する対兵力戦略counter‐force strategyを重視していたが，ソ連の核戦力の非脆弱化にともなって都市･工業地帯を攻撃する対都市戦略counter‐city strategy(対価値戦略counter‐value strategy)を重視する方向に転じ，敵の核戦力を攻撃しアメリカの損害を限定するとともに，敵の奇襲攻撃を受けても生き残った核戦力で反撃して〈敵に受け入れられないほどの損害を与える能力〉を持つ必要があると考えた。これは〈確証破壊戦略assured destruction strategy〉といわれ，60年代以降の核戦略の基礎となった。…

※「counter-force strategy」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

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