First strike capability

...This was due in large part to the fact that the Soviet Union had strengthened its nuclear forces and acquired such capabilities, and that it was necessary to take countermeasures, as well as the fact that advances in nuclear weapons technology had led to the development of MRVs that could penetrate ABMs and MIRVs that could accurately attack individual targets, giving Japan the ability to accurately attack nuclear missile bases. First strike capability and second strike capabilityThe ability to neutralize an enemy's strategic nuclear forces with a preemptive nuclear attack is called first strike capability, and the ability to retaliate against an enemy with the surviving nuclear forces in a preemptive surprise attack by an enemy nuclear weapon, and to inflict a devastating blow, is called second strike (retaliatory) capability. In addition, in the event of war, using nuclear weapons before the enemy does is called first use, and is distinguished from first strike capability, which neutralizes an enemy's strategic nuclear forces with a preemptive nuclear attack.

*Some of the terminology used in reference to "first strike capability" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…これは，ソ連が核戦力を増強してこうした能力を保有するにいたったので対抗措置をとる必要があると考えたのとともに，核兵器技術の進歩によってABMを突破するMRVや，個々の目標を正確に攻撃できるMIRVが開発され，核ミサイル基地を正確に攻撃する能力を持つにいたったことが大きく影響している。第1撃能力first strike capabilityと第2撃能力second strike capability先制核攻撃によって敵の戦略核戦力を無力化する能力を第1撃能力と呼び，敵の核による先制的な奇襲攻撃を受けても生き残った核戦力で敵に報復攻撃を行い，壊滅的打撃を与える能力を第2撃(報復)能力という。また，戦争が発生した場合，敵よりも先に核兵器を使用することを先制使用first useと呼び，先制核攻撃で敵の戦略核戦力を無力化する第1撃能力と区別している。…

※「first strike capability」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。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報