SECRETECRET
Alliance Strategy
NATO's military strategy is defensive.
It is expressed in terms
The aim
12.
of deterrence, flexibility in response and forward defence.
of deterrence is to convince the Soviet Union that the price of
attacking the West would outweigh any gain, and that ultimately
any aggressor risks an esclation of the conflict to total nuclear
In Alliance terms deterrence is directed towards preserving the
territorial integrity of the Alliance as a whole; but each member
looks to the Alliance as the best means of ensuring the security of
its own national territory. This must be, - and certainly is in
war.
the case of the UK, the ultimate responsibility of a soverign
power.
13.
and the
For deterrence to be effective, NATO needs to display a
substantial military capability, both in offence and defence;
will to use it if necessary. For this reason Soviet perception of
Allied cohesion and commitment is of critical importance. The will
to fight cannot be quantified, and relative military capability is
as much a matter of judgement as of analysis; equally their credibility,
and hence their deterrent effect on an adversary, cannot be assessed
with precision. So the effectiveness of a deterrent policy is a
matter of judgement by both parties, and can cover a wide spectrum
of capability and intent. And if what is needed for adequate
deterrence of a stronger adversary is underestimated, the price
ultimately paid is uniquely high..
14. In the period of US Nuclear supremacy allied strategy was
based on "massive retaliation" with an associated "military trip
wire" provided by the Alliance conventional forces. However, in
the 1960s, the attainment by the Soviet Union of nuclear parity
with the United States, and especially a second strike capability,
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SEGARRET