The Counterforce Syndrome: A Guide to U.S. Nuclear Weapons and Strategic Doctrine

Washington, DC: Institute for Policy Studies, 1982. Second Edition [stated]. Second Printing [stated]. Trade paperback. xi, [1], 85, [11] pages. Wraps. Occasional footnotes. Illustrations. Notes. Glossary. Name of previous owner, pencil erasure on title page, covers somewhat worn and soiled. IPS Publications. The author was a World War II veteran (25th Division artillery serving in the Pacific Theater). After the war he studies aeronautical engineering and then worked for Lockheed. He helped design three generations of the Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile and worked on the beginning of the Trident program. He became interested in arms control policy, weapons technology, and issues associated with first strike capabilities. The author states in the Introduction that the purpose of this work is to provide between the covers of a single document a summary of U.S. strategic nuclear weapons and military doctrine. One of the most difficult subjects to comprehend is military strategy. Highly technical in nature, it is further obscured by scientific jargon, security classifications, and fragmentation in many sources. This work, while only a brief sketch, does cover the full range of Pentagon activity in the strategic area. Condition: good.

Keywords: Deterrence, Counterforce, Satellites, Earl Warning, MIRV, Cruise Missiles, Anti-Submarine War, Nuclear Weapons, Arms Control, Strategic Triad, First Strike, MX missile, Command and Control, ICBM, SLBM, Arms Race, Directed Energy Weapons, Inceptor

ISBN: 0897580087

[Book #52898]

Price: $40.00