Historical Compendium of U.S. Nuclear Strategic Forces Policy and Doctrine

This compendium contains pertinent historical statements of U.S. strategic force policy. A separate report is planned which will combine these statements of policy with classified documents which trace historical missile procurement and deployment. The purpose of the combined report will be to identify a relationship between targeting policies and the number of weapons required to support these policies. Requirements for deterrence can never be known with certainty. Enemy perceptions change as technology advances, as his goals develop and as his security in the world community as a whole evolves. The U.S. deterrence policy has changed through the years from the strategic umbrella provided by SAC through the mid-50's, to assured retaliation as the Soviets achieved a nuclear capability, to the current countervailing strategy provided by Presidential Directive No. 59. This is the history of how our strategic deterrence policy 'got here from there'. In the text which follows, key words have been underlined for emphasis.