The bluffing Russians know the real truth: Nuclear wars can’t be won. Pressing YOUR button means your adversary presses HIS.
The missiles fly past each other in opposite directions, killing both sides.
The real deal is to know where the leadership hangs out during emergencies, and letting them know you’ve got lots of special presents for just those places. That’s what Reagan’s military did with Andropov, Chernenko and Gorbachev.
We made all kinds of gadgets just to let them know there was no place for THEM to hide.
They didn’t care if most of their people died, but they sure as Hell cared about their own lives and that of their families.
“Nuclear wars can’t be won. Pressing YOUR button means your adversary presses HIS”
Low-flying low-observable cruise missiles change the game. Plus we now have multiple players. You can be a target of first strikes and not even know where they came from.