Sinking boomers and/or shooting down nuclear bombers in peacetime is the beginning of nuclear war, don’t fool yourself. A nuclear power will not sit and watch their nuclear arsenal be neutralized by ANY means.
You cannot assure a win by striking first. The entire system is designed to remove that option.
“Sinking boomers and/or shooting down nuclear bombers in peacetime is the beginning of nuclear war, don’t fool yourself.”
Not necessarily: It depends on how may bombers or how many boomers were taken out. But at the very least that sure as hell would be a provocation.
“A nuclear power will not sit and watch their nuclear arsenal be neutralized by ANY means.”
Well, there is a difference between an arsenal and a couple warheads. The latter may or may not trigger a nuclear response; the former certainly would.
“You cannot assure a win by striking first.”
Hence, the purpose of MAD.