Deterrence and conventional military forces

Abstract

Abstract : The search for national security strategy periodically opens major policy debates that push us in new, sometimes revolutionary directions. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war have reopened a national debate unmatched since the end of World War II. Dramatic changes in the international system have forced us to reevaluate old strategies and look for new focal points amidst the still unsettled debris of the bipolar world. At issue is America's role in a new world order and our capabilities to defend and promote our national interests in a new environment where threats are both diffuse and uncertain, where conflict is inherent, yet unpredictable. The degree of uncertainty requires flexibility in our military strategy and significant departures from cold war concepts of deterrence. This study examines new options for deterrence. Its primary thesis is that new conditions in both the international and domestic environments require a dramatic shift from a nuclear to a conventional force dominant deterrent. The study identifies the theories and strategies of nuclear deterrence that transfer to modern conventional forces in a multipolar world.