Western Military Strength and Security

Leverett Saltonstall
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Leverett Saltonstall: Armed Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee

The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1961, vol. 336, issue 1, 62-74

Abstract: Western military strength and security rely on United States defense forces. The principle of deterrence, and how to apply over-all military strategy to it, is the overriding problem for United States defense policy planners. The nature of the defense force is influenced by the fact that it is built not to be used and the fact that it will not be used until it has sustained the attack of an enemy. Two concepts of deterrence, finite deterrence and counterforce, are employed in combination by the United States. Two main issues con cerning our defense posture are related to the philosophy of deterrence: strengthening limited-conflict weapons and equip ment, and gaining dependable agreements on weapons tests, control, and disarmament. The principle of interdependence is important for military policy. It has two aspects: inter dependence with other nations of the free world partnership, and interdependence between defense policy and other aspects of international strategy. The United States is the strongest nation in the world militarily, and her joint defense establish ment maintained with her free world allies is superior to that of the Soviet bloc. The Western deterrent is effective. The continuing need is for hard reappraisal, combined mobilization of joint resources, and decisive action to make and carry out new policies on national and international levels.—Ed.

Date: 1961
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:anname:v:336:y:1961:i:1:p:62-74

DOI: 10.1177/000271626133600108

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