NATO Deterrent vs. Shield

Malcolm W. Hoag

ResearchPublished 1957

A discussion of the argument within NATO for supplementing strategic air forces with strong tactical forces for total war. The disadvantages are that tactical forces do not contribute greatly toward deterring or fighting total war, their cost imposes military sacrifices elsewhere, better air defenses may be more effective, and our European allies may have little incentive to supply tactical forces. However, in the case of a sharply limited war in Europe, tactical forces have renewed utility, with strategic air forces complementing tactical forces as the necessary enforcer of weapon limitations.

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Hoag, Malcolm W., NATO Deterrent vs. Shield. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1957. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_memoranda/RM1926.html.
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