What is nuclear deterrence?
It’s preventing an opponent from doing something we don’t want them to do by convincing them that they’ll take the same amount of damage, or even more damage than they’ll inflict on us. Deterrence has a particular meaning in the nuclear doctrine because it is obviously the weapon that could allow mutually assured destruction and that is why all the countries equipped with nuclear weapons have a deterrence doctrine for prevent their enemy from attacking them and in particular to protect what are called vital interests.
When did it appear?
This is a concept that is linked to the Cold War: this is where most of the editing of doctrines took place because the States were endowed with nuclear weapons at that time. Only the Americans had had it since 1945. It was only once the Russians had the atomic bomb that a doctrine of deterrence gradually appeared. Thus, it was impossible for a country equipped with nuclear weapons, therefore at the time the United States and Russia, to use it on the adversary without the other having time to reply, provoking thus the nuclear apocalypse with both countries completely destroyed.
What is the “deterrent force” of the Russian army?
Russia has one of the largest stockpiles in the world, with an estimated 6,000 nuclear warheads, but only 1,500 strategic nuclear warheads, that is, long-range missiles that are capable of targeting the France or the United States from Russian territory. The United States also has 1,500 and France has about 300. It must be understood that the permanent nuclear forces, they are by nature always on alert. For example, in France, we always have one submarine, or even more, at sea. There, President Putin simply said that he was going to raise the alert level of his forces, so we estimate that there has four alert levels in the Russian nuclear system and that there it went from level 1 to 2.
Which countries have nuclear weapons today?
Five countries called “weapon states” have atomic weapons under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. There is France, China, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Afterwards, there are therefore four other States which are suspected of having the bomb or which have declared to have it: India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.