263:: If conventional NATO forces were succumbing under the Soviet attack, that was actually expected as intelligence that indicated that Soviet divisions greatly outnumbered NATO divisions. Then a series of possible steps âto defeat aggression by raising but where possible controlling, the scope and intensity of combatâ with the âthreat of nuclear response" would be taken. Among the examples provided were âbroadening or intensifying a non-nuclear engagement, possibly by opening another front or initiating action at sea in response to low-intensity aggressionâ, âdemonstrative use of nuclear weaponsâ, and âselective nuclear strikes on interdiction targets". In this phase, NATO forces could switch to a limited use of nuclear weapons, such as recently-developed
299:. This triad made it possible for the United States to impose unacceptable damage to the Soviet Union with one strategic force independent of the other two forces. These different forces had their advantages and disadvantages. Bombers could deliver large payloads and strike with great accuracy, but were slow, vulnerable while on the ground, and could be shot down. ICBMs are safe in their underground silos while on the ground, but were less accurate than bombers and could not be called back when launched. Submarines were least vulnerable but were also least accurate and communication could be poor at times. Each of these forces provided the United States with different options to tailor their response to the situation.
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before. Advisers persuaded
Kennedy that having multiple options would allow the president to apply the appropriate amount of force at the right place without risking escalation or losing alternatives. This would improve credibility for deterrence as the U.S. would now have low-intensity options and therefore would be more likely to use them, rather than massive retaliation's all-or-nothing options.
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targets (cities) early in nuclear war, reserving such force later in war should the
Soviets not show similar restraint. This would not only induce the Soviets to spare American cities, but would secure the United States bargaining advantage by holding hostage something that the Soviets might want to
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argued for the definition of what was "unacceptable" to the enemy as the destruction of 50% of industry and 25% of the population. Deterrence depended on influence to show that violence and aggression did not pay, and being explicit about the level of destruction the US was willing to inflict on the
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Part of
Flexible response was the strategy of being able to fight over the entire spectrum of violence by developing diverse forces for different types of warfare. This meant being able to fight multiple wars simultaneously; specifically, the US should have the peacetime capability to fight two
187:
Flexible
Response was implemented to develop several options across the spectrum of warfare, other than the nuclear option, for quickly dealing with enemy aggression. In addition, the survivability of the retaliatory capability was stressed, leading to the diversification of the strategic force,
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left the U.S. with only two choices: defeat on the ground or the resort to the use of nuclear weapons. Technology had improved since massive retaliation was adopted. Improvements in communication and transportation meant U.S. forces could be deployed more effectively, quickly, and flexibly than
243:: In case of a conventional Soviet attack (meaning non-nuclear therefore not considered a first strike) initial efforts would be to try to stop the Soviet advance with conventional weapons. That meant to try to force the foreseen Soviet attack on
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that undermined the credibility of a deterrence threat. The cornerstone of U.S. and
European defense strategy was then threatened as the U.S. could no longer rely on nuclear threats to provide security for it and its allies.
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The defensive strategy involved developing a system to intercept incoming Soviet missiles. Bombers could be easily shot down, but missiles still remained a credible threat. As a result, the United States began developing an
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called for the flexibility of choice to meet varying contingencies. The new NATO Strategic
Concept, MC 14/3, approved at the end of 1967, envisaged three types of military responses to aggression against NATO:
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its guiding principle of deterrence. In the event of Soviet nuclear aggression, the
Soviets would know that enough U.S. nuclear capability would survive their strike to destroy their cities and industry.
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Defense
Secretary McNamara sought to limit damage to the U.S. by developing a separate strategy for offense and defense. The offensive strategy was one of
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scenario. The total nuclear attack on the communist world likely resulting in a Soviet response in kind if it had not already done so.
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enemy was one way to illustrate this point. Assured
Destruction relied on deterrence by punishment, precision, and credibility.
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Flexible response represented a capability to fight across all spectrums of warfare, not just with nuclear arms such as this
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at the same time. The consequence of this was to increase recruiting, investment, and research for the US force posture.
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The
Kennedy doctrine did not include the ability to fight nuclear wars because of the idea that it would undermine
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to intercept incoming missiles. Ultimately, however, this program was abandoned by the adoption of the
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The strategic doctrine for Kennedy's Flexible response was Assured Destruction. Flexible response made
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The New Look policy, though initially useful, quickly became obsolete with the introduction of
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military action other than a first strike. On 7 October 1966 an informal session of the
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the capability to respond to aggression across the spectrum of war, not limited only to
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Maneuver and Firepower: The Evolution of Divisions and Separate Brigades
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During his presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy claimed that the
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By 1960, the United States had three means of strategic forces:
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at strategic, tactical, and conventional levels, giving the
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had allowed the U.S. to fall behind the Soviets into a
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Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act of 1961
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1225:U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
46:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
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16:Military strategy of the Kennedy administration
1487:Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington
857:Report to the American People on Civil Rights
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397:United States Army Center of Military History
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1609:United States Department of Defense doctrine
196:force being put on permanent alert status.
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1297:John F. Kennedy Federal Building (Boston)
915:U.S. House of Representatives elections:
767:Status of Women (Presidential Commission)
226:A staged plan was devised to counter any
77:Learn how and when to remove this message
931:U.S. Senate elections in Massachusetts:
379:Adapting to Flexible Response, 1960â1968
1210:Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
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1292:Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
876:Remarks at Amherst College on the Arts
1302:John F. Kennedy International Airport
167:. Upon entering office Kennedy cited
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1357:John F. Kennedy University (defunct)
645:Migration and Refugee Assistance Act
613:Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
1614:United States defense policymaking
433:NATO's theory of flexible response
283:Development of the strategic triad
153:inter-continental delivery systems
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952:Democratic National Conventions:
772:University of Alabama integration
418:NATO STRATEGY DOCUMENTS 1949-1969
344:University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
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308:large regional wars and a small
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1347:John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge
964:U.S. presidential election 1960
737:Federal housing segregation ban
618:Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
492:U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
218:, and "civic action" programs.
484:President of the United States
357:anti-ballistic missile program
212:unconventional military forces
206:Importance was also placed on
131:. Flexible response calls for
1:
1619:Presidency of John F. Kennedy
1061:John F. Kennedy document hoax
1055:Happy Birthday, Mr. President
1049:Coretta Scott King phone call
987:Birthplace and childhood home
870:A rising tide lifts all boats
757:Presidential Medal of Freedom
365:anti-ballistic missile treaty
1260:LincolnâKennedy coincidences
712:Communications Satellite Act
1162:Gravesite and Eternal Flame
1020:Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana
943:1960 presidential primaries
851:We choose to go to the Moon
717:Community Mental Health Act
303:Two-and-a-half war doctrine
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948:1960 presidential campaign
881:State of the Union Address
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732:Federal affirmative action
562:Presidential Proclamations
277:mutual assured destruction
267:(like nuclear artillery).
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1342:John F. Kennedy Arboretum
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787:Oil Pollution Act of 1961
689:MoscowâWashington hotline
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1499:Patricia Kennedy Lawford
1200:Civil Rights Act of 1964
1188:Profile in Courage Award
782:All-Channel Receiver Act
752:Pilot Food Stamp Program
389:"XII: Flexible Response"
387:Wilson, John B. (1998).
377:Poole, Walter S (2013),
322:second strike capability
272:General Nuclear Response
265:tactical nuclear weapons
179:for its conclusion that
169:General Maxwell Taylor's
117:Kennedy administration's
32:This article includes a
1439:Patrick Bouvier Kennedy
1362:John F. Kennedy Stadium
1195:Twenty-fourth Amendment
777:Voter Education Project
232:NATO Military Committee
210:and the development of
115:in 1961 to address the
61:more precise citations.
1556:â Dwight D. Eisenhower
1493:Eunice Kennedy Shriver
1287:Harvard Kennedy School
1205:Apollo 11 Moon landing
1098:A Nation of Immigrants
572:Presidential limousine
216:unconventional tactics
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1475:Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
1463:Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.
1155:attending dignitaries
727:Executive Order 11110
608:Alliance for Progress
545:Judicial appointments
260:Deliberate Escalation
253:Allied Command Europe
194:Strategic Air Command
173:The Uncertain Trumpet
92:
1604:Cold War terminology
1255:U.S. five cent stamp
1215:Kennedy Space Center
863:Ich bin ein Berliner
671:Cuban Missile Crisis
661:Bay of Pigs Invasion
567:Presidential pardons
251:'s European forces,
1563:Lyndon B. Johnson â
1451:Tatiana Schlossberg
1433:John F. Kennedy Jr.
1250:U.S. postage stamps
1245:Kennedy half dollar
1235:Cultural depictions
1088:Profiles in Courage
792:Revenue Act of 1962
640:Trade Expansion Act
500:U.S. Representative
316:Assured destruction
188:development of the
181:massive retaliation
129:massive retaliation
1529:John F. Fitzgerald
1511:Jean Kennedy Smith
1421:Jacqueline Bouvier
1367:Kennedy Expressway
1337:Runnymede memorial
1138:in popular culture
1039:Castle Hot Springs
577:Presidential yacht
383:, 467 pp.; online.
334:No-cities doctrine
127:and its policy of
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34:list of references
1599:Cold War policies
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1541:Billie and Debbie
1505:Robert F. Kennedy
1332:Portland memorial
1312:Brooklyn memorial
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840:Inaugural address
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802:Wetlands Loan Act
625:Flexible response
297:strategic bombers
208:counterinsurgency
133:mutual deterrence
121:Dwight Eisenhower
102:Flexible response
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1457:Jack Schlossberg
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1427:Caroline Kennedy
1322:Hyannis memorial
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992:Kennedy Compound
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399:. CMH Pub 60-14.
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1317:Dallas memorial
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