In nuclear strategy, a first strike is a preemptive surprise attack employing overwhelming force. First strike capability is a country's ability to defeat another nuclear power by destroying its arsenal to the point where the attacking country can survive the weakened retaliation while the opposing side is left unable to continue war. The preferred methodology is to attack the opponent's launch facilities and storage depots first. The strategy is called counterforce.
Read more about First Strike: Overview, Historical Background, Terms Used, Likely First Strike Weapons Systems, First-strike Enabling Weapons Systems, Other Possible First-strike Weapons Systems, Anti-first-strike Countermeasures, Destabilizing Role of Land-based MIRVed ICBMs, Destabilizing Role of Missile Defence, Movies About First Strike
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—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)