Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!ncar!unmvax!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!att!cbnews!military
From: military@cbnews.ATT.COM (William B. Thacker)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Are Aircraft Carriers Obsolete?
Message-ID: <3458@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 25 Jan 89 03:52:25 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 16
Approved: military@att.att.com

>While nuclear war at sea carries some risk of escalation, the risk isn't
>nearly as great as nuclear war on land.  Since NATO sealift is so vital,
>wouldn't the Soviets accept the risks of naval nuclear war?

The Soviets, as I recall, do not accept the notion of a "limited" nuclear
war which is "unlikely" to escalate.  They consider this NATO theory to
be insane.  I'm afraid I must agree.  And the Soviets are rapidly reaching
strength levels where they do not need to take the risk.

If I'm not mistaken, the Soviets have in fact at least made noises about
a "no first nuclear" policy.  (It's a wonderful way to embarrass NATO,
since first nuclear use has essentially been NATO policy for many years,
as an alternative to building bigger conventional forces.)

                                     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
                                 uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu