Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
We are strengthening each of the three legs of our strategic forces. The
cruise missile production which will begin next year will modernize our
strategic air deterrent. B-52 capabilities will also be improved. These
steps will maintain and enhance the B-52 fleet by improving its ability to
deliver weapons against increasingly heavily defended targets.
We are also modernizing our strategic submarine force. Four more POSEIDON
submarines backfitted with new, 4,000 mile TRIDENT I missiles began
deployments in 1980. Nine TRIDENT submarines have been authorized through
1981, and we propose one more each year.
The new M-X missile program to enhance our land-based intercontinental
ballistic missile force continues to make progress. Technical refinements
in the basing design over the last year will result in operational
benefits, lower costs, and reduced environmental impact. The M-X program
continues to be an essential ingredient in our strategic posture, providing
survivability, endurance, secure command and control and the capability to
threaten targets the Soviets hold dear.
Our new systems will enable U.S. strategic forces to maintain equivalence
in the face of the mounting Soviet challenge. We would however need an even
greater investment in strategic systems to meet the likely Soviet buildup
without SALT.
STRATEGIC DOCTRINE
This Administration's systematic contributions to the necessary evolution
of strategic doctrine began in 1977 when I commissioned a comprehensive net
assessment. From that base a number of thorough investigations of specific
topics continued. I should emphasize that the need for an evolutionary
doctrine is driven not by any change in our basic objective, which remains
peace and freedom for all mankind. Rather, the need for change is driven by
the inexorable buildup of Soviet military power and the increasing
propensity of Soviet leaders to use this power in coercion and outright
aggression to impose their will on others.
I have codified our evolving strategic doctrine in a number of interrelated
and mutually supporting Presidential Directives. Their overarching theme is
to provide a doctrinal basis, and the specific program to implement it,
that tells the world that no potential adversary of the United States could
ever conclude that the fruits of his aggression would be significant or
worth the enormous costs of our retaliation.
The Presidential Directives include:
PD-18: An overview of our strategic objectives PD-37: Basic space policy
PD-41: Civil Defense PD-53: Survivability and endurance for
telecommunications PD-57: Mobilization planning PD-58: Continuity of
Government PD-59: Countervailing Strategy for General War.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account