missile gap
Nuclear arsenal imbalance
A missile gap is a perceived disparity in nuclear missile capability between rival powers, especially the supposed Soviet advantage over the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
The term became prominent during the 1960 presidential campaign, though the gap later proved exaggerated or nonexistent.
Now used more broadly for any alleged military technology shortfall: Critics warned of a drone missile gap with China.
- warheadsExplosive missile components
- nuclear warheadFission-based explosive device
- nuclearOf atomic energy
- arms raceEscalating weapons accumulation between nations
- ballisticOf hurled objects
first strike · ICBM · brinkmanship · rockets · arsenal · defense spending · superpower · strategic · Cold War · iron curtain · red scare · duck and cover · Kennedy · Sputnik · containment policy · space race · intercontinental · military
- Cold WarBerlin Wall, Iron Curtain, arms race, Warsaw Pact, Eastern Bloc
- spaceflightlaunch, astronaut, spacecraft, liftoff, orbit
missile gapstrategic advantage
Beneficial position in competition
mutual assured destruction · balance of power · mutually assured destruction
missile, gap, missiles, gaps, gapped, gappy, mission, missionary, emission