second strike
Retaliatory military attack
Second strike refers to a retaliatory nuclear attack launched after an enemy has already struck first.
The concept is central to deterrence theory—a nation's ability to absorb a first strike and still deliver devastating retaliation discourages adversaries from attacking: The submarine fleet ensures second-strike capability.
The term contrasts with first strike, a preemptive attack intended to destroy an enemy's weapons before they can be used.
- retaliationPunitive response to injury
- nuclearOf atomic energy
- nuclear optionMost drastic available action
- counterattackOffensive response to aggression
- revengePunishing a wrongdoer
get even · missile · deterrence · response · mutually assured destruction · dead hand · warhead · launch · silo · submarine · trident · counterpunch · knockout · boxing · hit back · comeback · blow · punch
- strategystrategy, grand strategy, tactics, tactic, tactical
- Nuclearnuclear reactor, atomic bomb, nuclear energy, atomic bombs, uranium
- nuclear waratomic bomb, nuclear holocaust, nuclear arsenal, hydrogen bomb, ICBM
- military strategymilitary doctrine, combat tactics, tactical maneuvers, war planning, defense policy
- military doctrineattrition warfare, combined arms, deterrence, total war, conventional warfare
- Cold WarBerlin Wall, Iron Curtain, arms race, Warsaw Pact, Cuban Missile Crisis
second strikefirst strike
Initiating combat unprovoked
preemptive strike · surprise attack · Pearl Harbor attack · sneak attack · decapitation strike
second, strike, seconds, secondly, secondary, secondarily, striker, strikes, striking