ABSTRACT
This chapter compares the strategic nuclear capabilities of the United States and the Soviet Union. It also compares the nuclear and conventional force capabilities of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Warsaw Pact alliances. Different assessments of the strategic balance can be derived as a result of how numbers are combined, which elements of the forces are emphasized, and what assumptions are made about various operational factors and conflict scenarios. The overall strategic balance in Europe is reflected in the relative demographic, economic and military strengths of NATO and Warsaw Pact nations. In theory, the governments of the 15 NATO nations would be consulted before a first use of nuclear weapons by NATO forces. The US and Soviet navies routinely carry nuclear weapons in the region, but the US is the only nation that deploys warheads on foreign territory. Finally, the chapter makes brief references to forces in other regions of potential US-Soviet nuclear confrontation.
