They are in a conflict NOW, and that makes all the difference. Why would you announce a nuclear device during an active conflict unless you mean to use it? Everyone would interpret the next missile as a nuclear warhead and retaliate accordingly
If the idea is to deter aggression – not to actually use them on a target – you’d want your enemy to know what you have. It’s like brandishing a gun to make someone back off. The threat doesn’t work if it’s hidden.
This is even a joke in Dr. Stragelove: “they built a doomsday machine but didn’t tell anyone about it??”
Why? There are a number of examples of conflicts between nuclear states that haven’t evolved into a nuclear exchange.
It’s an incredibly dangerous game, but it matches the stakes.
They are in a conflict NOW, and that makes all the difference. Why would you announce a nuclear device during an active conflict unless you mean to use it? Everyone would interpret the next missile as a nuclear warhead and retaliate accordingly
If the idea is to deter aggression – not to actually use them on a target – you’d want your enemy to know what you have. It’s like brandishing a gun to make someone back off. The threat doesn’t work if it’s hidden.
This is even a joke in Dr. Stragelove: “they built a doomsday machine but didn’t tell anyone about it??”