What is Launch on warning?
'''Launch on warning''' ('''LOW''') is a strategy of using nuclear weapons that gained recognition during the [[Cold War]] between the [[United States]] and the [[Soviet Union]]. Launch on warning became an important part of [[mutually assured destruction]] (MAD) theory as a result of the invention of [[intercontinental ballistic missiles]] (ICBMs). Under the LOW strategy, nuclear weapons are launched as [[wikt:retaliation|retaliation]] upon receiving warning signs of an enemy nuclear attack, even while the incoming missiles are still in the air and before detonation occurs. U.S. land-based missiles can reportedly be launched within five minutes of a presidential decision to do so, and submarine-based missiles can be launched within 15 minutes.<ref>http://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/01/Hair-Trigger%20FAQ.pdf</ref> == References == {{reflist}} {{stub}} [[Category:Nuclear weapons]]