What does MAD mean in NAVY

Mutual assured destruction (MAD) is a doctrine of military strategy and national security policy in which a full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender. The concept is based on the theory of deterrence, which holds that the threat of using overwhelming force against an enemy deters that enemy or potential enemy from attacking. MAD requires that neither side construct shelters or other defensive measures to protect themselves from the other side's nuclear missiles.

MAD was developed during the Cold War as a result of extensive nuclear arms negotiations. Both superpowers, the United States and Soviet Union, held large stockpiles of nuclear weapons, yet neither was willing to use them for fear of causing mass destruction in both countries. To prevent either superpower from launching an attack, they agreed to a policy known as mutual assured destruction, where any attack by either party would trigger a retaliatory strike resulting in catastrophic consequences for both sides.

While MAD had been part of strategies since at least 1950s, it officially became known as US policy in 1962 when it was endorsed by President John F Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev during the Cuban Missile Crisis as part of their agreement to remove missiles placed on Cuba by Russia.

Even though MAD was mainly developed during Cold War between United States and Soviet Union it is still relevant today. Nuclear weapons remain highly dangerous with some nations possessing enough power to threaten retaliation against any country who might attempt an attack or provocation with nuclear weapons. With this deterrent in place, many nations have adopted strategies based on MAD to prevent global conflict.

While there is no substitute for deterrence through mutual assured destruction, various initiatives have been put forward to reduce reliance on nuclear standoff policies. These include strategic arms limitation agreements, de-alerting procedures such as those adopted after START I between US and Russia, transparency agreements such as those established under Open Skies Treaty etc.

Some people argue that MAD could lead to an escalation in tensions rather than a situation wherein both parties refrain from using nuclear weapons due to fear of retribution and mutually assured destruction. This line of argument states that if one state does not feel threatened enough by another state’s arsenal then it may be more likely to take risks or launch pre-emptive strikes resulting in war between two nations using their entire arsenals thus leading to mutually assured destruction.

Since assumption of mutual assured destruction policies there has been significant effort made towards reducing reliance on them via articles such as START I & II treaties between United States & Russia – SORT & New START – American–Russian Joint Consultative Group (Joint Statement On Nuclear Arms Reduction) – international sactions imposed upon countries such as North Korea & Iran – Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty etc.