deterrencemaintaining
Deterrence maintaining, also referred to as deterrence maintenance, refers to the set of policies and actions aimed at preserving a credible ability to deter aggression. It involves ensuring that potential adversaries believe that any attack or coercive action would be met with an unacceptable response, and that promises to defend allies are credible.
Core elements include credibility, capability, and communication. Credibility depends on demonstrated readiness and willingness to carry
Tools used for deterrence maintenance span military posture (deployments, readiness, exercises), alliance commitments, signaling, arms control
Challenges include perception errors, escalation dynamics, arms race incentives, rapid technological change, and unintended consequences. Strategies
Examples of deterrence maintenance can be seen in Cold War era US-NATO deterrence, extended deterrence commitments