
To Launch a Nuclear Strike, President Trump Would Take These Steps (2017) - okket
https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/graphics/2016-nuclear-weapon-launch/
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Nokinside
The article describes what happens under the launch on warning (LOW) policy.

It's not clear if the US has LOW policy. It seems like Clinton administration
made some changes to the policy after the Cold War.

It's more like launch under attack (LUA). If the US has credible second strike
capability and command chain that survives decapitation attack, there is no
need hurry. Mistake can be catastrophically. Confirming nuclear explosions
first would seem as sane default even if you want to keep others guessing what
the real presidential decision directive is.

Clinton Issues New Guidelines on U.S. Nuclear Weapons Doctrine

[https://www.armscontrol.org/act/1997_11-12/pdd](https://www.armscontrol.org/act/1997_11-12/pdd)

>Bell said the press had incorrectly indicated that the PDD "still allows" the
United States to launch nuclear weapons upon receiving warning of an attack.
Bell emphasized that "there is no change in this PDD with respect to U.S.
policy on launch on warning and that policy is that we do not, not rely on
it." In fact, Bell said "in this PDD we direct our military forces to continue
to posture themselves in such a way as to not rely on launch on warning—to be
able to absorb a nuclear strike and still have enough force surviving to
constitute credible deterrence."

>Bell pointed out that while the United States has always had the "technical
capability" to implement a policy of launch on warning, it has chosen not to
do so. "Our policy is to confirm that we are under nuclear attack with actual
detonations before retaliating," he said.

