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Mutually Assured Destruction
/mjuːtʃuəli əˈʃʊrd dɪˈstrʌkʃən/
Key Insights
Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is a nuclear doctrine first coined by Herman Kahn of the US Hudson Institute. It asserts that a nuclear attack would result in the annihilation of both parties. MAD assumes the attacked party would retain enough nuclear weapons to launch a second strike. During the second strike, the attacker would also be annihilated.
Written by Pablo Mathis
27 February 2023 · 00:00 CETUpdated 21 June 2026 · 18:24 CET
Cite this brief
Mathis, P. (2023). Mutually Assured Destruction. EPIS Insight · Security Policy & Defence.
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