First Strike (1979 film)

First Strike is a 1979 film created by KRON-TV and Chronicle Publishing Company under the broadcast division name "Chronicle Broadcasting Company" in partnership with the United States Department of Defense and the RAND Corporation that discusses the United States armed forces strategy for dealing with nuclear warfare. The film became far better known when various clips were edited into the 1983 TV film The Day After.

Plot summary

The film is divided into two main segments. The first section of the film is a dramatization of a sneak attack by Soviet Union nuclear weapons against the United States. The premise of the attack is based on Soviet nuclear submarines approaching the United States west coast undetected and launching a barrage of missiles at ICBM silos and B-52 bomber bases, while other Soviet forces manage to destroy a number of U.S. ballistic missile submarines at sea. In the film, by the time Strategic Air Command realizes what is happening, over 80% of U.S. strategic forces have been destroyed and the President of the United States is forced to surrender to the Soviet Union. American casualties are stated to be eight million dead - this "low" number is due to the Soviet attack hitting military bases instead of cities.

Pre-emptive nuclear strike

In nuclear strategy, a first strike is a preemptive surprise attack employing overwhelming force. First strike capability is a country's ability to defeat another nuclear power by destroying its arsenal to the point where the attacking country can survive the weakened retaliation while the opposing side is left unable to continue war. The preferred methodology is to attack the opponent's strategic nuclear weapon facilities (missile silos, submarine bases, bomber airfields), command and control sites, and storage depots first. The strategy is called counterforce.

Overview

During the Cold War period, both superpowers, NATO and the Eastern Bloc, built massive nuclear arsenals, aimed, to a large extent, at each other. However, they were never used, as after a time, leaders on both sides of the Iron Curtain realized that global thermonuclear war would not be in either power's interest, as it would probably lead to the destruction of both sides, and possibly nuclear winter or other extinction level events. Therefore, at times, both sides refrained from deploying systems capable of unanswerable nuclear strikes against either side. However, in both nations, there were interests that benefited from the development and maintenance of first-strike weapons systems: what U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower termed the military-industrial complex; these forces encouraged the constant development of weapons systems of greater accuracy, power, and destruction. In addition, each side doubted the other side's commitment to not deploy first-strike weapons, or even in the event of their deployment, to not strike first. Some first-strike weapons were deployed; however like most nuclear weapons, they were never used.

First strike (disambiguation)

In nuclear strategy, first strike capability is a country's ability to defeat another nuclear power by destroying its arsenal to the point where the attacking country can survive the weakened retaliation.

First strike may also refer to:

First Strike (comics)

First Strike is a fictional government funded team of superheroes published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #3 (November 2006), and were created by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Daniel Acuña. The team is largely an allegory for the perils of "unrestricted state power and authority."

History

First Strike was sent to the Arizona desert by their commanding officer Father Time, to bring the Freedom Fighters back to S.H.A.D.E. headquarters and to arrest Uncle Sam. When the Freedom Fighters refused to go peacefully, they engaged in a fight that First Strike won until the new Black Condor made the scene. Having over-powered First Strike, this allowed the Freedom Fighters some time to get back on their feet. Human Bomb, one of the Freedom Fighters, killed Propaganda, a member of First Strike.

First Strike returned to S.H.A.D.E. headquarters. Father Time was disappointed with their loss, and expressed his anger by ripping off Chief Justice's pinky finger.