Military capability designed to neutralize or destroy an enemy's weapons and defenses, often referring to nuclear strategy.
From counter- + force (Latin fortis, meaning 'strong'). This strategic military term became prominent during Cold War nuclear doctrine development.
During the Cold War, military strategists argued that counterforce weapons were 'good' because they targeted enemy missiles rather than cities, but this reasoning actually made nuclear war seem more survivable—and thus more likely to happen.
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