s ▁Sub marine - launch ed ▁ball istic ▁miss ile ▁( SL B M ) ▁fleet . ▁However , ▁the ▁SL B M s ▁of ▁that ▁era ▁were ▁not ▁accurate ▁enough ▁to ▁attack ▁miss ile ▁sil os , ▁the ▁US ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁respond ▁with ▁a ▁counter force ▁attack ▁against ▁the ▁substantial ▁numbers ▁of ▁remaining ▁Soviet ▁IC B M s . ▁The ▁only ▁option ▁left ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁general ▁attack ▁on ▁Soviet ▁cities , ▁which ▁would ▁cause ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁to ▁respond ▁in ▁kind ▁with ▁their ▁remaining ▁fleet . ▁In ▁this ▁situation , ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁would ▁be ▁in ▁an ▁extremely ▁advantage ous ▁position ▁for ▁a ▁negoti ated ▁peace . ▁ ▁When ▁faced ▁with ▁such ▁an ▁attack , ▁it ▁might ▁not ▁be ▁immediately ▁clear ▁what ▁the ▁targets ▁are . ▁The ▁only ▁way ▁to ▁be ▁sure ▁would ▁be ▁to ▁wait ▁until ▁well ▁into ▁the ▁attack ▁and ▁then ▁respond ▁in ▁kind . ▁This ▁took ▁long ▁enough ▁that ▁some ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁US ▁fleet ▁would ▁be ▁caught ▁on ▁the ▁ground , ▁and ▁this ▁" ret ali ation ▁after ▁ride - out " ▁concept ▁was ▁considered ▁too ▁ris ky . ▁Instead , ▁the ▁US ▁policy ▁moved ▁to ▁launch ▁on ▁warning , ▁where ▁they ▁would ▁respond ▁to ▁an ▁attack ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁clear ▁one ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁making . ▁This ▁was ▁not ▁ideal , ▁as ▁it ▁required ▁them ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁high ▁alert ▁level ▁that ▁increased ▁the ▁risk ▁of ▁an ▁accident al ▁launch . ▁ ▁Miss ile , ▁Ex perimental ▁ ▁In