Inadvertent War

The possibility of entering accidentally, or inadvertently, into a military conflict. The term inadvertent war is typically used with reference to an unintended nuclear war.

The mass development and deployment of nuclear weapons during the arms race created a situation in which large numbers of missiles were set to be activated automatically in case of a first strike by an enemy. This situation could lead to a nightmarish scenario in which a rogue state launches a nuclear attack against a world power possessing large nuclear armaments. Such an attack would then provoke a response by another well-armed nation, setting off global catastrophe. The devastating impact and speed of modern weaponry has added to the gravity of such a scenario, as nuclear powers would need to react quickly if attacked. This leaves no time for confirmation of who the attacker is or what has motivated the strike.

An additional scenario is the accidental or deliberate initiation of a nuclear strike, due either to technical malfunction or the actions of a subordinate acting without orders. Once again, the highly technical nature of modern nuclear weapons makes this scenario problematic and, according to some experts, not entirely unlikely.

As the infrastructure of the former superpower Russia continues to deteriorate, alarm over the possibility of inadvertent war has grown. The most common suggestion for avoiding the possibility of such a situation is the de-alerting of nuclear weapons. This may be done in a variety of ways, ranging from storing warheads separately from their delivery systems, to removing the guidance systems. The problem of global terrorism has made the prospect of inadvertent war between established states even more immediate, as fears mount that a terrorist group might one day attempt to use a nuclear weapon.