This real naval-policy aside treats deterrence posture as a binary choice. A credible standing force is either continuously deployed and treated as routine, or absent. Keeping a small reserve of ballistic-missile submarines for deployment only in tense moments would turn each sailing into a public crisis signal. Routine patrols reduce that signaling problem because adversaries and journalists do not see every deployment as evidence that a confrontation has suddenly escalated.
Notable Point · 1:00:07-1:01:09
Continuous at-sea deterrence logic
A policy aside argues that deterrence should be continuous at sea or absent, not a partial force saved for crises.