One Soviet naval task was to delay American and other NATO forces from reaching the Soviet coast. Ballistic-missile submarines added a seaborne element to strategic deterrence and helped form a nuclear triad. The necessity of that additional element is questioned because the Soviet Union's size made destroying its land-based deterrent difficult. Satellites could help locate targets, but locating, targeting, and destroying them before launch were separate problems. That is a qualification about the Soviet requirement for another deterrent component, while still recognizing the role the submarines performed.
Notable Point · 1:19:36-1:20:30
Delaying NATO and the question of a seaborne deterrent
Coastal delay and ballistic-missile submarines remain military roles in the argument, even as it questions how essential the seaborne deterrent was to the Soviet Union.