Central authorization can make battlefield use too slow, while local authority makes escalation depend on whichever commander acts first. Once a nuclear weapon is used, an opponent has no reason to respect a neat boundary between tactical and strategic systems. Retaliation can produce a larger response, followed by another escalation. The label attached to the first weapon does not keep the exchange limited.
Notable Point · 2:36:12-2:38:55
Why tactical nuclear weapons do not stay tactical
Operational nuclear weapons create either a dangerously slow authorization chain or unacceptable delegation of escalation decisions.