At that stage also, United States did not have enough confidence in conventional defense systems, and this led to the development of nuclear forces by Great Britain and France, in addition to United States for threatening Soviet Union during the period of Cold War. The requirement of American forces was to be of a suitable size and nature that the Soviets clearly understood, a conflict with United States would end up for Soviet Union with damages that would be unacceptable for that regime. (Nuclear Deterrence, Then and Now).

             As time progressed, the Soviets also acquired nuclear weapons and then the requirement changed - Soviet Union had to be convinced that no possible benefit could come to the Soviet Union from the use of nuclear bombs. This led to the United States strategy of investment in the three offensive arms of strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine launched ballistic missiles. At the same time, there was also investment in warnings systems of a possible attack, as well as command, control and communications for repulsing a surprise attack. This process of development of tactical and strategically superior nuclear weapons went on. The aim was to be able to increase the level of conflict so that Soviet Union felt dominated by United States. (Nuclear Deterrence, Then and Now) .

             This phase continued till 1972 -73. Both the major superpowers won and lost in different territories. United States had to withdraw from the very expensive war in Vietnam and there was a requirement for the crises that occurred from time to time into nuclear war. This led Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev to pursue detente. This did not mean that the competition ended between the two sides, the process was to put limits to the competition. Thus detente was not taken up as a desirable foreign policy by any of the two governments of USSR and USA, but the policy was a suitable political strategy to be used within the countries.