Integrated deterrence is much in debate these days. As a new term, there is still no clear definition, and a lot of confusion prevails regarding its merits and scope. Is integrated deterrence different from the simple concept of deterrence, or are both the same? Guesses can be made from the US official statements, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. By analysing these statements and comparing them with the earlier deterrence posture of the US, more understanding of the subject can be developed.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is one of the top officials to have used the term “Integrated Deterrenceâ€. According to him, although deterrence remains the cornerstone of US defence, going forward, the integrated deterrence approach will be adopted. So how different will integrated deterrence be from simple deterrence, in his opinion? For Austin, the logic of deterrence is still the same but will now span over multiple realms, including allies and partners. It will include the best and latest weapons and technologies. However, this is not new. Throughout the Cold War, the US and Russia were engaged in an arms race to develop the latest weapons to gain superiority over each other.
This full article was published in the Centre for Strategic and Contemporary Research (CSCR) on October 19, 2022, and can be read here: https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/defense-security/integrated-deterrence-increasing-complexity-and-decreasing-credibility/
