That's exactly what the Soviets were afraid of. We spent them into
collapse because they thought our weapons might work. The B1 Bomber,
Star Wars, etc. They were fairly certain these things wouldn't work as
advertised, but they couldn't afford to take the chance that they might.
Unfortunately for them they also couldn't afford to keep up.

Dan Luke wrote:

"Corrie" wrote:

The "Peacemaker" never dropped a bomb in anger - it scared the
Soviets out of starting anything stupid in the dark days of the early
Cold War.


It would surprise me to learn that the Soviets were terrified of a
weapon based on the thoroughly discredited idea that heavily armed,
unescorted strategic bombers could fight their way deep into enemy
territory with acceptable losses. The B-36 always struck me as a flying
porkbarrel project propelled by Curtis LeMay's ego.