llm/52671bed-a32b-4001-8725-0574603461fb/topic-9-e17358fc-d4b3-446f-9f27-f0e61c8d2f21-output.json
While the United States maintains contingency plans for a "decapitation strike" against Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, debate persists over whether Pakistan’s lack of a sea-based second-strike capability renders its deterrent ineffective against a superpower. Critics argue that Pakistan has no capacity to strike the American mainland, leaving it capable only of targeting regional bases or potentially misdirecting a retaliatory strike toward India. Because of these tactical limitations and the high likelihood of US missile defenses intercepting regional launches, some suggest that Pakistan’s ultimate security rests not on its own weapons, but on the threat of Chinese intervention and the resulting risk of a global conflict.