美国战略空军司令部总司令戴维斯说,美国洲际导弹在核攻击下的生存能力比早先预计的要好,而且还可以进一步加强。他在给参院军备委员会战略和核力量分会的证词中说,自1976年以来,关于部署新型MX洲际导弹的许多辩论都是集中在有生存能力的基地部署问题上。然而,自那以后,情况已经发生了变化。戴维斯列举了引起重新预计美国洲际导弹生存能力的一些因素。这些因素是: Davis, commander of the U.S. Strategic Air Command, said the intercontinental missile’s survivability under nuclear attack was better than previously anticipated and could be further strengthened. In testimony to the Armed Services Committee’s Strategic and Nuclear Forces Branch, he said that since 1976, many debates on the deployment of new MX intercontinental missiles have focused on the deployment of a viable base. However, things have changed since then. Davis cited some of the factors that led to the re-estimation of the viability of the intercontinental missile in the United States. These factors are: