page_title: Tripwire force
section_title: Concept
hierarchical_section_title: Tripwire force / Concept
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Carri sovietici T-55 schierati davanti al Checkpoint Charlie il 28 ottobre 1961, fronteggiano i mezzi corazzati americani
context_page_description: A tripwire force is a strategic approach in deterrence theory. The tripwire force is a military force smaller than that of a potential adversary, which is designed to signal the defending side's commitment to an armed response to future aggression without triggering a security spiral.
context_section_description: A tripwire force is a military force significantly smaller than the forces of a potential adversary.  The tripwire force helps deter aggression through the demonstration of the defending side's commitment to militarily counter an armed attack, even if the tripwire force cannot mount a sustained resistance itself. In the event an attack occurs, it helps defend against the aggressor by slowing the advance of the aggressor's forces to allow the defender time to marshal additional resources. The tripwire force can, in some instances, also be useful in deterring salami attacks.
  Because the tripwire force is too small, by itself, to present an offensive threat, it can be deployed without triggering the security dilemma.
  The term "glass plate" has been used as a synonym for tripwire force; an attack against the force metaphorically shatters the "glass" between peace and war. 
  The credibility of a tripwire force is tied to the "force having relevant combat capabilities and being of sufficient size that an adversary could neither sidestep nor capture the force" as well as to the potential of the defender to actually mobilize reserves robust enough to launch a counter-attack in a timely manner.
caption: The U.S. Army deployed a tripwire force to Berlin during the Cold War to deter the Soviet Union, whose tanks are pictured here during the Berlin Crisis of 1961.
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