U.S. and Soviet Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons U.S. Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons During the Cold War Throughout the Cold War, the United States deployed thousands of shorter-range nuclear weapons with US. forces based in Europe and Asia and on ships around the world. The United States maintained these deployments to extend deterrence and to defend its allies. Not only did the presence of these weapons (and the presence of US. forces, in general) increase the likelihood that the United States would come to the defense of its allies if they were attacked, the weapons also could have been used on the battlefield to slow or stop the advance of the adversaries conventional forces.
