It's seems to me that on a planet dense with nuclear powers, not needing to maintain a vast arsenal would be an advantage.
Sure, you need four or five big ones so you can start the chain reaction that ends all human civilization, just like your neighbors can, but since everybody else can be relied upon to complete the job once started--so the logic goes--it seems like the best move would be to have far fewer nukes than everybody thinks you do.
Of course the problem with that is that somebody somewhere is going to manage to keep the money for all of the nukes people think you have, thereby squandering the advantage.
Sure, you need four or five big ones so you can start the chain reaction that ends all human civilization, just like your neighbors can, but since everybody else can be relied upon to complete the job once started--so the logic goes--it seems like the best move would be to have far fewer nukes than everybody thinks you do.
Of course the problem with that is that somebody somewhere is going to manage to keep the money for all of the nukes people think you have, thereby squandering the advantage.