[Raellus]

Did the French ever field a nuclear capable submarine-launched cruise missile? My hunch is no.

Re nuclear fingerprinting, I'm guessing that it might be difficult, if not impossible, to conclusive results during the full-scale conventional war with ongoing tit-for-tat tactical and strategic nuclear exchanges. Also, re detection, might tactical nuclear missile launchings not trigger satellite detection because their launch signature might be mistaken for conventional rocket artillery?

I'm not an expert on nuclear warfare, but US/NATO doctrine during the Eisenhower years was to use nuclear weapons if the Soviets initiated an invasion of W. Europe. I'm pretty sure that policy changed over time, but it's not inconceivable that NATO shot first.

IMHO, a false flag nuclear strike is not impossible, but it seems like it violates too many taboos to be plausible. I think a more likely scenario is a belligerent nuking an allied or neutral country as an area denial tactic (e.g. nuke our friend's oil fields as soon as they are overrun by the enemy). This, of course, would likely generate resentment among friends, to say the least.

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