Is There a Case for Qualitative Constraints on Conventional Armaments,

Abstract

It is increasingly evident that the U.S. is in a period of major change in conventional military capabilities. However, there has been surprisingly little analytic attention paid to the implications of those changes for defense budgets, for the conduct of conventional warfare and for arms control concerns. This paper is intended as an initial effort to draw together and critique the arguments that have been made regarding these issues. In doing so, it addresses three general questions in a manner intended to spur debate rather than to reach confirmed conclusions: (1) Are qualitative arms advances a critical issue; (2) are constraints on those advances desirable from the U.S. perspective or do those advances favor U.S. interests; and (3) what are the problems associated with alternative arms control approaches.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1975
Accession Number
ADA021198

Entities

People

  • James L. Foster

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arms Control
  • Budgets
  • Conventional Warfare
  • Military Budgets
  • Military Capabilities
  • Social Sciences
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Economics
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies