Weapon Indexing and Weapon Ratios in Arms Control.

Abstract

A problem of recent concern in US-USSR strategic arms control negotiations is that of how to relate US advantages in bombers to Soviet advantages in missiles. One solution method suggests the use of an index factor, a weapon ratio, that would specify an allowable ratio between bomber and missile weapons. Theoretically, this ratio would be derived as a function of the characteristics of these weapons: time of flight, size, number, yield, equivalent megatonage, ability to penetrate defensive systems, etc. The current question is How many American ALCMs equal how many Soviet missiles? Another question, asked by proponent and opponent alike, is whether or not the derivation of such a ratio is possible. While an analytical proof may not avail itself to either side, arms negotiation experiences of the 192Os and 193Os can provide some useful insights and historical precedents for addressing the question of ratios.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 07, 1984
Accession Number
ADA362751

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Department of the Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Air Defense
  • Arms Control
  • Competition
  • First World War
  • Margin Of Safety
  • Naval Vessels
  • Navy
  • Negotiations
  • Power Distribution
  • Second World War
  • Ships
  • Small Ships
  • Submarines
  • Treaties
  • War

Readers

  • Missile Defense Systems.
  • Regression Analysis.
  • Systems Analysis and Design