Arms Control At Sea

Originally published in 1989, this book reviews the history of maritime control measures from before the First World War and provides a critical examination of both the objectives of maritime power and the concepts of disarmament, peace zones, parity, verifiability and peaceful co-existence. It argues that the objectives or maritime power are not necessarily incompatible with international security and that strategic deterrence can contribute to improved security. Limitation measures, it is argued, can in some cases be double-edged, endangering other security fields and having a destabilizing effect. The book stresses the need for non-absolute solutions in order to achieve a reasonable level of security and makes proposals for both structural and confidence-building measures along those lines

Since the Second World War five navies are known to have acquired nuclear weapons, and naval forces and activities around the world have become increasingly important and dangerous. However, there has been no serious consideration of naval arms control for more than forty years. SIPRI gathered together a group of experts from eight nations to consider the problems of naval forces and the possibilities for arms control. This book is a product of that conference, and it presents for the first time a broad and detailed assessment of the dangers of the naval arms race, problems with arms control, possible approaches, confidence-building measures, and verification technologies.

The arms race at sea is a dangerous nuclear race which is causing growing international concern and must be brought under control. What are the hard facts about the situation? This book documents the realities of the competition - especially the nuclearization of naval forces - and dispels some of the myths surrounding the naval arms race. This incisive analysis of naval forces of the East and West concludes that, contrary to common perceptions, the US and its allies have a considerable military advantage over the Soviet Navy, a trend which is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. The authors describe in detail the widespread nuclearization of naval forces of all five nuclear navies, analyse the implications for security and arms control, and conclude with suggestions for possible arms control measures.

For most of the Cold War naval arms control was the forgotten dimension of arms control. Beginning in the late 1980s, however, it has become increasingly prominent in the East-West dialogue. But it is usually studied from the perspective of Soviet-American relations. This book examines the subject from a European perspective. What role might naval arms control play in the European context? What impact might naval arms control have on the interests and perceptions of European states? What opportunities for and obstacles to naval arms control exist in Europe? The authors address these questions, describing the naval interests and attitudes towards naval arms control of European coastal states, as well as the Soviet Union and the United States, in the Norwegian, Baltic, and Mediterranean seas.

Naval Arms Control examines the context for naval arms control in the ongoing restructuring of East-West relations. Current changes in naval force postures are reviewed and a special analysis is made of military developments in Northern waters. Aims, approaches and procedures of naval arms control are presented and discussed making clear the choice between negotiated arms control and unilateral changes of naval strategy. The book also presents specific proposals making the arguments for and against clear and discussing them in relation to naval forces in general and to nuclear weapons at sea.