Roles of Technological Innovation in the Arms Race

Abstract

Technological innovation can play two different roles in arms races. The first, and most generally acknowledged, is to accelerate them by providing new types of weapons. The second, now becoming increasingly important, is to assist in stopping arms races and accelerating and maintaining disarmament. Examples of the second kind of innovation are new concepts for verification of arms control and disarmament treaties, and new concepts for peaceful means to increase national and global security that can help shift attention from primary reliance on arms. This paper discusses both of these roles.