Arms Control & Disarmament

Muhammad Jawad Hashmi

Lecturer
Political Science and IR
University of Gurjat, Pakistan
 Definition
• The term "arms race" generally refers to peacetime competitions
between states for military superiority.
• A competition between nations for superiority in the
development and accumulation of weapons.
• An arms race, in its original usage, is a competition between two
or more parties to have the best armed forces. Each party
competes to produce larger numbers of weapons, greater armies,
superior military technology, etc. in a technological escalation.
• The nuclear arms race is a competition for supremacy
in nuclear warfare between the adversaries, and their respective
allies. i.e. Cold War nuclear arm race between USA & USSR.

• http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3401800259.html
Arms Race
 Definition
• Arms control, any international control or limitation of
the development, testing, production, deployment, or
use of weapons based on the premise that the continued
existence of certain national military establishments is
inevitable. The concept implies some form of
collaboration between generally competitive or
antagonistic states in areas of military policy to diminish
the likelihood of war or, should war occur, to limit its
destructiveness.
• http://
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/35537/arms-cont
rol
Arms Control: Efforts to control or limit such competitions
by mutual agreement are variously referred to as "arms control,"
"arms limitation," "arms reduction," or "disarmament
 Definition
• Disarmament is the reduction of the number of weapons &
troops maintained by a state.
• Arms control refers to treaties made between potential
adversaries that reduce the likelihood and scope of war,
usually imposing limitations on military capability.
• Although disarmament always involves the reduction of
military forces or weapons, arms control does not.
In fact, arms control agreements sometimes allow for the
increase of weapons by one or more parties to a treaty.
• http://
legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Arms+Control+and+
Disarmament
 Continuous
• Disarmament in the literal sense—the total
elimination of armaments—most diplomats and
commentators do not define it so.
• The United Nations and its subsidiary agencies use it
as a generic term covering all measures, "from small
steps to reduce tensions or build confidence,
through regulation of armaments or arms control,
up to general and complete disarmament.“
• http://
www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Arms_Control_and_Di
sarmament.aspx
Definition by Jaffrey Larsen
Thomas Schelling & Morton Halprin
Arms Control: General Concept
Disarmament
Arms Control & Disarmament
 Types
• Complete or general disarmament may involve the
elimination of a country’s entire military capacity.
• Partial disarmament may consist of the elimination of
certain types or classes of weapons or a general reduction
(but not elimination) of all classes of weapons.
• Disarmament agreements usually directly prohibit the
possession or production of weapons, arms-control
agreements often proceed by setting limitations on the
testing, deployment, or use of certain types of weapons
• http://
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/35537/arms-control
Major Arms Control Agreement
Continuous
 The Purpose of Arms Control
• It is a means to an end which is enhancing security,
especially security against nuclear weapons
• The three underlying principles of arms control are:
– It is a means to an end – national security
– States have a common interest in avoiding nuclear war
– Arms control and military strategy should work together to
promote national security (deployment of weapons or an
adverse tactical maneuver
 Objectives of Arms Control
• Should be in broad harmony with national
security strategy
• Arms control theory was developed during the
Cold War to deal with the questions of:
– What deters?
– How much is enough?
– What if deterrence fails?
To be Continuous