Arms Control Challenges to Defense Planning

Abstract

Understandably, military planners and strategists are often overtaken by real-world events. Given the profound changes in the world in the past few years, the basis for planners' analysis has not changed: strategy and force structure designed to enhance deterrence at reasonable and acceptable costs. Planners require new and refined guidance to move into uncharted post-Cold War waters. Military planners should call upon resources provided by arms control initiatives. Arms control offers the opportunity to negotiate parity at the lowest practical levels and to develop strategies and force structures with a relatively high assurance of success against potential enemies. The Strategic Arms Reduction Talks, Conventional Forces in Europe, and Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaties offer unique opportunities to apply arms control agreements to enhance defense planners' efforts. Future treaties should be shaped by defense needs as well as by arms control theories and broader foreign policy concerns.