Integrated Arms Control in an Era of Strategic Competition

Contemporary arms control must adapt to the changing geopolitical and technological landscape to remain effective. Measures that build confidence, reduce miscalculation, enhance transparency, and restrain military competition are crucial. Integrated arms control that enhances stability, embraces plurality, and reinforces resiliency is needed.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 68 pages
Publication date: 24 April 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Contemporary arms control faces significant challenges in keeping pace with the rapid rate of change in geopolitics and technology. While measures to build confidence, reduce miscalculation, enhance transparency, restrain costly and dangerous military competition, and offer useful mechanisms and venues for addressing sources of conflict will be of increasing value, arms control tools must be adapted to the current security environment, account for rapidly evolving technological and informational factors, and consider alternative structures, modalities, and participation models. This CSIS study examines the implications and prospects for the future of arms control in a highly competitive security environment, where challenges from advanced technologies and diminished state control over verification processes become increasingly prominent features. The report offers a reexamination of the broad contours of arms control and its role in managing competitive security risks and challenges, as well as the implications for U.S. policymakers, academics, and strategic thinkers engaged in U.S. nuclear policy.

One of the key challenges facing arms control is the increasing complexity and multifaceted nature of arms control agreements. As the scope of arms control expands to include new technologies and modalities, such as cyber weapons and outer space, the challenges of verification and compliance become more complex. This has led to calls for a more comprehensive and integrated approach to arms control, which recognizes the interconnectedness of different security issues and seeks to address them in a holistic manner.

Another challenge facing arms control is the changing nature of state control over verification processes. As states become more technologically advanced, they are able to develop more sophisticated means of monitoring and verifying compliance with arms control agreements. This has led to concerns that states may use these technologies to gain an advantage over their adversaries and undermine the effectiveness of arms control.

To address these challenges, arms control tools must be adapted to the current security environment. This includes developing new technologies and modalities that can enhance verification and compliance, as well as developing new structures, modalities, and participation models that can accommodate the changing nature of state control over verification processes.

One approach to adapting arms control tools to the current security environment is to focus on building confidence and reducing miscalculation. This can be done through measures such as transparency, confidence-building measures, and arms control verification. Transparency can help to build trust between states and reduce the likelihood of miscalculation, while confidence-building measures can help to reduce the likelihood of conflict. Arms control verification can help to ensure that arms control agreements are being implemented in a manner that is consistent with their terms.

Another approach to adapting arms control tools to the current security environment is to focus on enhancing transparency. This can be done through measures such as open-source intelligence, data sharing, and public reporting. Open-source intelligence can help to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities, while data sharing can help to improve the accuracy of intelligence analysis. Public reporting can help to hold states accountable for their compliance with arms control agreements.

In addition to adapting arms control tools to the current security environment, it is also important to consider alternative structures, modalities, and participation models. This can include developing multilateral agreements that involve a wide range of states, as well as developing bilateral agreements that involve a smaller number of states. Multilateral agreements can help to ensure that arms control agreements are being implemented on a global scale, while bilateral agreements can help to address specific security concerns between two states.

However, adapting arms control tools to the current security environment is not without its challenges. One of the biggest challenges is the cost of arms control. Arms control agreements can be expensive to implement, and they can require significant resources to monitor and verify compliance. This can make it difficult for some states to participate in arms control agreements, particularly if they are facing economic challenges.

Another challenge is the political will to implement arms control agreements. Arms control agreements can be politically sensitive, and they can be difficult to negotiate. This can make it difficult for some states to participate in arms control agreements, particularly if they are facing political opposition.

To address these challenges, it is important to have a strong commitment to arms control. This can be done through the development of a comprehensive and integrated approach to arms control, as well as through the development of a strong international community that is committed to arms control.

In conclusion, contemporary arms control faces significant challenges in keeping pace with the rapid rate of change in geopolitics and technology. While measures to build confidence, reduce miscalculation, enhance transparency, restrain costly and dangerous military competition, and offer useful mechanisms and venues for addressing sources of conflict will be of increasing value, arms control tools must be adapted to the current security environment, account for rapidly evolving technological and informational factors, and consider alternative structures, modalities, and participation models. By doing so, we can help to ensure that arms control remains a vital tool for managing competitive security risks and challenges in the future.

Weight: 213g
Dimension: 282 x 216 x 10 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538140512