The dangers of new weapon systems
Clearly any effort to understand the impact of technological change on arms control must consider the nature of that change. It is this to which the first four papers in this volume are devoted. If there is conventional wisdom here, it says that change is rapid and rather unpredictable. Furthermore it is generated by large organisations of scientists, soldiers and officials in both East and West pursuing what they see as the technologically possible. Only rarely do they need to refer to each other's achievements to justify their own efforts. The papers in this section comment directly or indirectly on the elements in this conventional wisdom. Long's contribution, for instance, analyses US efforts to operate a decision-making system meant to produce weapons which fill a military need rather than just incorporate some appealing technological opportunity. His writing reminds us that technological advances rarely spring from the blue but from areas where progress seemed possible and to which funds had been directed. Tsipis, for his part, relies on the laws of physics to support his scepticism of the prospects for 'beam' weapons.
- OSTI ID:
- 6796018
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
PROLIFERATION
RISK ASSESSMENT
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
ARMS CONTROL
DECISION MAKING
DIRECTED-ENERGY WEAPONS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
LEADING ABSTRACT
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PARTICLE BEAMS
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USA
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BEAMS
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NORTH AMERICA
WEAPONS
450202* - Explosions & Explosives- Nuclear- Weaponry- (-1989)
350200 - Arms Control- Proliferation- (1987-)
290600 - Energy Planning & Policy- Nuclear Energy
293000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Policy
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