Political and technical verification issues of limitations on sea-launched cruise missiles. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Tue Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5486484

Myers, R K

This paper examines the political and technical verification issues associated with proposals to place quantitative and/or qualitative limits on the deployment of nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs). Overviews of the arms control relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union, the development of the SLCM, and Soviet and American concepts of verification are presented. The views of the American arms control and defense communities regarding the SLCM is discussed in depth, accompanied by a detailed examination of the various methods which have been proposed to verify a SLCM limitation agreement. The conclusion is that there are no technological barriers, per se, to SLCM verification, but as the decision on an agreement's verifiability is a political one, the U.S. Navy should concentrate its arguments against SLCM limitations on the weapon's operational utility rather than argue that such an agreement is unverifiable.

• Research Organization: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5486484
• Report Number(s): AD-A-209229/4/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

350101* -- Arms Control-- Policy
Negotiations
& Legislation-- Treaties-- (1987-)
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
AGREEMENTS
ARMS CONTROL
ASIA
CONSTRAINTS
CRUISE MISSILES
EASTERN EUROPE
EUROPE
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
MISSILES
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
POLITICAL ASPECTS
TREATIES
USA
USSR
VERIFICATION
WEAPONS