Sea-launched cruise missiles: Technology, missions, and arms control verification

Conference · Wed Dec 14 23:00:00 EST 1988 · AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6468352

Scribner, R A

Sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs) present some particularly striking problems for both national security and arms control. These small, dual-purpose, difficult to detect weapons present some formidable challenges for verification in any scheme that attempts to limit rather than eliminate them. Conventionally armed SLCMs offer to the navies of both superpowers important offensive and defensive capabilities. Nuclear armed, long-range, land-attack SLCMs, on the other hand, seem to pose destabilizing threats and otherwise have questionable value, despite strong US support for extensive deployment of them. If these weapons are not constrained, their deployment could circumvent gains which might be made in agreements directly reducing of strategic nuclear weapons. This paper reviews the technology and planned deployments of SLCMs, the verification schemes which have been discussed and are being investigated to try to deal with the problem, and examines the proposed need for and possible uses of SLCMs. It presents an overview of the problem technically, militarily, and politically.

• Research Organization: School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, and Center for International Security and Arms Control, Stanford University
• OSTI ID: 6468352
• Report Number(s): CONF-8804202-
• Journal Information: AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States), Journal Name: AIP Conf. Proc.; (United States) Vol. 178:1; ISSN APCPC
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

350300 -- Arms Control-- Verification-- (1987-)
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450202* -- Explosions & Explosives-- Nuclear-- Weaponry-- (-1989)
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ARMS CONTROL
ASIA
CRUISE MISSILES
EASTERN EUROPE
EUROPE
MILITARY STRATEGY
MISSILES
NATIONAL DEFENSE
NATIONAL SECURITY
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
SEAS
SECURITY
SURFACE WATERS
USA
USSR
VERIFICATION
WARFARE
WEAPONS