Lethal tide: The worldwide threat from cheap conventional arms. Final report
The twentieth century has seen as unprecedented explosion in the manufacture and use of armaments. This has been accompanied by steady increases in the number, length and lethality of conflicts. Both trends have been accelerating since the end of World War II, especially with regard to the so-called Third World. The focus of most arms control efforts has been on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, with some secondary concern in the last two decades over sophisticated major conventional armaments. Virtually unnoticed have been the massive quantities of simple, inexpensive arms produced all over the globe and traded in channels overt, covert, and illegal. These items remain useful for many years. Equipment such as mortars and rifles find application in war after war, while ammunition keeps its explosive nature until it detonates. So the world, especially the Third World, has an ever growing sea of cheap arms, the old stuff still dangerous, more added every day. Review of selected conflicts, including Cambodia and Afghanistan, illustrates the depth of the trouble we are in and suggests some possible future directions in order to avoid drowning in this lethal sea.
- Research Organization:
- Air Univ., Maxwell AFB, AL (United States). Air War Coll.
- OSTI ID:
- 7244508
- Report Number(s):
- AD-A-280611/5/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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