The arms race at sea is a dangerous nuclear race which is causing growing international concern and must be brought under control. What are the hard facts about the situation? This book documents the realities of the competition - especially the nuclearization of naval forces - and dispels some of the myths surrounding the naval arms race. This incisive analysis of naval forces of the East and West concludes that, contrary to common perceptions, the US and its allies have a considerable military advantage over the Soviet Navy, a trend which is expected to continue for the foreseeable future. The authors describe in detail the widespread nuclearization of naval forces of all five nuclear navies, analyse the implications for security and arms control, and conclude with suggestions for possible arms control measures.

Originally published in 1989, this book reviews the history of maritime control measures from before the First World War and provides a critical examination of both the objectives of maritime power and the concepts of disarmament, peace zones, parity, verifiability and peaceful co-existence. It argues that the objectives or maritime power are not necessarily incompatible with international security and that strategic deterrence can contribute to improved security. Limitation measures, it is argued, can in some cases be double-edged, endangering other security fields and having a destabilizing effect. The book stresses the need for non-absolute solutions in order to achieve a reasonable level of security and makes proposals for both structural and confidence-building measures along those lines