This book, first published in 1986, argues that there is a special category of medium powers in the world – such as Britain, France, India, Brazil, Japan, China and others – which have sufficient military power to do something to protect their interests but which are not a match for the superpowers. It surveys the whole range of naval warfare – equipment, operations, organisation and deployment – and discusses how each item should be tailored by the recognition of the position of the medium power. It considers alliances, a key element for medium powers, and explores how these should be handled and what use they may be expected to fulfil. The book argues that the concept of medium power, here developed thoroughly for the first time, will be extremely useful to many countries in defining their strategic role in a purposeful way.

For this study, a group of Russian authors were commissioned to describe and assess the arms trade policies and practices of Russia under new domestic and international conditions. The contributors, drawn from the government, industry, and academic communities, offer a wide range of reports on the political, military, economic, and industrial implications of Russian arms transfers, as well as specific case studies of key bilateral arms transfer relationships.

The Arms Trade Treaty is the first universal disarmament treaty to control the export and import of all conventional arms. This commentary describes each provision of the Treaty, how it was negotiated, and the key challenges to its implementation.

This book offers a sober appraisal of the world trade in naval weapon systems at a time when recent attacks on merchant shipping in the Persian Gulf have kept maritime security at the centre of global attention. At the same time India, outside the international non-proliferation regime, has become the first-ever customer for a nuclear attack submarine. In 1987-88, the most expensive and controversial arms sales were related to naval systems, and yet while regional navies are busy increasing their firepower, the traditional naval powers remain dependent on their sea-borne trade. In particular the book highlights critical areas in which trade in naval systems differs from the sale of land or air systems, and it discusses the implications of these differences.