ABSTRACT

Nuclear arms control remains a priority for the foreseeable future for many stakeholders, and proposals have emerged to focus on capping nuclear warheads of the main nuclear-weapon states. However, delivery vehicles are another source of instability and arms race dynamics. Whether they are coupled with weapons of mass destruction or considered exclusively in the context of their use with conventional weapons, missiles are increasingly transferred, produced, modernized, and used in military conflicts. The development of offensive capabilities can also lead to a negative regional or global spiral with the increased deployment of defensive systems, and in response, new efforts to procure offensive weapons. It is therefore useful to keep thinking about ways to limit the destabilizing effect of these weapon systems. Some legal instruments currently exist in unilateral, bilateral or multilateral forums. Their focus may be limited to nonproliferation or they may cover a broader range of issues and address the behavior of states acquiring these delivery vehicles. This article will discuss ways in which these instruments can evolve to better respond to current trends and dynamics regarding missiles, but also will suggest new initiatives, particularly confidence-building measures, that could be useful to reduce the destabilizing effect of these systems.

摘要

在可预见的未来，对许多利益攸关方来说，核军备控制仍然是一个优先事项，并且已经出现了关注对主要核武器国家的核弹头进行封顶的提议。然而，运载工具是不稳定和军备竞赛动态的另一个来源。无论是与大规模杀伤性武器结合使用，还是仅考虑与常规武器一起使用，导弹越来越多地被转移、生产、现代化并用于军事冲突。随着防御系统部署的增加，以及作为回应，采购进攻性武器的新努力，进攻能力的发展也可能导致负面的区域或全球螺旋。因此，继续思考限制这些武器系统破坏稳定影响的方法是有用的。一些法律文书目前存在于单边、双边或多边论坛中。他们的重点可能仅限于防扩散，或者他们可能涵盖更广泛的问题并解决获得这些运载工具的国家的行为。本文将讨论这些工具可以如何发展以更好地响应当前导弹的趋势和动态，同时也将提出新的举措，特别是建立信任措施，这些举措可能有助于减少这些系统的不稳定影响。