ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the place of arms transfers and other forms of military support in overall Soviet policy toward the Third World—in particular the countries of Africa and Asia. One of the important changes in Soviet policy toward the Third World since the late 1960s has been increasing emphasis on the expansion of military relations between the Soviet Union and individual developing states. The major purpose of Soviet arms assistance and sales, however, has been political. The expansion of Soviet military capabilities and of a Soviet presence throughout much of Asia and Africa have increased Soviet possibilities for influencing future political and military developments. Soviet military assistance and arms transfer programs, as a part of overall policy toward the developing countries, are motivated primarily by political and strategic concerns. The arms export program of the USSR has differed in composition from that of the United States. Most important is the substantially greater role of military services in the American program.
