ABSTRACT
This chapter is based on research sponsored by the US Air Force at The RAND Corporation. Conventional arms control is moving toward the forefront of the security debate in the Atlantic alliance. The long moribund talks on mutual and balanced force reductions will probably soon be replaced by new negotiations on conventional "stability" in the region from the Atlantic to the Urals. This change of forum coincides with new political interest in conventional arms control, stemming in large measure from the debate over nuclear weapons and NATO strategy. The design of a single overall concept for both defense and arms control planning can be a three-step process: First, an overall defense objective should be stated. Second, the current balance of forces could be assessed to see how far NATO is from the desired objective. Third, steps needed to eliminate the gap could be proposed, in both the defense and arms control fields.
