ABSTRACT
The United States and its allies have used a variety of formal and tacit arrangements to restrict the diffusion of advanced technologies to regions or countries perceived as inimical. The United States typically has been the most aggressive supporter of such efforts, beginning with a unilateral policy of security export controls against Soviet bloc nations imposed in 1948. Ballistic missiles traditionally have been singled out for more stringent export control than is applied to other technologies, including high performance aircraft and naval platforms, in part because of the linkage between nuclear proliferation and advanced missile delivery capabilities. The Missile Technology Control Regime has been plagued by its image as an idealistic arms control initiative designed to save the Third World from itself, rather than a prudent gesture to stem the deterioration of military environments in which the West may have to protects its own interests.
