ABSTRACT
‘Hard realists’ claim, with Colin Gray, that arms control is impossible when needed and not necessary when possible – referred to as the arms control paradox (Gray 1992). Even with the fairly mixed experience of the current decade, this tool of security policy arguably remains useful, although, and maybe because, its role and specific applications have evolved and expanded considerably. Arms control refers to restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation, transfer, testing, deployment and usage of weapons. In addition to these hard security aspects, the arms control debate and negotiations also comprise softer elements, such as confidence-building measures, transparency, information exchange and verification.
