ABSTRACT
Nuclear technology has transformed the potential destructiveness of warfare. By the late 1970s, however, even sympathetic observers were concerned about the problems that technology posed for the efforts to codify the strategic balance through arms control. Advocates of arms control argue that the very process of reaching agreement on reductions or limitations generates confidence and cooperation. It is hard to argue, however, that extended deterrence and political stability in crucial areas such as Europe are most strongly affected by technological factors related to strategic nuclear weapons. In the pre-nuclear era, fear of being unable to accomplish one's objectives also served as a deterrent. A more uncertain but potentially higher payoff concept is the X-ray laser driven by a nuclear explosion in space. In the terminal phase, nuclear weapons could work to the defender's advantage, but Strategic Defense Initiative's insistence on nonnuclear Kinetic Energy Weapons may give an insurmountable bonus to an attacker armed with the new technology of maneuvering warheads.
