ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses part of the military-stability problem, notably the part relating to East-West relationships, which is becoming synonymous with military stability between the Soviet Union and NATO. It examines the effects on military stability of relative force levels, absolute force levels and operational strategy. There are three principal issues to be addressed in thinking about military stability at low force levels: the force ratio; the force-to-space ratio; and operational strategy. Many of the historical instances of a defender being defeated despite near parity in the force ratio can be explained by force-to-space arguments. Strong differences of opinion exist about force-to-space requirements, but consensus exists about what is necessary to achieve the more optimistic divisional coverage capabilities. The chapter focuses on the lessons learned to draw conclusions about desirable future force postures and implications for negotiated or informal arms control.
