ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author concentrates on the problems related to the comparison between different conventional armament systems not because he believes that they are insurmountable, but because they must be understood and addressed if they are to be surmounted. He discusses the issue of military doctrine as well as the issues of the quantity and quality of conventional weapons. The chapter also discusses the upcoming conventional arms control talks in a conceptual framework. The NATO approach to the negotiations on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe has been characterized by a similar understanding. The objective of these negotiations is not the reduction or elimination of armaments themselves, but rather the achievement of peace and greater stability in Europe. The quantity and quality of conventional equipment also informs the doctrinal debate. The amount of a particular type of equipment possessed by a state usually changes the value of that equipment.
