ABSTRACT
The arms race is a phenomenon with many causes Modern military technology, perceived as an extraordinary force multiplier, provides the "push power" for armaments. The focal point of the arms race since the emergence of the nuclear age has centered on efforts to make nuclear weapons usable and operational for nuclear war-fighting purposes. The push power of military technology ignited the pull power of the political economy of armaments. Technical measures can be supplemented by restricting funding for military research and development and by establishing national and international technological assessment bodies to act as early warning systems against excesses of military technology. Long overdue is the establishment of a UN International Satellite Monitoring Agency, which could make control and surveillance open for the international community. The sharp acceleration of the race in military technology has an ominous significance beyond the arms race and the danger of nuclear war.
