Dealing with the Threat of Cruise Missiles (Adelphi series)

Many analysts and defense planners predict that the developing world will soon exploit the scientific, economic and social transformations that are contributing to a "revolution in military affairs" to develop significant quantities of land-attack cruise missiles. Even worse, weak export controls could permit direct purchases of advanced cruise missiles from major industrial suppliers. If the use of large numbers of cruise missiles becomes widespread, the strategic consequences for international security could be profound. This book illuminates how the cruise missile threat may unfold and examines its strategic consequences. It argues that, because the unfolding pattern of the threat remains so unclear, more must be done now to develop and implement hedging strategies to dissuade adversaries from acquiring cruise missiles or to delay the threat's emergence. Such hedging strategies should forge a tighter link between military solutions and more effective nonproliferation policies.