CIAO DATE: 08/2014
July 2014
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
In trying to prevent adversaries from acquiring new military capabilities, countries often employ strategies of arms denial; e.g., “unilateral diplomacy,” supply chain interdiction, covert sabotage, and targeted military strikes. Using a game-theoretical model of weapons acquisition and denial, the authors posit that the prevalence of this approach gives rise to strategic effects that affect all players’ behavior.
Resource link: Shadow Wars of Weapons Acquisition: Arms Denial and its Strategic Implications [PDF] - 267K