An arms race is a competition between two or more countries to develop and acquire the most advanced and powerful weapons systems. Arms races often involve the development and deployment of new technologies, such as nuclear weapons, missiles, and advanced military aircraft, and can lead to an escalation of tensions between the competing countries.

Arms races can be motivated by a variety of factors, including national security concerns, economic interests, and ideology. They can also be driven by a desire to achieve military superiority or to deter potential adversaries. Charles Glaser argues that numerous cases of arms races were suboptimal, as they entailed a waste of resources, damaged political relations, increased the probability of war, and hindered states in accomplishing their goals.

A very important argument in favour of disarmament is economic. The very important argument which are allocated for military purposes by the nations are a broad indication of what is denied to other avenues of public and private expenditure. If nations had not expended their means for military purposes, they could obviously have put the resources so consumed to many other uses. The military expenditures affect both the immediate consumption as well as future economic growth. The path of economic growth is barred. The nations are deprived of the mutual economic aid they could otherwise receive form one another. International trade and exchange of technological “know how” have been impeded. If there were no arms race, trade and other exchanges would almost certainly be easier. A halt to the arms race could by itself be an important stimulus towards the relaxation of other existing barriers.

The economic case for disarmament is closely linked with the social case. Military expenditure also has profound social consequences. The problem of poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, housing and that of raising standard of living is not only confined to the developing countries. These problems in some measure are also present in the rich countries. Military expenditures absorb resources which would otherwise be released for providing social services. The military expenditure for the world as a whole is about two and half times the estimated total of the publicity financed health expenditure. A rough calculation suggests that all medical research in the world consumes only about 4,000 million dollars as compared to some 25,000 million dollars spent on military research and development. Nuclear tests and explosions are having their polluting effects on the physical environment and thus bring environmental devastation.

Obstacles in the way of Disarmament

1. The problem of disarmament is closely related to the problem of security. According to Palmer and Perkins, There has long been a consciousness of an inverse relationship between disarmament and security. Unless some system can be evolved whereby nations will actually be more secure with less armed strength, disarmament will indeed remain a ‘pipe dream’. International tension and the mutual fear among the nations develop in them a feeling of insecurity. So long as the nations are not assured of their security, any effort for disarmament would meet with failure. No guarantee can be provided to nations in view of the nature of the present international society. In the conditions like this, every nation is bound to depend upon its own power for its security.
2. Another hindrance in the way of disarmament is the fear and mutual distrust. As a result, every nation views with suspicion the disarmament proposals put forth by others. Every nation feels suspicious about the intentions of others nations that while it way effect a reduction in its armaments, other may not do so. This mistrust functions in two ways, “it hampers initial agreement and it might lead to the break down should a disarmament scheme be put into operation.” But as Prof. Schleicher observes, “If there were perfect trust between nations, arms would be unnecessary and disarmament would but be the problem.” So the basic problem of disarmament is that there is lack of mutual trust among the nations.
3. No nation expresses itself against disarmament as such, but it views any disarmament plan from the point of view of its national interest. During disarmament negotiations such conditions are placed by some of the participants, which are not acceptable to others. As a result, the disarmament conferences fail. In fact, the nations lack the real desire for disarmament and that is why they put such condition which may not be acceptable to others. As a result the disarmament conferences fail.
4. The developments after the second’s world war divided the world into two blocs, and that gave birth to so call cold war. Every nation is concerned about its security because of unstable balance of power. Armaments are the result of certain psychological factors. So long as these factors persist, disarmament seems to be a distant possibility. And disarmament proposal is, therefore, considered by the nations only in the contest of present international system.
5. In the realm of armaments, the super powers have achieved the maximum limit. In other words, they have gained such a potential capacity in armaments that it would not be worthwhile to go any further. Today both the USA and the USSR are in the possession of overkill capacity. It is now in their interest to put a halt to arms\race. But the nations which are much behind in the arms race want disarmament only when they have reached a rough parity in arms with the super powers. They consider the power equality as the ideal situation for disbarment. Since this situation is highly improbable, disarmament also appears improbable in the near future.
6. One important hindrance in the way of disarmament is with regard to the ratio among the armaments of different nations after a reduction in the armaments has been effected. Every nation wants to be superior of disarmament to others. This question is always the first on the agenda of disarmament to others. This question is always the first on the agenda of disarmament conference and commissions as so what should be the nation among the armaments of different nations and within that ration how different types and quantities of armaments are to be allotted to different nations.