Since the Second World War five navies are known to have acquired nuclear weapons, and naval forces and activities around the world have become increasingly important and dangerous. However, there has been no serious consideration of naval arms control for more than forty years. SIPRI gathered together a group of experts from eight nations to consider the problems of naval forces and the possibilities for arms control. This book is a product of that conference, and it presents for the first time a broad and detailed assessment of the dangers of the naval arms race, problems with arms control, possible approaches, confidence-building measures, and verification technologies.

Readership: UN delegates, naval professionals and enthusiasts, people interested in arms control, peace groups, students and teachers of political studies, strategic studies, journalists who cover defence and arms control issues.

Edited by Richard Fieldhouse, Research Fellow, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

"`As East and West move towards a state where the possibility of meaningful naval arms control talks can be undertaken, this book will be an important source for anyone involved in such discussions.' Navy International"

"'invaluable controbution to the discussion ... In Security at Sea, published under the auspices of SIPRI, he has assembled a most worthy collection of authors with an impressive degree of experience in the fields of both arms control and maritime strategy ... excellently produced ... hghly readable and very well illustrated.' British Army Review, No.96, December 1990"

"'The tone is set by an excellent introductory paper by Fieldhouse himself, and the general quality of the pieces is high ... an excellent brief for students and policy-makers.' Peter Nailor, Gresham College, Political Studies, Volume XXXVIII, No.4, Dec 1990"