Climbing the Ladder

Explaining the Vertical Proliferation of Cruise Missiles

Bibliographic Data

ID10071452
AuthorsBryan R Early (0000-0003-1020-9302, Political Science, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, Albany, NY, USA, corresponding author), Nolan Fahrenkopf (0000-0003-0587-624X, Center For Policy Research), Michael C Horowitz (0000-0002-3067-7157, Political Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA), James I Walsh (0000-0002-5833-1705, Political Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC, USA)
Year2022
Volume66
Issue6
Pages955-982
Publication date2022-04-08
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Conflict Resolution (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-0027 • E-ISSN: 1552-8766
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00220027221079399
OpenAlexW4225536363
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited40

Why do some states possess more advanced military technologies than others? Our study explores the vertical proliferation of land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs), seeking to understand which demand- and supply-side factors best explain why some countries acquire more sophisticated LACMs. We theorize that states’ security environments, regime types, possession of related strategic technologies, and membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) influence the possession of more sophisticated cruise missiles. Our analysis employs a unique new global dataset with granular data on every LACM national militaries have deployed. We use this dataset to evaluate the proliferation of LACMs across the international system from 1991–2015. Using a selection model that first controls for the horizontal proliferation of LACMs, we find that insecurity, scientific and technical expertise from related technologies, the possession of highly authoritarian and highly democratic regimes, and MTCR membership all have positive effects on the sophistication of LACM-possessors’ arsenals

Authoritarianism · Business · Computer security · Cruise · Cruise missile · Democracy · Economic system · Economics · Missile · Political science · Politics · Possession (linguistics · Sociology · Sophistication · Sovereignty · Aerospace Engineering · Computer Science · Defense, Military, and Policy Studies · Engineering · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Maritime Security and History

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