2 May 2024

Missile Proliferation and Control in the Asia-Pacific Region

Dr Jeffrey Lewis & Kolja Brockmann

While the global arms-control architecture crumbles or comes under greater pressure, more countries in the Asia-Pacific region are importing or developing increasingly capable conventionally armed precision-guided missiles. The remaining fabric of regional stability is being further eroded by the confrontation between Russia and the United States, and by China’s apparent objective of reaching approximate numerical parity with Russia and the US in its deployment of nuclear warheads.

The first section of this report maps how states in the Asia-Pacific, particularly those in East and Southeast Asia and parts of Oceania, have acquired ballistic and cruise missiles, and in some cases subsequently established a domestic production capability. The second section analyses to what extent and how these countries have engaged with missile-control mechanisms and confidence-building measures.

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