\22' Technical- developnent couLd. al-so l-ead to furtber deveLopnent of very lol'-yi.etdnuclear weapons and other types of tactieaf nuclear weapons in a vid.er range ofcapacities. With greater deplopoent of tactical nuclear weapons and a r,rider rangeof tasks assigned, there could be a higher risk of early resort to nuclear weaponsin a conflict, meaning that the trfirebre€k'! bet\"reen nuclear and. conventional,conflict is narrowed in regions where tactical nucl ear fieapons are depfoyed. rt isalifficult to exclude the possibility that escalation from theatve to strateeienuclear confl"ict night occur once tactical nuclea" reapons rn'ere used. l+23. l.,tat<ing an oyer-all Jud.gernent of the fuJ'l irplications of a11.. the qualitative inprovenent s is diffieult since the verious developeents appear capable of bothcontributing to and weakelring stability. In the most genera]. sense, qualitative improvernents may increase the reliance of the super-powers on nucrear lreapons. The adverse consequence for internations-I security which nuclear w.eapons per se are ad.judged. to have is therefore enhanced,r'/ 35 / 39? IJnglish -Artn ex Page 1J2 4?1,. The acquisition of a capability to engage in nuclear war-fighting 1ay become easier as a ?esu].t of ongoing irnprovements of nuclear-weapon systems. this capability can be expected to nake the strategic relationship betwee.n the super-Povers more complicated, Strategic deterrence may, as a resul-t r become more complex and crisis managenent and control- of escalation could be nore difficult. ff sor the result cou.ld be a higher instability in the rel-ationship betreen the super-?owers. If, in consequence, the super-Powers were to imdertake planning for l-indted nuclear exchanges, the range of circumstances in which the use of nuclear Heapons were contemplated. voul-d increase. If this aspect uere to be coupled with an increasing deployment of battlefield nuclear weapons, the effect rni ght be that the nuclear threshal-d would be Io',rered. Horizontal proliferation - impact of the spread of nuclear l,7eapons )+e5. Wfren lrance and Cl:ina became nuclear Por^rers it was widely assumed that this process of horizontal proliferation of nuclear rieapons was gathering an inexorable momentun. ft was said that the process would only concl-ude 1'hen the "Nth" country acquired nucl-ear weapons. Ilowever, since 1961+ no other State has emerged as a nuclear'-weapon State, In I97\,Ind-ia detonat.ed. a nuclear device, demonst"ating acapability to develop nuclear weapons, but at the s ame tirne declaring that it rrould
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the implications of technical developments in nuclear weapons on international security and the potential consequences for global stability. It highlights the risks of escalation, increased reliance on nuclear weapons, and the potential for horizontal proliferation. Given the focus on nuclear weapons and their impact on international relations, it is likely that the text is related to the field of science and technology.

**Category**
Science and technology