weapons, both j.n terms of thelr lethality and accutacy and the nulti{ission roles assigned to then. Tbe technological cbange originates in a few countries but it reaalily spreads to the rest of the vrorld through the transfer of arns' 46. In the absence of neaningful measures of disarnament ' particularly of nuclear disarnament, the arms race will 90 on' along with the altendant risk thab' voluntar ily or involuntarily, one or more of the nBjor arns race participants n|ay get alirectiy or indirectly invotved in regional conflicts' Practically a1l the military conflicts since the second world war have occurred i.n the developing countrles and the nrnnber of persons killed has been esLinated to be anywhere between those dead in the Second world war alone and those who died during both world vrars, 2g/ ot che 90 develoPing countries that have either actually experienced l6ese conflicts or have been close to them, not npre than 12 are known to possess any significant capabilities to produce the vteapons used in these conftlcts, and even they have inported weapons or technological know-hot' frofir the develoPed nortd in geneial and the rnajor military powers ln Particular'. whatever be the innediate cause of each loca1 war in the develoPing countries, this fact itself has contributed nuch to the circuLarity of the technological and strategic aspects of the arns race and the fragility of ddtente, unless it ts aPPlied on a ndr-selective basis to all the regions of the world' 47. The phenomenon of international arns transfers, large and groning both in volune anb cov€ra9€r has becorne a chief instrunent of linking the arrns race anong its major particiPants with the wiclely varied military outlays arpng the developing countries. Roughly one third of the internationat trade in arns is confined to the
**Analysis**
The text primarily focuses on the arms race, international arms transfers, and their impact on regional conflicts and global stability. While it touches on the idea of economic development, it does not explore it in-depth. The text is more concerned with the strategic and technological aspects of the arms race, which is linked to international trade and the transfer of arms.

**Category**
International trade, Science and technology