Arms transfers can prolong conflicts by several means:
Sustaining Combatants: Arms transfers can provide combatants with the necessary weaponry and resources to continue fighting. This sustenance prolongs the conflict by ensuring that both sides have the means to engage in hostilities.
Increasing Intensity: Arms transfers can escalate the intensity of conflicts by providing combatants with more advanced and destructive weaponry. This escalation often leads to increased casualties and destruction, making resolution more difficult.
Fuelling Arms Races: Arms transfers can trigger arms races between opposing factions or neighbouring states, leading to a cycle of increased militarization and tension. This dynamic perpetuates conflict and can spread instability across regions.
Undermining Diplomatic Efforts: Arms transfers can undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving conflicts peacefully. When parties to a conflict believe they have military support, they may be less inclined to engage in negotiations or compromise.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) database is valuable as it provides data on many countries arms imports/exports. It allows politics students to dissect military relationships to politics students for several reasons:
Comprehensive Data: SIPRI provides comprehensive data on international arms transfers, military spending, and arms production. This data allows students to analyse trends in arms trade, identify patterns of arms proliferation, and understand the dynamics of global military expenditure.
Research Opportunities: The SIPRI database offers a wealth of research opportunities for politics students interested in issues related to conflict, security, and arms control. Students can use SIPRI data to conduct empirical research, explore case studies, and develop policy recommendations.
Critical Analysis: SIPRI’s research and analysis provide insights into the complex political, economic, and strategic factors shaping the global arms trade. By engaging with SIPRI’s publications and data, politics students can develop critical thinking skills and gain a deeper understanding of contemporary security challenges.
Policy Relevance: SIPRI’s work is highly relevant to policymakers, analysts, and practitioners working in the fields of international security and arms control. By familiarizing themselves with SIPRI’s research, politics students can better understand the policy debates surrounding arms transfers and contribute to informed policy discussions.