Beyond the MTCR: Building a Comprehensive Regime to Contain Ballistic Missile Proliferation

Overview

Dinshaw Mistry of the University of Cincinnati assesses the record of the Missile Technology Control Regime and the International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation in limiting missile proliferation. Mistry maintains that although the MTCR and the Code of Conduct may temporarily reduce a state’s determination to build ballistic missiles, they cannot prevent their ultimate development. In addition to offering qualified support for missile defenses and preemptive military strikes, Mistry proposes five measures to strengthen the MTCR and Code of Conduct: space service initiatives, regional missile-free zones, global intermediate-range missile bans, flight-test bans, and verification mechanisms.