Conventional arms and the arms trade

Abstract

The conventional weapons category includes a diverse range of weapons, perhaps more easily defined by what they are not (nuclear, chemical and biological weapons— the “weapons of mass destruction”) than what they are. In practice, conventional weapons are commonly understood to include devices capable of killing, incapacitating or injuring mainly (though not exclusively) through explosives, kinetic energy or incendiaries. Conventional weapons include, but are not limited to, armoured combat vehicles (personnel carriers and tanks, for example), combat helicopters, combat aircraft, warships, small arms and light weapons, landmines, cluster munitions, ammunition and artillery. (Small arms and light weapons, landmines and cluster munitions will be discussed in more detail in the chapters following this one.)