Procurement for Peace: Second Draft(Part 1)

Procurement for peace begins with conventional deterrence and conflict management: how states try to prevent war and keep crises under control.

The Cold War's two-bloc structure made conflict management easier to read because both sides knew that escalation might end in a general nuclear exchange.

During the short unipolar period, a sternly worded note carried weight because other states knew the United States had overwhelming military power behind it.

In a multipolar system, a state's influence in any crisis depends on how others judge both its available capability and its willingness to become involved.

Warships can support conflict management as well as combat because they have room for events and can project an image of capability.

Russian air-show maneuvers show how spectacle can create an impression of capability that differs from a technical comparison with American aircraft.