Arms race

An arms race is a competition between two or more countries for military supremacy. Each party competes to produce superior military technology or armaments[?] (see weapons).

Historical examples of arms races abound. One significant recent example was the competition between the Soviet Union and the United States to develop improved nuclear weapons during the Cold War.

The term 'arms race' is also used generically to describe any competition where there is no absolute goal, only the relative goal of staying ahead of the other competitors.