"There was no race - but to the extent that there was an arms competition, it was almost entirely on the Soviet side, first to catch up and then to surpass the Americans"

Herman Kahn's quote is describing the Cold War arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union. He is saying that while there was no actual race in between the two nations, the Soviets remained in a competitors to capture up and ultimately go beyond the Americans in terms of military power. This competitors was mainly one-sided, with the Soviets making the most effort to increase their military capabilities. The United States, on the other hand, was content to preserve its existing military strength. This arms race was a major consider the Cold War, as both sides looked for to acquire a benefit over the other. The arms race ultimately ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, however the tradition of the Cold War still remains today.