U.S. SEEKS TO WIDEN NUCLEAR DEAL WITH RUSSIA

U.S. SEEKS TO WIDEN NUCLEAR DEAL WITH RUSSIA

The U.S. wants to broaden its nuclear arms control pact with Russia to include all their atomic weapons 

U.S. special presidential envoy Marshall Billingslea urged China to join the talks on replacing the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which expires in February

New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty): Nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation

 

Signed on 8 April 2010 in Prague

 

Treaty entered into force on 5 February 2011 

Treaty will last ten years, with an option to renew it for up to five years upon agreement of both parties 

New START treaty is the successor to the START I. The START II was signed, but not ratified. The START III negotiating process was not successful

New START replaced the Treaty of Moscow (SORT), which was to expire in December 2012

Treaty limits the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550 

Limit the number of deployed and non-deployed inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers, submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments to 800

Number of deployed ICBMs, SLBMs, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments is limited to 700

When New START entered into force, both participating states could begin performing inspections on each other.

Each state is granted 18 on-site inspections per year, which can be designated into two categories: Type 1 and Type 2 inspections

Type 1 inspections are specific to military bases that house only deployed ICBMs, SLBMs and bombers. Type 2 inspections include facilities that have non-deployed systems as well. Only 10 Type 1 inspections and eight Type 2 inspections are allowed by the treaty each year

States can also announce the arrival of an inspection team with as little notice as 32 hours before

Treaty places no limits on tactical systems, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.