New START Treaty

Context:

The USA President has acknowledged the Russian president offer to voluntarily maintain limits for a year on deployed strategic nuclear weapons based on the New START Treaty.

UPSC Relevance:

International organization and important treaties

PYQ:

Q: The “New START” treaty was in the news. What is this treaty? 

A)It is a bilateral strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty between the USA and the Russian Federation 

B)It is a multilateral energy security cooperation treaty among the members of the East Asia Summit 

C)It is a treaty between the Russian Federation and the European Union for the energy security cooperation 

D)It is a multilateral cooperation treaty among the BRICS countries Species richness

What is New START Treaty?

• New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is the last remaining arms reduction pact between the former Cold War rivals and caps to 1,550 the number of nuclear warheads that can be deployed by Russia and United States of America.
• It entered into force on 5th February, 2011.
• It continues the bipartisan process of verifiably reducing U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear arsenals by limiting both sides to 700 strategic launchers and 1,550 operational warheads.
• Its duration is for ten years that is till 2021, but it was extended by five more years till 2026.

What limits did the New START impose on the two countries?

• 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments.
• 1,550 nuclear warheads on deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments (each such heavy bomber is counted as one warhead toward this limit).
• 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments.

Compliance:

• Detailed procedures for the implementation and verification of the central limits, and all treaty obligations, are part of the treaty terms.
• The treaty provides for 18 on-site inspections per year for US and Russian inspection teams. 
• Type One inspections focus on sites with deployed and non-deployed strategic systems (up to 10 per year), and Type Two inspections focus on sites with only non-deployed strategic systems (up to 8 per year).

What are the various Treaties signed Between USA & Russia?

• Strategic Arms Limitation Talks-1(SALT):
  • It began in 1969, Under the Interim Agreement, both sides pledged not to construct new Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) silos, not to increase the size of existing ICBM silos significantly, and capped the number of Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) launch tubes and SLBM-carrying submarines.

• Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty-1 (START):
  • Signed in 1991, the agreement required the destruction of excess delivery vehicles which was verified using an intrusive verification regime that involved on-site inspections, the regular exchange of information (including telemetry), and the use of national technical means (i.e., satellites).

• Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty-2:
  • Signed in 1993, called for reducing deployed strategic arsenals to 3,000-3,500 warheads and banned the deployment of destabilizing multiple-warhead land-based missiles.

• Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT):
  • Signed in 2004, under which the United States and Russia reduced their strategic arsenals to 1,700-2,200 warheads each.

• Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START):
  • Signed in 2010, a legally binding, verifiable agreement that limits each side to 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads deployed on 700 strategic delivery systems (ICBMs, SLBMs, and heavy bombers) and limits deployed and nondeployed launchers to 800.