Nuclear Weapons

Reagan and Gorbachev sign the INF Treaty (1987). Reagan library.

RECENT ANALYSIS

Feb 2, 2012
New START: One year later
With the anniversary of New START's entry into force, it's time for an examination of the treaty's successes, future opportunities, and the hurdles nuclear arms reductions still face, writes Kingston Reif in a new article published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
Jan 26, 2012
Are ambitious Life Extension Programs on Hold?
The B61 life extension program has come under increasing scrutiny. And for good reason writes Nickolas Roth in this new analysis.
Jan 9, 2012
Some Additional Thoughts on the Pentagon Strategy Review and Nuclear Weapons
On January 5 President Obama and Secretary of Defense Panetta unveiled new defense guidance at a press briefing at the Pentagon. The new strategy sets the stage, albeit cautiously, for further reductions in the U.S. nuclear arsenal and the nuclear weapons budget. How the play ends, however, remains to be seen, writes Kingston Reif in this new analysis.
See more articles »

John Isaacs

CENTER EXPERT

John Isaacs

Executive Director
202-546-0795 ext.2222
jdi AT armscontrolcenter DOT org

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By the late 1960s, it became apparent that while the arms race between the United States and Soviet Union was yielding thousands of additional nuclear weapons, it was not leading to greater security for either country or the world at-large.

Thus, in 1968, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the NPT, was opened for signature. In addition to establishing an international commitment to nonproliferation, the NPT laid the groundwork for eventual disarmament by all existing nuclear states. This disarmament vision was embodied in Article VI, which called upon signatories to negotiate "effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race" as well as "general and complete disarmament."

The NPT served as a prelude to the first round of Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT I) between the U.S. and Soviet Union. On May 26, 1972, SALT I produced bilateral pledges to freeze at existing levels the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers possessed by each country and to take other steps to mitigate the arms race. Most notably, SALT I also produced the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty banning missile defense systems as well as an interim agreement on strategic offensive arms.

In the past 30 years, various important agreements were negotiated and signed between the United States, Soviet Union (and its successor states), and other parties to reduce strategic nuclear stockpiles. These include the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Strategic Arms Reduction Talks I (START I) and the Lisbon Protocol, Strategic Arms Reduction Talks II (START II), Strategic Arms Reduction Talks III (START III), and the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT or Moscow Treaty).