Peace Action Fund of New York State
Peace Action New York State
NUCLEAR TREATIES: A CRASH COURSE
Limited Test
Ban Treaty
1963
Nuclear NonProliferation
Treaty (NPT)
1967
1968
Outer Space
Treaty
Strategic Arms
Limitation
Treaty I (SALT I)
1972
Anti-Ballistic Missile
(ABM) Treaty
Strategic Arms
Limitation Treaty II
(SALT II)
1979
1987
IntermediateRange Nuclear
Forces Treaty (INF)
Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty
(START)
1991
New
START
Treaty
1996
2010
Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty
(CTBT)
1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty— This treaty prohibits the detonation of nuclear weapons
in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water. However, it doesn’t prohibit
underground tests unless radioactive debris falls on territory outside of the state
conducting the test1.
1967 Outer Space Treaty—Guarantees outer space as an area free from armed conflict
and strictly for scientific exploration only; no nuclear weapons or weapons of mass
destruction can be lawfully deployed in space.2
1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty— This is the core of the international commitment
to making sure that nuclear weapons do not spread to nonnuclear states and non-state
actors and that new countries do not develop their own nuclear arsenals. Nearly 190
countries have signed as member states although notable exceptions include North
Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel. It does not however, restrict trade of materials for the
purpose of peaceful nuclear energy so long as such activities are regulated by the IAEA.3
1
http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/ltbt1.html
http://history.nasa.gov/1967treaty.html
3
(http://www.state.gov/t/isn/npt/index.htm)
2
1
1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM)—Severely limited ballistic missile defense
systems deployed by the USA and USSR. This was a crucial mechanism in sustaining
Cold War stability because both superpowers would be mutually vulnerable to the
other’s attack. If one became impervious to attack by the other, then the threat of
nuclear war would increase. The United States withdrew in 20024
1972- Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty I (SALT I)— The Soviet Union and the United States
agreed to freeze their nuclear arsenal numbers at 1972 levels. Although no permanent
reductions occurred as a result here, it paved the way for bigger and better things in the
SALT II Treaty.5
1979- Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty II (SALT II)—This is the first long-term,
comprehensive arms reduction treaty. Signed by Brezhnev and Ford, it cut a
substantial slice off of the nuclear stockpiles of both countries.6
1987—Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF)—This treaty eliminated a whole
class of nuclear weapons: missiles with a range between 500 and 5500 kilometers.7
1991—Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)—Another huge arms reduction treaty.
Central limits include: 1,600 Strategic Nuclear Delivery Vehicles (SNDVs); 6,000
accountable warheads; 4,900 ballistic missile warheads; 1,540 warheads on 154 heavy
intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the Soviet side8. As a follow-up to this
successful treaty, START II—which severely limited MIRVs or missiles carrying multiple
nuclear warheads9—and START III—which proposed reduction of arsenals to as low as
1,500 warheads per country10—negotiations were initiated although never enacted.
1996—Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)—So far, this treaty is inactive Once in effect,
it would make any nuclear arms testing, including underground testing, illegal. The
United States has yet to ratify it although President Obama has promised that after the
end of the Senate’s ratification of the New START treaty, the CTBT is next in line.11
4
(http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/abm/abm2.html)
http://www.atomicarchive.com/Treaties/Treaty8.shtml
6
http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/salt2-1.html
7
http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/treaties/inf1.html
8
http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/start1/index.html
9
http://www.fas.org/nuke/control/start2/index.html
10
http://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/start3
11
http://www.acronym.org.uk/ctbt/index.htm
5
2
2010—New START Treaty—The most recent of the major nuclear arms agreements
between the United States and Russia, New START institutes more major cuts including
1,550 nuclear warheads each, which is “70% lower than the limit of the 1991 START
Treaty.”12
Changes in U.S.
Nuclear Stockpile—
Just to get a sense of
how the treaties
impacted the number
of nuclear weapons
in the grand scheme
of things, check out
these graphs!
12
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/key-facts-about-new-start-treaty
3