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How did the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty differ from START I?
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Strategic Arms Reduction Talks
U.S. Pres. Barack Obama talking with Russian Pres. Dmitry Medvedev, just before the two leaders issued a joint statement about their continued cooperation on the New START Treaty, December 4, 2009.
The Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT), also known as the Moscow Treaty, differed from START I in several key ways regarding scope, requirements, and verification:
- Reduction Targets: SORT mandated deeper cuts, requiring both the United States and Russia to reduce their strategic nuclear warheads to between 1,700 and 2,200 by December 31, 2012, whereas START I had set higher limits for warheads and delivery vehicles.1
- Elimination of Systems: Unlike START I, which required the actual destruction of delivery systems, SORT did not mandate the elimination of delivery vehicles.1
- Storage vs. Destruction: Under SORT, nondeployed warheads were permitted to be stored rather than destroyed.1
- Verification: While START I established rigorous, demanding verification measures—including on-site inspections, monitors at specific factories, and access to missile telemetry—SORT relied entirely on the existing verification mechanisms previously outlined in the START I treaty.1
In essence, while START I provided the foundational framework for monitoring and verification, SORT focused on achieving lower warhead counts with greater flexibility regarding the status of delivery systems and nondeployed weapons.1