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What limits did New START place on strategic nuclear delivery vehicles?
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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.
Under the New START treaty, the United States and Russia agreed to specific limits on their strategic nuclear delivery vehicles to ensure transparency and reduce nuclear arsenals.1
The treaty established the following constraints regarding these systems:
- Total Delivery Vehicles: Each side is limited to a maximum of 800 strategic nuclear delivery vehicles, a figure that encompasses both deployed and nondeployed systems.12
- Deployed Systems: Within that total, no more than 700 delivery vehicles may be deployed, specifically categorized as ballistic missile launchers and nuclear-armed bombers.12
- Flexibility: The remaining delivery vehicles (up to the 800 limit) are designated for purposes such as training, testing, or as launchers without missiles. Outside of these specific caps, both nations maintain the freedom to mix different types of systems to align with their respective force structures.1
These limits represent a significant effort in arms control to maintain global stability by curbing the number of platforms capable of delivering nuclear weapons.1