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Which U.S. and Russian missiles would have been eliminated under START II?
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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 terms of the START II treaty, the United States and Russia agreed to eliminate multiple independent reentry vehicles (MIRVs) on their intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).1
This provision was specifically intended to eliminate two of the most controversial missile systems of the Cold War:
- U.S. Peacekeeper missile: Also known as the MX, this three-stage ICBM entered service in 1986 and carried 10 warheads.12
- Russian SS-18: A heavy, liquid-fueled ICBM capable of carrying up to 10 warheads.12
Although START II was signed in 1993, it never entered into force and was ultimately repudiated by the Russian Duma in 2002 following the United States' withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty.1