How did spy satellites contribute to arms-control agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union?

Spy satellites played a critical role in facilitating arms-control agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union by providing the technical means to verify compliance with treaties. During the Cold War, the Central Intelligence Agency utilized these satellites to monitor Soviet military developments, including the construction of rocket silos and the deployment of new missile systems.12

This capability was essential for the success of various arms-control efforts, such as the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. By allowing the U.S. to observe and verify the number of ICBMs and other strategic launchers possessed by the Soviet Union, satellite reconnaissance provided the necessary transparency to ensure that both sides adhered to agreed-upon limits. This intelligence-gathering helped mitigate fears of surprise attacks and allowed both superpowers to negotiate from a position of informed security, ultimately stabilizing the nuclear arms race despite the high levels of offensive capacity maintained by both nations.321