What did the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty require the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate?

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, signed in 1987, required the United States and the Soviet Union to eliminate their entire stocks of land-based intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.1

Specifically, the treaty mandated the destruction of the following systems:

• Intermediate-range missiles: Defined as ground-launched cruise missiles and ballistic missiles with ranges between 1,000 and 5,500 km (620 to 3,400 miles), such as the Soviet SS-20 and the U.S. Pershing II.21
• Shorter-range missiles: Defined as ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 1,000 km (310 to 620 miles), including the U.S. Pershing 1A and the Soviet SS-12 and SS-23.1

Beyond the missiles themselves, the agreement required the destruction of associated launchers, support equipment, and structures. This landmark arms-control accord was the first to abolish an entire category of weapons systems and established unprecedented on-site verification procedures to ensure compliance.1