What limits did SALT II place on MIRVs and strategic bombers?

The SALT II treaty, signed in 1979, sought to restrain the arms race by establishing specific numerical constraints on strategic nuclear delivery systems.1

Regarding multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) and strategic bombers, the treaty implemented the following limits:

• MIRVed Systems: The treaty placed specific caps on the number of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) that could be equipped with MIRVs.1
• Strategic Bombers: Limits were placed on the number of heavy, long-range bombers allowed for each side.1
• Overall Capacity: These categories were part of a broader aggregate limit, which set a ceiling of approximately 2,400 total strategic launchers for each superpower.1

The primary objective of these restrictions was to defer the vulnerability of land-based ICBM systems to potential preemptive attacks by MIRVed missiles. Although the treaty was not formally ratified by the U.S. Senate due to rising geopolitical tensions, both the United States and the Soviet Union voluntarily observed these agreed-upon limits in the years that followed.1