Nuclear Weapons
Reagan and Gorbachev sign the INF Treaty (1987). Reagan library.
RECENT ANALYSIS
-
Jul 2, 2009
Backgrounder on Obama-Medvedev July 2009 Moscow Summit
From July 6 to 8, 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian Federation President Dmitry Medvedev will meet in Moscow for their first full summit. High on their agenda is the impending expiration of the landmark 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and the ongoing negotiations to replace it with a new strategic arms reduction agreement. -
Jun 24, 2009
House Armed Services Committee Action on the FY 2010 Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 2647)
The House Armed Services Committee completed its markup of the Fiscal Year 2010 Defense Authorization bill (HR 2647) on June 17, 2009. The marked-up bill recommends an overall FY 2010 authorization level of $680.5 billion, which includes $130 billion for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and $550.5 billion for the Pentagon and nuclear weapons activities. -
Jun 23, 2009
U.S. Foreign Policy toward Iran in the Obama Era
Though burdened with political constraints on its freedom of action, the Obama administration already has made overtures to Iran that may appear merely symbolic but have historically proven successful at breaking the ice in preparation for larger diplomatic initiatives. In this new policy brief, Travis Sharp argues that there are reasons to be guardedly optimistic about the future of U.S.-Iranian bilateral relations. - See more articles »
START Resource Center
Click here to read "Strengthening U.S. Security Through Non-Proliferation and Arms Control: Recommendations for the Obama Administration"
Project on Reorganizing for Arms Control and Nonproliferation
By the late 1960s, it became apparent that while the arms race between the United States and Soviet Union was yielding thousands of additional nuclear weapons, it was not leading to greater security for either country or the world at-large.
Thus, in 1968, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the NPT, was opened for signature. In addition to establishing an international commitment to nonproliferation, the NPT laid the groundwork for eventual disarmament by all existing nuclear states. This disarmament vision was embodied in Article VI, which called upon signatories to negotiate "effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race" as well as "general and complete disarmament."
The NPT served as a prelude to the first round of Strategic Arms Limitations Talks (SALT I) between the U.S. and Soviet Union. On May 26, 1972, SALT I produced bilateral pledges to freeze at existing levels the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers possessed by each country and to take other steps to mitigate the arms race. Most notably, SALT I also produced the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty banning missile defense systems as well as an interim agreement on strategic offensive arms.
In the past 30 years, various important agreements were negotiated and signed between the United States, Soviet Union (and its successor states), and other parties to reduce strategic nuclear stockpiles. These include the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Strategic Arms Reduction Talks I (START I) and the Lisbon Protocol, Strategic Arms Reduction Talks II (START II), Strategic Arms Reduction Talks III (START III), and the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT or Moscow Treaty).
FY2010 BUDGET ANALYSIS
Jun 24, 2009 House Armed Services Committee Action on the FY 2010 Defense Authorization Bill (H.R. 2647)
Jun 2, 2009 Obama Nuclear Nonproliferation Budget Disappointing
May 15, 2009 President Obama’s First Budget Shortchanges Nunn-Lugar
ARTICLES & FACT SHEETS
Jul 2, 2009 Backgrounder on Obama-Medvedev July 2009 Moscow Summit
Jun 23, 2009 Will the Senate Support New Nuclear Arms Reductions?
Jun 22, 2009 Factsheet on the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty
Apr 16, 2009 A Strategy for Achieving Senate Approval of the CTBT
Apr 13, 2009 START Follow-On Treaty and Further Nuclear Reductions: Where Are We?
Mar 23, 2009 Corral That Bomb Testing (C.T.B.T.): Politics, Messaging, Verification, Cheaters
Nov 14, 2008 Understanding and Preventing Nuclear Terrorism
Jul 3, 2008 Governmental Reorganization to Strengthen Arms Control and Nonproliferation
Apr 15, 2008 Potential U.S. Ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) Fact Sheet
Apr 15, 2008 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) Fact Sheet
Mar 19, 2008 10 Reasons to Support a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
ADDITIONAL READING
- Congressional Research Service, "U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Development, and Issues," updated August 5, 2008.
- Congressional Research Service, "The Reliable Replacement Warhead Program: Background and Current Developments," updated July 23, 2008.
- Congressional Research Service, "Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban-Treaty: Background and Current Developments," updated May 28, 2008.
- Congressional Research Service, "Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements," updated April 9, 2008.