Russia, U.S. slow down pace of strategic weapons reduction under START Treaty

Russian Mobile ICBM Parade File Photo

(Interfax – October 7, 2015)

The United States and Russia shared the data on the condition of strategic offensive weapons according to the 2010 START Treaty, ex-chief of the General Staff of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces Col. Viktor Yesin told Interfax-AVN on Oct. 7.

“The information published by the U.S. State Department, it’s a pity that it was not the Russian Defense Ministry, concerning the condition of strategic offensive weapons in the U.S. and Russia on the results of data exchange as of September 1, 2015 particularly said that as compared with the previous years, the pace of putting excessive weapons out of combat order was slowed down,” the expert said.

The U.S. State Department said that by September 1 the U.S. had 898 deployed and non-deployed launchers of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-based ballistic missiles and heavy bombers. This indicator makes up 877 units in Russia. Including 762 U.S. deployed delivery vehicles, 526 – in Russia. The number of nuclear warheads on deployed delivery vehicles in the U.S. is 1,538, in Russia – 1,648.

“Over the past calendar year starting from September 1, 2014, the U.S. has put 14 launchers of missiles and heavy bombers out of combat order, Russia – 34 units. This number is lower than in the previous years,” Yesin said.

To meet the START Treaty parameters the U.S. should put 98 pieces of strategic offensive weapons out of combat order, Russia – 77 pieces within the next 2.5 years until February 5, 2018, he said.

“Meanwhile, the U.S. will have to reduce 62 deployed delivery vehicles, Russia will not need to do so, because the country continues to have a real ‘lack’ in the number of deployed delivery vehicles regarding the limit of 700 units set under the START Treaty. Today the country has 526 deployed delivery vehicles,” the expert said.

Meanwhile, he said that as to the number of warheads on deployed delivery vehicles “Russia surpasses the limit of 1,550 warheads by 98 units set in the Treaty.” The U.S. has a ‘lack’ of 12 units of such warheads.

“Here I do not see any problems, because the excessive number of warheads are easily removed from deployed ICBMs and submarine-based ballistic missiles and are stored. The lacking warheads can be mounted on deployed delivery vehicles in the same easy way if necessary, because their stocks allow doing so,” the expert said.

Russia and the U.S. “will honor their obligations under the 2010 START Treaty” by February 5, 2018, he said. “By this deadline Russia is expected not to reach the level of 700 deployed delivery vehicles permitted by the treaty. I believe that the country will have about 600 such delivery vehicles. However, it is not critical, because Russia will not cede to the U.S. in the number of warheads on deployed delivery vehicles, and this is the most important thing. As these are warheads, not delivery vehicles which hit the objects,” Yesin said.

Russia will be also behind the U.S. in the so-called breakout potential, so, delivery vehicles and warheads, which are being stored and may be brought back in combat service. “But the U.S. will not be able to make use of this advantage, keeping within the framework of the Treaty, which is in effect until February 5, 2021,” the expert said.

“We are confident that by the expiration of the effect of the 2010 START Treaty Russia will make up for a deficit in the number of delivery vehicles and will equalize with the U.S.”.

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