Slashdot Mirror


US, Russia Reach Nuclear Arsenal Agreement

Peace Corps Library writes "The United States and Russia, seeking to move forward on one of the most significant arms control treaties since the end of the cold war, announced that they had reached a preliminary agreement on cutting each country's stockpiles of strategic nuclear weapons, effectively setting the stage for a successor to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start), a cold war-era pact that expires in December. Under the framework, negotiators are to be instructed to craft a treaty that would cut strategic warheads for each side to between 1,500 and 1,675, down from the limit of 2,200 slated to take effect in 2012 under the Treaty of Moscow (PDF) signed by President George W. Bush. The limit on delivery vehicles would be cut to between 500 and 1,100 from the 1,600 currently allowed under Start. Perhaps more important than the specific limits would be a revised and extended verification system that otherwise would expire with Start in December. The United States currently has 1,198 land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-based missiles and bombers, which together are capable of delivering 5,576 warheads, according to its most recent Start report in January, while Russia reported that it has 816 delivery vehicles capable of delivering 3,909 warheads. 'We have a mutual interest in protecting both of our populations from the kinds of danger that weapons proliferation is presenting today,' said President Obama."

3 of 413 comments (clear)

  1. Fallout by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    boooo, there goes my hopes of one day having a child that would roam the wastelands and be the savior of all humanity.

    1. Re:Fallout by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 2, Funny

      Don't worry if they both keep cutting their arsenals like this they will just leave themselves at the mercy of China. BTW this child saviour of yours does he have a talking dog?

      --

      Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

  2. Re:Robert Strange McNamara 1916 - 2009 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    When you say "partially responsible for guiding the world through the cold war without destroying modern civilization", are you referring to Billy Jean or Beat It?