Start II

The White House

Current as of: September 6, 1996
Created January 26, 1996
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: START II RATIFICATION SUMMARY

START II will increase stability at significantly lower levels of nuclear weapons. Overall strategic nuclear forces will be reduced by an additional 5,000 warheads beyond the 9,000 warheads being reduced under START I. The Treaty will set equal ceilings on the number of strategic nuclear weapons that can be deployed by either side.

By the year 2003, each side must have reduced its total deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 3,000-3,500. Of those, none may be on MIRVed ICBMs. Thus, all MIRVed ICBMs must be eliminated from each side's deployed forces; only ICBMs carrying a single-warhead will be allowed.