The New START Treaty is a nuclear arms reduction agreement between the United States and Russia, which was signed in April 2010 and entered into force in February 2011. The treaty replaced the previous START I treaty, which expired in December 2009, and aimed to further reduce the number of strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems held by the two countries.
Under the terms of the New START Treaty, the United States and Russia agreed to limit their deployed strategic nuclear warheads to no more than 1,550, which is down from the previous limit of 2,200 under START I. The treaty also limits the number of deployed and non-deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments.
In addition, the New START Treaty includes a number of transparency and verification measures, such as on-site inspections, data exchanges, and notifications, to help ensure compliance with the treaty’s provisions. These measures help the two countries to build trust and reduce the risk of miscalculation or misunderstanding, which could lead to a nuclear conflict.
The New START Treaty was originally set to expire in February 2021, but the United States and Russia agreed to extend it for an additional five years, until 2026. This extension was widely seen as a positive development, as it preserved the important gains made by the treaty and allowed for further progress towards nuclear disarmament.
However, the future of the New START Treaty remains uncertain, as both the United States and Russia continue to modernize their nuclear arsenals and develop new nuclear capabilities. Some experts argue that further arms control agreements will be needed in the future to continue reducing the risk of nuclear conflict and moving towards global disarmament.
Overall, the New START Treaty represents an important step towards reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world and promoting international peace and security. However, much more work remains to be done in order to fully address the threat of nuclear weapons and move towards a world free of nuclear weapons.