(As of July 1, 2008)
Press Contacts: Daryl Kimball, Executive Director, (202) 463-8270 x107; Wade Boese, Research Director, (202) 463-8270 x104
|
"START-Accountable" [1]
|
Strategic Nuclear Delivery Vehicles
|
Strategic Nuclear Warheads
|
| Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) |
550
|
1,600
|
| Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs) |
432
|
3,264
|
| Bombers |
232
|
1,087
|
|
Total
|
1,214
|
5,951
|
Changes in U.S. Strategic Forces Since 1990
| "START-Accountable" [1] |
Strategic Nuclear Delivery Vehicles
|
Strategic Nuclear Warheads
|
||
|
September 1990
|
July 2008
|
September 1990
|
July 2008
|
|
ICBMs |
||||
|
MX/Peacekeeper
|
50
|
50
|
500
|
400
|
|
Minuteman III
|
500
|
500
|
1,500
|
1,200
|
|
Minuteman II
|
450
|
0
|
450
|
0
|
|
Subtotal
|
1,000
|
550
|
2,450
|
1,600
|
SLBMs |
||||
| Poseidon (C-3) |
192
|
0
|
1,920
|
0
|
| Trident I (C-4) |
384
|
96
|
3,072
|
576
|
| Trident II (D-5) |
96
|
336
|
768
|
2,688
|
| Subtotal |
672
|
432
|
5,760
|
3,264
|
Bombers |
||||
| B-52 (ALCM) |
189
|
95
|
1,968
|
950
|
| B-52 (Non-ALCM) |
290
|
47
|
290
|
47
|
| B-1 |
95
|
71
|
95
|
71
|
| B-2 |
0
|
19
|
0
|
19
|
| Subtotal |
574
|
232
|
2,353
|
1,087
|
| Total |
2, 246
|
1,214
|
10,563
|
5,951
|
KEY:
| ICBM | Intercontinental Ballistic Missile |
| SLBM | Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile |
| ALCM | Air-Launched Cruise Missile |
1. The United States met the START I implementation deadline of December 5, 2001, seven years after the treaty's entry into force. The treaty limits the United States and Russia each to 6,000 "accountable" warheads and 1,600 delivery vehicles (missiles and bombers). All data is taken from the initial START I Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of September 1, 1990 and the most recent MOU of July 1, 2008.
All figures are based on START counting rules, as negotiated between the United States and the Soviet Union and specified in the treaty text. Thus, numbers do not necessarily reflect those weapons systems that are operationally deployed. For example, under START I, heavy bombers that are not equipped to carry long-range nuclear air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) will be counted as carrying only one warhead, regardless of the number of bombs or short-range attack missiles that they actually carry. Moreover, 150 U.S. heavy bombers that are capable of carrying ALCMs will be counted as carrying only 10 missiles each, even though they have the capacity to hold 20 missiles each. Finally, U.S. deployed ICBMs and warheads are less than reported. In September 2005, the United States completed the retirement of all 50 MX/Peacekeeper missiles, and, in July 2008, the United States completed a reduction of the Minuteman III fleet from 500 ICBMs down to 450 missiles.
Sources: START Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of September 1, 1990 and the most recent MOU of July 1, 2008.