STANDING CONSULTATIVE COMMISSION
COMMON UNDERSTANDING
RELATED TO PARAGRAPH 2 OF SECTION III OF THE
AGREED STATEMENT OF NOVEMBER 1, 1978, REGARDING CERTAIN PROVISIONS
OF ARTICLES II, IV, AND VI OF THE TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA AND THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS ON THE
LIMITATION OF ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEMS OF MAY 26, 1972, AND THE
UTILIZATION OF AIR DEFENSE RADARS AT THE TEST RANGES REFERRED TO IN
ARTICLE IV OF THAT TREATY
In accordance with the provisions of the Treaty Between the United States of America and the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems of May 26,
1972, hereinafter referred to as the Treaty, the Parties thereto, in further development of the
agreement recorded in paragraph 2 of Section III of the Agreed Statement of November 1, 1978,
with a view to precluding the possibility of ambiguous situations at the test ranges referred to in
Article IV of the Treaty, have, within the framework of the Standing Consultative Commission,
additionally agreed that:
each Party will refrain from launching strategic ballistic missiles to the area of such a test range or
from launching ABM interceptor missiles at that test range concurrent with the operation of air
defense components located at that range;
in agreeing to the foregoing the Parties recognize the possibility of circumstances -- the appearance
of a hostile or unidentified aircraft -- in which, for the purpose of providing for air defense, a
necessity for the operation of air defense components, located at the test range for carrying out air
defense functions including providing for range safety, may arise unexpectedly during the launch
of a strategic ballistic missile to the area of the test range or during the launch of an ABM
interceptor missile at that range. Should such an event occur, the Party which had such a
concurrent operation will, as soon as possible, but within thirty days, provide notification to the
other Party describing the circumstances of the event. It will, if necessary, on a voluntary basis,
also inform the other Party about the event or hold consultations with it within the framework of
the Standing Consultative Commission, as provided for in Article XIII of the Treaty and
paragraph 4 of the Regulations of the Standing Consultative Commission.
This Common Understanding constitutes a component part of the agreement reached between the
Parties with regard to the provisions of paragraph 2 of Section III of the Agreed Statement of
November 1, 1978, and does not affect other provisions of that Agreed Statement or the
provisions of the common understandings thereto reached by Commissioners in the Standing
Consultative Commission on November 1, 1978.
The provisions of this Common Understanding will be used by the Parties in their implementation
of the provisions of the Treaty and the Agreed Statement of November 1, 1978, beginning on the
date of signature of this Common Understanding, that is, June 6, 1985.
COMMISSIONER,
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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COMMISSIONER,
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST
REPUBLICS
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