The United States and the Russian Federation signed a protocol to continue the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program in Russia through June 2006. The protocol, to the "Agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States of America concerning the Safe and Secure Transportation, Storage and Destruction of Weapons and the Prevention of Weapons Proliferation," also referred to as the CTR Umbrella Agreement for Russia, was signed on June 15-16, 1999. The protocol extends the legal framework for the CTR program in Russia for an additional seven years.

Through the CTR program, also known as the Nunn-Lugar program after its primary congressional sponsors, Sen. Richard Lugar and former Sen. Sam Nunn, the Department of Defense provides equipment, services and technical support to assist Russia and other newly independent states in preventing proliferation and securing and dismantling weapons of mass destruction, related materials and production facilities inherited from the former Soviet Union.

By extending the Umbrella Agreement, the United States and Russia will be able to continue CTR efforts to reduce weapons of mass destruction and prevent their proliferation. Important current projects include:

Accelerating elimination of Russian missiles, bombers, submarines and land-based missile launchers to assist Russia in meeting Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty requirements.

Enhancing the safety, security, control, and accounting of nuclear warheads in transport and at all of Russia's nuclear weapons storage sites.

Ending Russia's production of weapons-grade plutonium.

Constructing a facility for the storage of nuclear material for up to 12,500 dismantled nuclear warheads.

Assisting Russia to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention by dismantling former chemical weapons production facilities and helping to destroy chemical weapons.

Through fiscal 1999, Congress has provided a total of $2.7 billion for CTR programs. Of the amount, $1.7 billion has been dedicated to efforts in Russia. Below are some of the past and expected future accomplishments of CTR efforts in Russia:

CTR assistance has helped Russia eliminate 50 missile silos. In the future, CTR will allow Russia to eliminate an additional 349 silos.

CTR assistance has helped Russia eliminate 284 land and submarine-based strategic ballistic missiles. In the future CTR will help Russia eliminate another 1,429 such missiles.

CTR is helping to dismantle approximately 30 strategic ballistic missile submarines.

CTR has supported the elimination of more than 40 heavy bombers.

CTR is providing security enhancements for 50 Russian nuclear weapons storage sites and will enhance the security at 73 more sites in the future.

For more information, contact Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Cooper at (703) 697-3189.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun1999/b06241999_bt307-99.html