The United States and the Russian Federation reached a landmark agreement on June 17, 1992 to eliminate the most destabilizing strategic weapons--Heavy Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), and all other multiple warhead (MIRVed) ICBMs, as well as to reduce dramatically the total number of strategic nuclear weapons deployed by both countries. The chart below compares the limits set by the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and those agreed at the Summit to be included in a new treaty which will build upon the provisions of the START Treaty.

(1) The reductions can be made by the end of the year 2000 if the US can contribute to the financing of the destruction or elimination of strategic offensive arms in Russia.

(2) 6000 accountable warhead ceiling--comprising the number of warheads attributed to deployed ICBMs and SLBMs, the number of warheads attributed to Heavy Bombers equipped for long-range, nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missiles (LRNA) and one warhead attributed to each heavy bomber equipped for armaments other than LRNA.

(3) Warhead limits comprise the number of warheads attributed to deployed ICBMs and SLBMs and the number of warheads for which Heavy Bombers with nuclear missions are equipped.

(4) All START limits remain in effect. The new agreement will require additional reductions and establish separate limits, as shown in this table. Where no new limit is specified, only START limits pertain.

The chart below shows the actual warhead levels of deployed US strategic nuclear forces derived from attributed warhead levels declared as of September, 1990 in the START Memorandum of Understandng; the levels that would result from reductions under the START Treaty; and the levels the US could have after the reductions in the Joint Understanding are completed.