Minot conducts START II mock exhibition

Minot conducts START II mock exhibition

Released: 18 Aug 1998

by 1st Lt. Chris Karns
Air Combat Command Public Affairs

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (AFNS) -- A Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty mock exhibition involving Air Force strategic nuclear weapons-capable aircraft took place here Aug. 12.

Air Combat Command conducted this practice, or mock, exhibition as part of its preparations for START II. The treaty, when ratified, will require the United States to exhibit its nuclear weapons-capable bombers within 180 days so signatory country inspectors can confirm the actual number of weapons that each aircraft can be carry.

The United States and Russia signed the treaty Jan. 3, 1993. The United States ratified it January 1996. It is currently awaiting ratification by the Russian Federation parliament.

The agreement allows the Russians to inspect the nuclear weapons-capable heavy bombers in the U.S. inventory once the Russian parliament ratifies the treaty, said Maj. Phil Vogel, chief of the treaty, plans and policy branch at Headquarters Air Force Directorate for Nuclear and Counterproliferation.

A 17-person On-Site Inspection Agency team from Washington and Travis Air Force Base, Calif., served as mock Russian inspectors during Minot's practice exhibition.

"We made the mock exhibition as realistic as possible by having the aircraft here and the training munitions uploaded on the aircraft," said Vogel. "We exercised the proper security measures, lodging requirements and all the other choreography involved in making an exhibition come together successfully."

A B-2 from the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Mo., and a B-52 here participated and were uploaded with training munitions to demonstrate their weapons load.

A B-1 from the 28th BW, Ellsworth AFB, S.D., was also on display. Although no longer nuclear capable, the B-1 was displayed in its conventional role; however, no B-1 munitions were displayed during the exhibition.

"People can read about these (aircraft) in any trade publication," said Col. Greg Power, 5th Bomb Wing commander. "However, the actual exhibition will help build trust by allowing the Russians to see the airplanes in person. These are trust-building exercises for both countries. The more we do these types of military-to-military visits the more we begin to understand one another militarily and culturally. This type of teambuilding will lead to a more peaceful world."

The original strategic arms reduction treaty -- START I -- currently being implemented, calls for a reduction of deployed warheads to 6,000 by 2001. Under START II, the United States and Russia are required to reduce the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 3,000-3,500 by 2007. All ICBMs will be single warhead missiles, as the treaty bans multiple warhead land-based ICBMs.

"The base has hosted our treaty partners before during START I inspections," said Vogel. "We will take the lessons learned from the START I experiences and the (START II) mock exhibition to make the actual exhibition and plan even better. We can't say when the treaty will be ratified, but we are cautiously optimistic it will. If it is ratified, we're ready and eager to return to Minot and host the actual exhibition." (Courtesy of ACC News Service)