U.S. Nuclear Arsenal Drops, Russia's Missile Stocks Up - U.S. State Department Report
A newly released report of the U.S. military's nuclear arsenal by the State Department has disclosed that the country's number of nuclear missiles had continued to reduce in compliance to the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) treaty with Russia. The latter, however, continued the opposite.
Data collected as of Sept 1, 2014 showed that the number of deployed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, submarine-launched ICBMs and deployed heavy bombers by the U.S. went down from 809 the year before to 794. Russia's inventory was the opposite at 528, from 473 a year ago.
The U.S.' warheads on deployed ICBMs, SLBMs and nuclear warheads for deployed bombers, from 1,688, went down to 1,642. Russia recorded the same number at 1,642, but the report said the previous was 1,400.
President Barack Obama's bailiwick, as of Sept 2014, has 912 deployed and non-deployed missile launchers, from 1,015 a year ago. Vladimir Putin's Russia has 911, up from 894.
The U.S. and Russia signed the New START Treaty on April 2010 primarily to reduce the number of nuclear weapons and launchers that the two countries own and deploy. The agreement entered into force on February 2011, and is expected to last at least until 2021.
With majority of the U.S. nuclear arsenal assigned to the Air Force, the latter has worked to demolish deactivated launch facilities throughout 2014 to comply with the New START Treaty, according to the State Department report. Crews with the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana reported in August they have completed the demolition of 50 Minuteman III launch facilities. This was inspected and verified by Russian inspectors.
A report by Air Force Times further revealed the following details:
- 447 deployed ICBMs, down from 448.
- 307 nondeployed ICBMs, down from 313. That includes 56 of older, non-operational Peacekeeper missiles, down from 57.
- 467 deployed and nondeployed ICBM launchers, down from 557.
- Seven tests launchers, the same as the year before.
- 87 deployed B-2A Spirits and B-52H Stratofortresses, down from 101. In late 2013, the Air Force eliminated the last 12 of its 39 B-52Gs, a reduction that was required under the treaty.
- 22 nondeployed bombers, up from 21.
- Three test bombers, the same as the year before.
The report further said the nuclear arsenal assigned to the U.S. Navy was likewise mostly unchanged:
- 260 deployed Trident II submarine-launched missiles in both 2014 and 2013
- 151 nondeployed Trident IIs in 2014, up from 147
- 336 deployed and nondeployed missile launchers in both years.