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U.S. Commitment to NPT Article VI
Fact Sheet Released by the Bureau of Nonproliferation
April 1, 2000, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Department of State
[end of file]The U.S. commitment to NPT Article VI is broad and deep. In March 2000 President Clinton reaffirmed that the United States is committed to the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons. The United States is fulfilling its obligations under Article VI and is doing so as expeditiously as possible. This is demonstrated not only by the results of bilateral negotiations with Russia, but also in multilateral and in unilateral actions. The following information highlights this U.S. record since the end of the Cold War.
Reducing Nuclear Weapons and Delivery Systems
- START I: U.S. is below the final limit on bombers and missile launchers; missile launchers and bombers are being destroyed; all ballistic missile systems to be eliminated under START I have been deactivated; U.S. is ahead of schedule in reducing to the limit of 6,000 deployed strategic nuclear warheads.
- START II: U.S. Senate has approved; will reduce deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 3,000 - 3,500 (2/3 reduction from end of Cold War). U.S.-Russia will seek early deactivation of systems to be eliminated under START II once it enters into force.
- START III: U.S.-Russia agreed on a limit of 2,000 - 2,500 deployed strategic nuclear warheads (80% reduction). Will also include for first time transparency measures related to inventories and destruction of strategic nuclear warheads.
- Over 13,000 U.S. nuclear weapons have been dismantled.
- U.S. has allocated $3.2 billion to date in the Cooperative Threat Reduction program with states of the former USSR that have helped in the return to Russia of more than 3,000 strategic nuclear warheads from Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, and in the elimination of some 1,000 missile launchers, missiles, and bombers.
Reducing the Role of Nuclear Weapons
- Nuclear weapons are playing a smaller role for the U.S. than at any other time in the nuclear age. There are no current military requirements to develop or produce new nuclear weapons. No new nuclear weapon types have produced since 1992.
- There are no new ICBMs or SLBMs under development. Trident force will be reduced. U.S. targets no nation with its ballistic missiles. B-2 production halted. U.S. strategic bombers are not on alert. Numerous strategic and tactical nuclear programs canceled. U.S. Army, Marines, and Navy surface and air components are out of the nuclear weapons business.
- There has been a reduction of over 85% in the number of NATO sub-strategic nuclear weapons in Europe; NATO nuclear delivery systems have gone from 11 to one and are no longer maintained in alert status.
Ending Nuclear Weapon Test Explosions
- U.S. has not conducted any nuclear test explosion since 1992; President Clinton has reaffirmed the moratorium; U.S. took lead in negotiating CTBT and President Clinton was first world leader to sign it in 1996.
- U.S. continues to fund its share of CTBT Preparatory Commission; has formed Task Force to work toward U.S. ratification and enlisted former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Shalikashvili to assist.
Ending the Production of Fissile Material for Nuclear Weapons/Disposing of Excess Fissile Material/Securing Stockpiles of Fissile Material
- U.S. announced halt in production of fissile material for nuclear weapons in 1992; all relevant facilities are shut down, deactivated, scheduled for deactivation or converted.
- 1997 U.S.-Russian agreement permanently closes 24 production reactors in both countries; U.S. has supported since 1993 global treaty to ban production of fissile material for nuclear weapons.
- Some 226 tons of fissile material has been removed from the U.S. military stockpile; 12 tons is under IAEA inspection, another 78 tons has been offered for inspection.
- U.S.-Russia-IAEA trilateral initiative is addressing technical and legal measures for verifying that excess fissile material is never again used in nuclear weapons.
- U.S. is converting excess fissile material to a form unusable in nuclear weapons. 63 tons of uranium is being converted and a 2-track strategy adopted for plutonium.
- U.S. and Russia are close to concluding an agreement that will codify principles for disposition of plutonium removed from nuclear weapon programs. Once in place, the U.S. and Russia will each proceed to dispose of 34 tons of such plutonium.
- U.S. has allocated more than $700 million to assist in upgrading security at 55 sites in the former USSR where some 650 tons of weapon-grade fissile material are stored.