PROTOCOL TO THE TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS ON THE LIMITATION OF
STRATEGIC OFFENSIVE ARMS, TOGETHER WITH AGREED STATEMENTS AND
COMMON UNDERSTANDINGS REGARDING THE PROTOCOL
The United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, hereinafter referred to
as the Parties,
Having agreed on limitations on strategic offensive arms in the Treaty,
Having agreed on additional limitations for the period during which this Protocol remains in
force, as follows:
Article I
Each Party undertakes not to deploy mobile ICBM launchers or to flight-test ICBMs for such
launchers.
Article II
1. Each Party undertakes not to deploy cruise missiles capable of a range in excess of 600
kilometers on sea-based launchers or on land-based launchers.
2. Each Party undertakes not to flight-test cruise missiles capable of a range in excess of 600
kilometers which are equipped with multiple independently targetable warheads from sea-based
launchers or from land-based launchers.
Agreed Statement. Warheads of a cruise missile are independently targetable if maneuvering or
targeting of the warheads to separate aim points along ballistic trajectories or any other flight
paths, which are unrelated to each other, is accomplished during a flight of a cruise missile.
3. For the purposes of this Protocol, cruise missiles are unmanned, self-propelled, guided,
weapon-delivery vehicles which sustain flight through the use of aerodynamic lift over most of
their flight path and which are flight-tested from or deployed on sea-based or land-based
launchers, that is, sea-launched cruise missiles and ground-launched cruise missiles, respectively.
First Agreed Statement. If a cruise missile is capable of a range in excess of 600 kilometers, all
cruise missiles of that type shall be considered to be cruise missiles capable of a range in excess
of 600 kilometers.
First Common Understanding. If a cruise missile has been flight-tested to a range in excess of
600 kilometers, it shall be considered to be a cruise missile capable of a range in excess of 600
kilometers.
Second Common Understanding. Cruise missiles not capable of a range in excess of 600
kilometers shall not be considered to be of a type capable of a range in excess of 600 kilometers
if they are distinguishable on the basis of externally observable design features from cruise
missiles of types capable of a range in excess of 600 kilometers.
Second Agreed Statement. The range of which a cruise missile is capable is the maximum
distance which can be covered by the missile in its standard design mode flying until fuel
exhaustion, determined by projecting its flight path onto the Earths sphere from the point of
launch to the point of impact.
Third Agreed Statement. If an unmanned, self-propelled, guided vehicle which sustains flight
through the use of aerodynamic lift over most of its flight path has been flight-tested or deployed
for weapon delivery, all vehicles of that type shall be considered to be weapon-delivery vehicles.
Third Common Understanding. Unmanned, self-propelled, guided vehicles which sustain
flight through the use of aerodynamic lift over most of their flight path and are not
weapon-delivery vehicles, that is, unarmed, pilotless, guided vehicles, shall not be considered to
be cruise missiles if such vehicles are distinguishable from cruise missiles on the basis of
externally observable design features.
Fourth Common Understanding. Neither Party shall convert unarmed, pilotless, guided
vehicles into cruise missiles capable of a range in excess of 600 kilometers, nor shall either Party
convert cruise missiles capable of a range in excess of 600 kilometers into unarmed, pilotless,
guided vehicles.
Fifth Common Understanding. Neither Party has plans during the term of the Protocol to
flight-test from or deploy on sea-based or land-based launchers unarmed, pilotless, guided
vehicles which are capable of a range in excess of 600 kilometers. In the future, should a Party
have such plans, that Party will provide notification thereof to the other Party well in advance of
such flight-testing or deployment. This Common Understanding does not apply to target drones.
Article III
Each Party undertakes not to flight-test or deploy ASBMs.
Article IV
This Protocol shall be considered an integral part of the Treaty. It shall enter into force on the
day of the entry into force of the Treaty and shall remain in force through December 31, 1981,
unless replaced earlier by an agreement on further measures limiting strategic offensive arms.
DONE at Vienna on June 18, 1979, in two copies, each in the English and Russian languages,
both texts being equally authentic.
FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
JIMMY CARTER
President of the United States of America
FOR THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS:
L. BREZHNEV
General Secretary of the CPSU, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
| 