US releases n-weapons data under START rules

27 Oct 2011

As of last month, the United States of America had 1,790 strategic nuclear warheads deployed, while Russia had fielded 1,566 long-range nuclear weapons, according to details emerging from a semi-annual, official information exchange mandated under a strategic nuclear arms control treaty between Russia and the USA.

The United States had 822 ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and nuclear bombers deployed at the time of the data exchange, the State Department said in a fact sheet released last week.

At its end, Russia had 516 such launch-ready delivery vehicles of various kinds.

The count of US bombers and ballistic missile firing platforms totalled 1,043, including fielded and reserve systems.

Russia reported holding 871 bombers and missile firing platforms.

The New START pact, which entered into force on 5 February, requires each side to reduce deployment of strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550, down from a cap of 2,200 mandated under an older treaty.