SIPRI YEARBOOK 1997

11. Nuclear arms control*
Shannon Kile

In 1996 some progress was made in advancing the nuclear arms control agenda in addition to the completion of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. In the USA and across the former USSR the large-scale dismantlement of strategic nuclear weapons and associated infrastructure proceeded ahead of the schedule set out in the START I Treaty. Within the framework of the treaty, Belarus and Ukraine fulfilled their pledges to withdraw to Russia the nuclear warheads based on their territories. International efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons received a boost when the Treaty of Pelindaba, establishing an African nuclear weapon-free zone, was opened for signature in Cairo.

There were also clear signs that the momentum behind further nuclear arms control measures was waning. The Russian Parliament appeared increasingly disinclined to ratify the START II Treaty, despite the US Senate's vote in favour of the treaty in January. US-Russian negotiations to clarify the application of the ABM Treaty to theatre missile defence systems continued to spark controversy, and bilateral talks on nuclear confidence-building and transparency measures remained in limbo. At the Conference on Disarmament, no progress was made towards a global ban on production of fissile material for military purposes.

Appendix 11A, by Robert S.Norris and William M. Arkin, contains tables of nuclear forces.