Limiting SLCMs - a better way to START
For nearly six years of US-Soviet negotiations on strategic arms, the United States has managed to avoid facing up to the arms control challenge posed by sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs). Later in 1989, US and Soviet negotiators are scheduled to resume work on a largely complete START treaty requiring deep reductions in US and Soviet strategic arms. SLCMs seem certain to be the most contentious of the remaining treaty issues. To be sure, until the all-important question of SDI and the ABM Treaty is resolved, the entire negotiation will remain deadlocked. But given the technical, budgetary and legal obstacles SDI faces in the United States, the Soviet willingness to accept less-than-absolute limits on the program, and the stated views of key advisers to President Bush, there are grounds for cautious optimism. Along with its decision on SDI the Bush administration's approach to SLCMs can be viewed as an important indicator of President Bush's interest in completing an early START treaty. A negotiating stance that continues the ill-advised US refusal to establish genuine arms control limitations on SLCMs would suggest that President Bush is unwilling or unable to make the kind of tough political decisions necessary to achieve this historic treaty. On the other hand, if US negotiators are authorized at the appropriate time to explore with the Soviet side some of the new arms control schemes for SLCMs developed over the past several years, not only could START be completed relatively quickly, but the treaty would better serve US security interests.
- OSTI ID:
- 5120982
- Journal Information:
- Arms Control Today; (USA), Journal Name: Arms Control Today; (USA) Vol. 19:3; ISSN ACOTE; ISSN 0196-125X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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