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ACCESSION NUMBER:231951
FILE ID:TX-429
DATE:06/18/92
TITLE:SIDE LETTER ON REDUCTIONS IN STRATEGIC OFFENSIVE ARMS (06/18/92)
TEXT:*92061829.TXT
SIDE LETTER ON REDUCTIONS IN STRATEGIC OFFENSIVE ARMS
(Text:  Understandings on U.S.-Russian accord)  (310)
(The following side letter, signed by Secretary of State Baker and
Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev, on U.S.-Russian reductions in strategic
offensive arms was issued June 18 by the State Department.)
In a separate letter, Secretary Baker outlines understandings reached
concerning the implementation of the Joint Understanding signed by
President's Bush and Yeltsin.  Russian Foreign Minister Kozyrev signed the
letter as having accepted and agreed to the points in the letter.
The START Treaty provides numerical limits for downloading strategic
ballistic missile warheads; aggregate downloading is limited to not more
than 1250 warheads at any one time.  In addition, except for the
Minuteman-III and SS-N-18, neither side may download more than 500
warheads.  The letter makes clear that the reductions to reach the limits
in the Joint Understanding may exceed these limits.
1
The START Treaty also requires that, if a missile is downloaded by more than
two reentry vehicles, then its reentry vehicle platform must be destroyed
and replaced with a new reentry vehicle platform.  In the interest of
facilitating additional reductions in warheads at the least cost, this
provision does not apply to the Joint Understanding.
The side letter makes clear that missiles that have been downloaded pursuant
to this new understanding may not be uploaded to their former status.
The letter states that conversion will not be required for up to 100 heavy
bombers that have been reoriented for conventional roles.
The letter states that these provisions will be incorporated into the treaty
that will record the agreements in the Joint Understanding signed by the
presidents today.
The United States also provides a separate assurance that bombers that have
been so reoriented will be used solely for conventional missions.
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