<h1 class="ql-align-center"><strong style="color: rgb(230, 0, 0);">The New START Treaty&nbsp;</strong></h1><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p><h3><strong>Context&nbsp;</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">The Kremlin accused Washington of “destroying” weapons control agreements, after the U.S. said Russia was not complying with their last remaining arms pact, the New START treaty.</li></ul><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>About the the New START deal:</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">It is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation with the formal name of <strong>Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.</strong></li><li class="ql-indent-1">It was signed in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.</li><li class="ql-indent-2">Signed on 8 April 2010 in Prague, and, after ratification entered into force on 5 February 2011.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">It is one of the key controls on the superpower deployment of nuclear weapons.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">The treaty <strong>had replaced the 1991 START I treaty</strong> which expired in 2009.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">The treaty <strong>was to expire in 2021</strong>. But it has been <strong>extended for five more years, </strong>i.e. till February 2026.</li></ul><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>Under terms of the treaty:</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">Number of strategic nuclear missile launchers will be reduced by half.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">A new inspection and verification regime will be established, replacing the SORT mechanism.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">The number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads is limited to 1,550.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Number of deployed and non-deployed <strong>inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers, submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments to 800 will be limited.</strong></li></ul><h3><br></h3><h3><strong>Timeline to meet these Targets:</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">These obligations must be met within seven years from the date the treaty enters into force.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">The treaty will last ten years, with an option to renew it for up to five years upon agreement of both parties.</li></ul><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p><h1 class="ql-align-center"><strong>PRELIMS NOTES:</strong><a href="https://sunyaias.in/notes/prelims-2023" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);"><strong>CLICK HERE</strong></a></h1>