Global Security Newswire

The U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction program last month eliminated eight single-warhead ICBMs in Russia, Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) announced yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 29).

In addition to eliminating the SS-25 Sickle missiles, which have a range of 6,500 miles and can be fired from mobile launchers, the Nunn-Lugar program destroyed two submarine-launched ballistic missiles and transported five train shipments of nuclear weapons to secure storage areas.

Since being established in 1991 to secure and eliminate weapons of mass destruction in former Soviet states, the CTR program has deactivated 7,260 strategic nuclear warheads and destroyed 682 ICBMs, 625 SLBMs, 496 silos, 119 mobile ICBM launchers, 456 SLBM launchers, 30 ballistic missile-capable submarines, 155 strategic bombers, 906 air-to-surface missiles and 194 nuclear test tunnels.

The initiative has also secured 382 nuclear weapon train shipments, increased security measures at 16 nuclear weapon storage facilities and built 13 biological agent monitoring stations.  Efforts under the program have denuclearized Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, nations that once respectively possessed the world's third, fourth and eighth largest nuclear arsenals.

By sponsoring the International Science and Technology Centers, the Nunn-Lugar program has helped to provide civilian opportunities for 58,000 former weapons researchers.  The International Proliferation Prevention Program has involved 14,000 former weapons personnel in 750 projects and established 580 technology-sector positions (U.S. Senator Richard Lugar release, March 12).