US State Department: Russia and USA cut nuclear arms

Russia has 779 operationally deployed and non-deployed launchers of intercontinental ballistic missiles and ballistic missiles on submarines and heavy bombers. The United States has 800.

According to the US State Department, the United States and Russia abide by their obligations under the treaty on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms (START). On Tuesday, the State Department published a document proving the reduction of US and Russian nuclear arsenals in accordance with the agreement that came into force on February 5, 2011.

The document says that Russia has 527 operationally deployed carriers of nuclear weapons - intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), heavy bombers, submarine-based ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and 1,444 warheads on them. The United States has 652 carriers and 1,350 warheads.

The provided data reflect the statistics that the parties to the treaty had provided by February 5, 2018.

The United States has 400 operationally deployed Minuteman III mine-based ICBMs. Another 278 missiles are in reserve. The US also has 454 deployed and non-deployed launchers.

The US Navy has 203 Trident II SLBMs on board strategic nuclear submarines (another 231 such missiles - in reserve). The US Navy has 280 deployed and non-deployed launchers.

The Pentagon also listed 49 heavy bombers as deployed carriers - 13 B-2 and 36 B-52. Another seven B-2s and ten B-52s are in reserve.

The START Treaty was signed on April 8, 2010. In accordance with the agreement, the arsenal of each party should be limited to 1,550 nuclear warheads, as well as 700 ICBMs, heavy bombers and SLBMs by February 2018. The treaty obliges to exchange information on the number of warheads and carriers twice a year.

The text of the document indicates that the START Treaty remains in effect until February 5, 2021, unless it is replaced before this date with a subsequent agreement about the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms. It can be extended for not more than five years (until 2026) by mutual consent of the parties.