Treaties & arms control
New START
A 2010 US–Russia treaty limiting each side to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads and 700 deployed delivery systems.
New START replaced the 1991 START I treaty. It expires in February 2026 and Russia suspended participation in February 2023, although both sides have continued to observe the warhead limits informally. New START is currently the only remaining bilateral US–Russia nuclear arms control agreement.
Related terms
ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile)
A long-range ballistic missile (range > 5,500 km) designed to deliver nuclear warheads between continents.
SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile)
A ballistic missile launched from a submerged submarine, providing a survivable second-strike nuclear capability.
MIRV
Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicle — a single missile carrying several warheads, each able to strike a different target.