A national nuclear strategy is a very sensitive sphere of political and military activities. This is why developing any nuclear arms control agreements, a state will try to make sure that these agreements will help to improve security situation and definitely will not undermine it. This is an ideal treaty. So, what's an ideal treaty can look like? Let's see what main components may be included in the nuclear arms control agreement. The first question we need to answer to start development of nuclear arms control agreement is what types of weapons will be included into limitations of the agreement. There are several classifications as you know. First of all, it would be strategic, non-strategic, or tactical, or some specific types of weapons, or the combination of these types. Secondly, would be deployed or non deployed weapons. Always establish a control over launchers and deliver vehicles or warheads or both. Of course, it would be better to create exact lists of existing systems which will be controlled by the agreement. Then, we have to elaborate the essence of the agreement. Should it be limitation or reduction, or complete, prohibition and even liquidation of existing weapons? Maybe a kind of combination of these arrangements. Then, we have to establish limitations on the number of weapons and weapons systems. The limitations could be general or specific for each type of weapons, or delivery systems. Another important element of an ideal treaty is a system of calculation or so-called counting rules. It is not always possible to calculate directly every single warhead and every single launching system which a country can possess at any certain moment. Sometimes, the rules of calculation or the counting rules are established just to help both sides to understand how they can evaluate the nuclear arsenals of the opposite side. For example, under the New START Treaty signed in 2010, one nuclear warhead is accounted for each deployed heavy bomber. While in reality, a Soviet bomber which you can see on the slide, can carry up to 12 warheads. These bombers are not equipped with nuclear cruise missiles permanently and that they can be used for different purposes, and the same time, they can be easily and quickly loaded with nuclear missiles at any moment. So, it is impossible to control each bomber permanently. This is why negotiators have chosen a more comfortable way to calculate the number of warheads counted for each bomber. Besides that, the situation is changing. New nuclear weapons systems replace obsolete weapon systems, new technologies, new missiles and launchers are developed and deployed, and it have to be taken into account in a treaty because otherwise, an appearance of a new system will lead to new negotiations and the treaty or agreement will not be stable enough. Another important components of a treaty is a list of definitions. Every term used in the main body of the treaty have to be clearly defined. A clear and precise definition is absolutely necessary. Creation of such definition may help to avoid the situation when a certain term can be interpreted in a different ways. For example, what does it mean a deployed launcher or ballistic missile? Sometimes it is even necessary to define what is a ballistic missile or cruise missile. For example, according to the New START Treaty of 2010, "Deployed launcher of ICBMs means an ICBMs launcher that contains an ICBM and is not an ICBM test launcher, an ICBM training launcher, or an ICBM launcher located at a space launch facility." That definitions help to understand what should be controlled by the treaty and what should not be controlled by the treaty. And last but not least, an agreement have to establish an effective system of verification of compliance with the conditions of this agreement. This system may consist of several elements. First of all, a treaty may establish a system of exchange of data between participants of this agreement. Secondly, each participant of an agreement can control the compliance of all other participants with national technical means of verifications or NTM. And of course, a system of mutual inspections can be established which may include also on-site direct inspections of nuclear weapons of the opposite side. Now, you can see how complex and detailed a modern arms control agreement in the nuclear sphere can be. Every detail in this agreement should be based on a very solid foundation. There are no occasional words or expressions. These type of agreement can consist of several important elements. Besides main body, main text of a treaty, there can be additional protocols, amendments, declarations, etc. Later, we will discuss why this very complex system of regulations was developed and implemented in concrete treaties.
