Strategic Arms Limitation Treaties

Strategic arms limitation treaties represent a series of international agreements designed to limit the spread and use of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. The unique properties of these weapons make their testing and deployment an international issue, as they encompass a nearly unlimited capability for destruction. The continuing development of strategic nuclear weapons has led to a successive number of treaties trying to limit the use of this weaponry in the name of international stability and environmental protection. The treaties limiting strategic armaments began with the Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT) of 1963 and continue into present-day negotiations.

Strategic weapons are designed to attack civilian production and population centers in addition to military targets, as an effort to eliminate a rival nation’s ability to make war ...