|
PROTOCOL
ON EXHIBITIONS AND INSPECTIONS OF HEAVY BOMBERS
RELATING TO THE TREATY BETWEEN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
ON FURTHER
REDUCTION AND LIMITATION OF
STRATEGIC OFFENSIVE ARMS
Pursuant to and in implementation of the
Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Further
Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, hereinafter referred to
as the Treaty, the Parties hereby agree to conduct exhibitions and inspections
of heavy bombers pursuant to paragraphs 4, 5, 12, and 13 of Article IV of the
Treaty. ABA
I. Exhibitions of Heavy Bombers
1. For the purpose of helping to ensure
verification of compliance with the provisions of the Treaty, and as required
by paragraphs 4, 5, 12, and 13 of Article IV of the Treaty, each Party shall
conduct exhibitions of heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments, heavy bombers
reoriented to a conventional role, and heavy bombers that were reoriented to
a conventional role and subsequently returned to a nuclear role. ABA
2. The exhibitions of heavy bombers shall
be conducted subject to the following provisions:
ABA
- (a) the location for such an
exhibition shall be at the discretion of the exhibiting Party;
- (b) the date for such an
exhibition shall be agreed upon between the Parties through diplomatic channels,
and the exhibiting Party shall communicate the location of the exhibition;
- (c) during such
an exhibition, each heavy bomber exhibited shall be subject to inspection for
a period not to exceed two hours; ABA
- (d) the inspection team conducting
an inspection during an exhibition shall consist of no more than 10 inspectors,
all of whom shall be drawn from the list of inspectors under the START Treaty;
ABA
- (e) prior to the beginning of the exhibition,
the inspected Party shall provide a photograph or photographs of one of the
heavy bombers of a type or variant of a type reoriented to a conventional role
and of one of the heavy bombers of the same type and variant of a type that
were reoriented to a conventional role and subsequently returned to a nuclear
role, so as to show all of their differences that are observable by national
technical means of verification and visible during inspection; ABA
and
- (f) such inspections during exhibitions
shall not count against any inspection quota established by the START Treaty.
ABA
II. Inspections of Heavy Bombers ABA
1. During exhibitions of heavy
bombers, each Party shall have the right to perform the following procedures on
the exhibited heavy bombers; and each Party, beginning 180 days after entry into
force of the Treaty and thereafter, shall have the right, in addition to its
rights under the START Treaty, to perform, during data update and new facility
inspections conducted under the START Treaty at air bases of the other Party,
the following procedures on all heavy bombers based at such air bases and
present there at the time of the inspection:
- (a) to conduct inspections
of heavy bombers equipped for long-range nuclear ALCMs and heavy bombers equipped
for nuclear armaments other than long-range nuclear ALCMs, in order to confirm
that the number of nuclear weapons for which a heavy bomber is actually equipped
does not exceed the number specified in the Memorandum on Attribution. The inspection
team shall have the right to visually inspect those portions of the exterior
of the inspected heavy bomber where the inspected heavy bomber is equipped for
weapons, as well as to visually inspect the weapons bay of such a heavy bomber,
but not to inspect other portions of the exterior or interior;
ABA
- (b) to conduct inspections of heavy
bombers reoriented to a conventional role, in order to confirm the differences
of such heavy bombers from other heavy bombers of that type or variant of a
type that are observable by national technical means of verification and visible
during inspection. The inspection team shall have the right to visually inspect
those portions of the exterior of the inspected heavy bomber having the differences
observable by national technical means of verification and visible during inspection,
but not to inspect other portions of the exterior or interior;
ABA and
- (c) to conduct
inspections of heavy bombers that were reoriented to a conventional role and
subsequently returned to a nuclear role, in order to confirm the differences
of such heavy bombers from other heavy bombers of that type or variant of a
type that are observable by national technical means of verification and visible
during inspection, and to confirm that the number of nuclear weapons for which
a heavy bomber is actually equipped does not exceed the number specified in
the Memorandum on Attribution. The inspection team shall have the right to visually
inspect those portions of the exterior of the inspected heavy bomber where the
inspected heavy bomber is equipped for weapons, as well as to visually inspect
the weapons bay of such a heavy bomber, and to visually inspect those portions
of the exterior of the inspected heavy bomber having the differences observable
by national technical means of verification and visible to inspection, but not
to inspect other portions of the exterior or interior.
ABA
2. At the discretion of the inspected
Party, those portions of the heavy bomber that are not subject to inspection
may be shrouded. The period of time required to carry out the shrouding process
shall not count against the period allocated for inspection. ABA
3. In the course of an inspection conducted
during an exhibition, a member of the in-country escort shall provide, during
inspections conducted pursuant to subparagraph 1(a) or subparagraph 1(c) of
this Section, explanations to the inspection team concerning the number of nuclear
weapons for which the heavy bomber is actually equipped, and shall provide,
during inspections conducted pursuant to subparagraph 1(b) or subparagraph 1(c)
of this Section, explanations to the inspection team concerning the differences
that are observable by national technical means of verification and visible
during inspection. ABA
This Protocol is an integral part of the Treaty and shall enter into force
on the date of entry into force of the Treaty and shall remain in force so long
as the Treaty remains in force. As provided for in subparagraph 2(b) of Article
V of the Treaty, the Parties may agree upon such additional measures as may
be necessary to improve the viability and effectiveness of the Treaty. The Parties
agree that, if it becomes necessary to make changes in this Protocol that do
not affect substantive rights or obligations under the Treaty, they shall use
the Bilateral Implementation Commission to reach agreement on such changes,
without resorting to the procedure for making amendments set forth in Article
VII of the Treaty. ABA
DONE at Moscow on January 3, 1993, in two copies, each in the English and
Russian languages, both texts being equally authentic.
FOR THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA |
|
FOR THE RUSSIAN
FEDERATION |
|
|
