Arms Limitations

• There were 2 Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) agreed between the USA and Soviet Union in 1970's
• SALT I (The first of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks) was signed in May 1972
• SALT I ,meant that no new long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) would be built and the number of submarine-launched missiles would be limited as well
• SALT I limited the number of anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs) that each side could have to shoot down the other’s missiles
• In SALT I no other weapons were included in this treaty and there were no limitations on the future development of new weapons.
• It had taken 3 years of meetings to agree to SALT I and it was the first treaty to successfully limit nuclear weapons - It was intended to be the first of many arms limitation treaties - so negotiations continued to find other weapons reductions that the countries could agree on
• SALT II was agreed between the two leaders of the US and the Soviet Union in June 1979
• SALT II would have limited the total number of missiles each side could have
• SALT II needed to pass a vote in the Senate for it to be officially recognised - but the Senate refused to vote for the treaty after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979