Home   About ACA Become A Member Subscribe To ACT Employment Internships Contact Us
Search 
Arms Control Today
Subject Resources
Country Resources
Fact Sheets
Treaties
ACA Events
Press Room
Interviews
Projects & Reports
Book Reviews
Arms Control in Print
Links

Contribute to ACA in 2008!

Register for Arms Control Association e-mail updates
Email:

Fact Sheets

Current U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces

(As of January 1, 2008)

April 2008
Press Contacts: Daryl Kimball, Executive Director, (202) 463-8270 x107; Wade Boese, Research Director; (202) 463-8270 x104

"START-Accountable" [1]
Strategic Nuclear Delivery Vehicles
Strategic Nuclear Warheads
Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)
550
1,600
Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs)
432
3,216
Bombers
243
1,098
Total
1,225
5,914



 

Changes in U.S. Strategic Forces Since 1990

"START-Accountable" [1]
Strategic Nuclear Delivery Vehicles
Strategic Nuclear Warheads
September 1990
January 2008
September 1990
January 2008

ICBMs

MX/Peacekeeper
50
50
500
400
Minuteman III
500
500
1,500
1,200
Minuteman II
450
0
450
0
Subtotal
1,000
550
2,450
1,600

SLBMs

Poseidon (C-3)
192
0
1,920
0
Trident I (C-4)
384
120
3,072
720
Trident II (D-5)
96
312
768
2,496
Subtotal
672
432
5,760
3,216

Bombers

B-52 (ALCM)
189
95
1,968
950
B-52 (Non-ALCM)
290
47
290
47
B-1
95
81
95
81
B-2
0
20
0
20
Subtotal
574
243
2,353
1,098
Total
2, 246
1,225
10,563
5,914

KEY:

ICBM Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
SLBM Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile
ALCM Air-Launched Cruise Missile

 

Notes:

1. The United States met the START I implementation deadline of December 5, 2001, seven years after the treaty's entry into force. The treaty limits the United States and Russia each to 6,000 "accountable" warheads and 1,600 delivery vehicles (missiles and bombers). All data is taken from the initial START I Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of September 1, 1990 and the most recent MOU of January 1, 2008.

All figures are based on START counting rules, as negotiated between the United States and the Soviet Union and specified in the treaty text. Thus, numbers do not necessarily reflect those weapons systems that are operationally deployed. For example, under START I, heavy bombers that are not equipped to carry long-range nuclear air-launched cruise missiles (ALCMs) will be counted as carrying only one warhead, regardless of the number of bombs or short-range attack missiles that they actually carry. Moreover, 150 U.S. heavy bombers that are capable of carrying ALCMs will be counted as carrying only 10 missiles each, even though they have the capacity to hold 20 missiles each. Finally, U.S. deployed ICBMs and warheads are less than reported. In September 2005, the United States completed the retirement of all 50 MX/Peacekeeper missiles, and it is currently in the process of reducing the Minuteman III fleet from 500 ICBMs down to 450 missiles.

Sources: START Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of September 1, 1990 and the most recent MOU of January 1, 2008.
.