SALT I Interim Agreement
SALT I 잠정협정
The SALT I Interim Agreement was an executive agreement concluded by the United States and the Soviet Union in 1972 to limit some launchers for strategic offensive arms. It barred new fixed ICBM launchers and allowed additional SLBM launchers only when corresponding older launchers were dismantled, while leaving bombers and warhead numbers outside its limits. More limited in scope and duration than a treaty, it was to remain in force for five years and provide a framework for follow-on negotiations.
In depth
Formation and status
The agreement was signed in Moscow on May 26, 1972, by Richard Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev, and entered into force on October 3 after congressional authorization and the exchange of acceptance notices. Its title reflected its provisional character: the parties undertook to continue negotiations toward more comprehensive limits on strategic offensive arms. Unlike a treaty, U.S. sources and arms-control scholarship classify it as an executive agreement.
Limits and gaps
The agreement prohibited new fixed land-based ICBM launchers and capped submarine-launched ballistic-missile launchers and modern ballistic-missile submarines. Additional SLBM launchers were permitted only as replacements for dismantled or destroyed older ICBM or submarine launchers, and the text included national-technical-means verification and a ban on deliberate interference with verification. It did not limit strategic bombers or warhead numbers, however, and did not prevent MIRV deployment, leaving tension between launcher ceilings and the scale of deployed nuclear forces.
Duration and later disputes
The agreement was designed to remain in force for five years and expired in 1977. Its limited duration and scope became relevant to later negotiations and disputes over how compliance should be interpreted, while the arrangement provided an institutional bridge to SALT II.
Sources
- Wikipedia (EN) (SALT I의 1972년 서명, 전략탄도미사일 발사기 동결과 잠수함발사탄도미사일 대체 증설을 지원)
- 2009-2017.state.gov (미 국무부 조약 원문 및 해설, 행정협정의 성격, 1972년 5월 26일 서명, 10월 3일 발효, 5년 존속, 발사기 상한과 검증 조항을 지원)
- armscontrol.org (Arms Control Association의 독립 해설, 행정협정이라는 법적 성격, ICBM·SLBM 발사기 상한, 폭격기와 탄두 미포함을 지원)