Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons Page: 19 of 29
View a full description of this report.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
CRS-16
conventional weaknesses in regional conflicts. The government appeared to resolve
this debate, in favor of the modernization and expansion of nonstrategic nuclear
weapons in 1999, shortly after the conflict in Kosovo. During a meeting of the
Kremlin Security Council, Russia's President Yeltsin and his security chiefs
reportedly agreed "that Moscow should develop and deploy tactical, as well as,
strategic nuclear weapons."35 Vladimir Putin, who was then Chairman of the
Security Council, stated that President Yeltsin had endorsed "a blueprint for the
development and use of nonstrategic nuclear weapons."36
Many analysts in the United States interpreted this development, along with
questions about Russia's implementation of its obligations under the 1991 PNI, to
mean that Russia was "walking back" from its obligation to withdraw and eliminate
nonstrategic nuclear weapons. Others drew a different conclusion. One Russian
analyst has speculated that the documents approved in 1999 focused on the
development of operations plans that would allow Russia to conduct "limited nuclear
war with strategic means in order to deter the enemy, requiring the infliction of pre-
planned, but limited damage."37 Specifically, he argued that Russia planned to seek
a new generation of nonstrategic, or low yield, warheads that could be to be delivered
by strategic launchers. Others believe Russia has also pursued the modernization of
existing nonstrategic nuclear weapons and development of new nuclear warheads for
shorter-range nuclear missiles.
Force Structure. It is extremely difficult to estimate the number of
nonstrategic nuclear weapons remaining in the Russia arsenal. This uncertainty
stems from several factors: uncertainty about the number of nonstrategic nuclear
weapons that the Soviet Union had stored and deployed in 1991, when President
Gorbachev announced his PNI; uncertainty about the pace of warhead elimination in
Russia; and uncertainty about the whether all warheads removed from deployment
are still scheduled for elimination.
Analysts estimate that the Soviet Union may have deployed 15,000-25,000
nonstrategic nuclear weapons, or more, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During the
1990s, Russian officials stated publicly that they had completed the weapons
withdrawals mandated by the PNIs and had proceeded to eliminate warheads at a rate
of 2,000 per year.38 However, many experts doubt these statements, noting that
Russia probably lacked the financial and technical means to proceed this quickly. In
addition Russian officials have offered a moving deadline for this process in their35 Martin Nesirky, "Focus: Nuclear-power Russia Wants Tactical Weapons," Reuters, April
29, 1999.
36 David Hoffman, "Kremlin to Bolster Nuclear Stockpile, Government Fears Short-Range
Missiles May Be Inadequate," Washington Post, April 30, 1999. p. 19.
37 Ivan Safranchik, "Tactical Nuclear Weapons in the Modem World: A Russian
Perspective," in Alexander and Millar, Tactical Nuclear Weapons, p. 54.
38Lewis Dunn, "Non-strategic Nuclear Weapons Control: What is the Problem?", in Larsen,
Jeffrey A. and Kurt J. Klingenberger, editors, Controlling Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons:
Obstacles and Opportunities, United States Air Force, Institute for National Security
Studies, July 2001, p. 17.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This report can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Report.
Woolf, Amy F. Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons, report, September 9, 2004; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6104/m1/19/: accessed May 21, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.