UNILATERAL STATEMENTS DELIVERED WITH THE U.S. PLENARY STATEMENT AT THE CLOSING PLENARY MEETING OF THE FIFTEENTH JCIC SESSION, HELD AT THE U.S. MISSION, JUNE 18, 1997
Unilateral Statements
The U.S. Delegation urges Ukraine to permit U.S. inspectors to perform the measurements provided for in the Joint Draft Text on Measuring SS-24 ICBMs with Coupling Device Attached, should they encounter an SS-24 ICBM or its first stage in the configurations provided for in that document during inspections at conversion or elimination facilities, pending the finalization of that document at the next session of the JCIC. This will facilitate inspections and the completion of the document.
During the fifteenth session of the JCIC, we have engaged in useful discussions on the issue of Minuteman III RVOSI. The United States continues to believe that its practices are Treaty-compliant; however, since the conduct of RV inspections began, the United States has instituted additional confidence-building measures in response to concerns expressed by Russian inspectors about RVOSI of Minuteman III ICBMs.
These measures have included viewing the lower portion of the Minuteman III front section through the view ports in the vehicle's environmental flaps while the front section is suspended inside the vehicle and lifting portions of the maintenance safety screen around the base of the front section to permit inspectors to View the length of the entire front section. In addition, at the request of an inspection team, escort personnel loosened the RV cover lanyards to allow the soft RV covers to drape over the top of the RVs in order to demonstrate the approximate size and shape of the reentry vehicles and that the covers were not suspended over empty space.
Continued implementation of these additional measures assure that the Russian Federation can confirm that the Minuteman III ICBM carries no more reentry vehicles than the three with which it is attributed in the Treaty. The United States believes this should fully resolve Russian concerns.
The U.S. has reviewed the concerns expressed by the Russian Federation with regard to the preparation for viewing of the Peacekeeper front section during the April 14, 1997, RVOSI conducted at F.E. Warren Air Force Base. The United States regards this method of presentation for the Peacekeeper front section as complying with the requirements of Annex 3 of the Inspection Protocol. To alleviate the concerns expressed by the Russian Federation, the U.S. Delegation has provided its Treaty Partners with a photograph of the configuration in which the front section was viewed. The United States assures its Treaty Partners that it will continue to prepare the Peacekeeper front section for viewing during RVOSI in the manner illustrated in that photograph.