SOVIETS DEFY SALT II, PREPARE MX-TYPE SILOS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200980025-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: December 23, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200980025-5
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44 '1~
k'ASHINGi0:v' TIMLEE
L-3 December 1983
Soviets defy SALT H.,
prepare MX-type silos
By Ted Agres
W SMINGTON TIMES STAFF
The Soviet Union is preparing
silos for its multiwarhead MX-type
intercontinental ballistic missiles,
putting it ahead of the United States
in deployment and also in further
violation of the SALT II treaty, ac-
cording to intelligence and military
sources.
The United States is still flight-
testing its MX missile, the basing of
which remains a matter of contro-
versy.
Sources also said CIA and DIA ex-
perts, in a recent c osed brigfir g o
members of the Senate Intelligence
ervicei Committees, re-
vealed details o the new evidence ol
soviet cheating on arms control
agreements, confirming reports b~
The Washington Times earlier this
month.
resident Reagan, while opposed
in principle to SALT II, nonetheless
pledged that the United States would
abide by its provisions as long as the
Soviets do likewise. For instance, the
United States plans to start disman-
tling Poseidon SLBM submarines
'starting in 1985 to comply with SALT
II.
The new violation involves Soviet
modification of 100 SS-1 1 ICBM silos
to accommodate SS-X-24 ICBMs.
The SS-11 is a single-warhead mis-
sile, while the SS-X-24 is an MX-type
missile with 10 independently tar-
getable warheads (MIRVs).
This silo modification would give
the Soviets 918 MIRVed ICBM silos:
The ceiling agreed to in SALT II is
820.
It also puts them in violation of the
1,200 ceiling of MIRVed sea- and
land-based launchers, as well as the
1,320 ceiling on aggregate air-
launched cruise missile-equipped
bombers, and sea and land-based
MIRVed launchers.
The Soviet MX-type. missiles
could be fully operational in the
modified silos as early as 1985.
By contrast, the first flight test of
the U.S. MX missile was last June,
after an eight-month delay ordered
by the Senate to comply with SALT
II. Only three U.S. MX missiles have
been flight tested to date.
The Washington Times disclosed
earlier this month that U.S. officials
had uncovered new evidence of sub-
stantial Soviet SALT II violations.
These include two admitted to by So-
viet generals at a Nov 22 meeting in
Geneva of the SALT Standing Consul-
tative Commission.
That was the first time the Soviets
admitted violating SALT II. From 30
to 40 SALT II violations have been
reported since the agreement was
signed in June 1979.
The Soviet generals already have
admitted violating the 1,200 MIRVed
launcher ceiling and the 1,320 aggre-
gate, but not yet the 820 MIRVed
ICBM silos.
Overall, the Soviet violations of
these three ceilings involve five ma-
jor strategic weapons programs, in-
cluding: .
? Continued construction of Delta-
3 class nuclear submarines carrying
MIRVed SS-N-18 submarine-
launched ballistic missiles (SLBM).
The Soviets already have produced
14 of these subs, the sources said.
? Continued production of TU-95
"Bear" bombers designed to carry
long-range air-launched cruise mis-
siles Continued production of "Back-
fire" intercontinental bombers, also
equipped with ALCMs. More than
250 have been produced since 1973.
? Continued production of "Ty-
phoon" class nuclear missile-
carrying submarines with SS-N-20
MIRVed sea-launched. missiles. At
least three of these subs are under
construction.
? The missile silo modifications to
accommodate the SS-X-24 MX-type
missiles.
The White House, as The Times
reported yesterday, will present an
unclassified report of Soviet arms
control violations to the Senate next
month, citing seven cases.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/22 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200980025-5
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