Strategic Force Structure To Comply with START

Treaty The Defense Department has begun taking steps to bring the number of strategic weapons platforms into line with provisions of the START Treaty, which limits the number of delivery vehicles to 800. The treaty calls for no more than 454 intercontinental ballistic missile launchers (ICBMs), 280 submarine-launched ballistic missile launchers (SLBMs), and 66 heavy bombers. By February 2018, the armed forces will field 400 deployed ICBMs and 24 SLBMs, as well as 60 deployed nuclear-capable bombers – meeting the compliance levels set forth in the treaty.