On this day, June 18, 1979, President Jimmy Carter and General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev signed the

On this day, June 18, 1979, President Jimmy Carter and General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev signed the SALT II strategic arms limitation treaty between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. in Vienna.The SALT II Treaty established clear rules and limits on nuclear weapons. Although SALT II did not end the arms race, the treaty and its protocol:Limited the number of strategic nuclear delivery systems (bombers and missile launchers) after January 1, 1981.Restricted the number of warheads that could be put on each ICBM and SLBM.Banned the deployment of mobile ICBMs or the flight testing of ICBMs from mobile launchers.Limited the range of land or sea-based cruise missiles, andBanned the testing or deployment of Air to Surface Ballistic Missiles. Though the Treaty had been signed, it still had to be ratified by a 2/3 majority in the Senate. On June 22, the SALT II Treaty was submitted by the President to the Senate for debate. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved ratification of the Treaty, but the USSR invaded Afghanistan before it could be voted on by the full Senate. In January 1980, President Carter asked the Senate to delay ratification until the US responded to the invasion. Although the treaty was never ratified, both sides agreed to honor its terms until it would have expired December 31, 1985.Images: Carter and Brezhnev at the Vienna Summit. 6/15/79; Signing the SALT II Treaty on 6/18/79.-from the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library -- source link

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