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U.S. and Russia Sign Agreements on Telemetric Data Related to New START Treaty Implementation
Third Session of the Bilateral Consultative Commission Under the New START Treaty
12 MINUTE READ
February 8, 2012

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 7, 2012


Two men signing a document
Officials sign the document

The United States and Russian delegations met in Geneva, Switzerland and issued the following statement:

The third session of the Bilateral Consultative Commission under the New START Treaty was held in Geneva from January 24 to February 7.

The sides continued discussing practical issues related to the implementation of the Treaty and signed agreements on the amount of telemetric information on ICBM and SLBM launches that each party shall provide, and on procedures for conducting demonstrations of recording media and/or telemetric information playback equipment. The sides also agreed on the number of launches of ICBMs and SLBMs, on which an exchange of telemetric information will be carried out in 2012.

To learn more about the New START Treaty, visit www.state.gov/newstart

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[The Texts of the Three Agreements Signed on February 7, 2012 are below]

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Bilateral Consultative Commission: Decision on the Number of Launches of ICBMs and SLBMs Conducted in 2011, on Which an Exchange of Telemetric Information Will Be Carried Out in 2012

Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance
February 7, 2012

Geneva, Switzerland
February 7, 2012

In accordance with paragraph 2 of Part Seven of the Protocol to the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms of April 8, 2010, the Delegation of the United States of America to the Bilateral Consultative Commission and the Delegation of the Russian Federation to the Bilateral Consultative Commission decided that the Parties would exchange, in 2012, telemetric information on one launch of an ICBM or SLBM conducted by each Party during the period from February 5, 2011, to December 31, 2011.

 

Commissioner of
the United States of America to
the Bilateral Consultative
Commission

John M. Ordway

Commissioner of
the Russian Federation to
the Bilateral Consultative
Commission

Vladimir L. Leontyev

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Bilateral Consultative Commission: Agreement Number 1 On Procedures for Conducting Demonstrations of Recording Media and/or Telemetric Information Playback Equipment

Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance
Geneva, Switzerland

February 7, 2012

The Delegation of the United States of America to the Bilateral Consultative Commission and the Delegation of the Russian Federation to the Bilateral Consultative Commission.

Acting in accordance with the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms of April 8, 2010, hereinafter referred to as the Treaty,

Taking into consideration that the Parties have conducted the initial demonstrations, required by the Treaty, of recording media and telemetric information playback equipment,

Have agreed as follows:

The Parties shall conduct subsequent demonstrations, in accordance with the Treaty, of recording media and/or telemetric information playback equipment using the following procedures:

1. During the demonstration the providing Party shall:

(a) describe its telemetric signal conversion processes (from reception to recording) associated with the recording medium and telemetric information playback equipment to be demonstrated, or provide data on telemetry systems that enable the conversion of telemetric information contained on the recording medium to the form (format) that originates on board the missile before broadcast;

(b) demonstrate each type of recording medium to be provided to the receiving Party in accordance with subparagraph 6(a) of Part Two of the Annex on Telemetric Information to the Protocol to the Treaty, hereinafter referred to as the Annex on Telemetric Information. Each such recording medium that is being demonstrated shall contain a recording of the following examples of telemetric information:

(i) actual telemetric information that was broadcast during the launch of an ICBM or SLBM; or

(ii) information with characteristic features of telemetric information that is broadcast during the launch of an ICBM or SLBM.

In this connection, the recording contained on the recording medium that is being demonstrated must be suitable for demonstrating the playback of the telemetric information on the appropriate telemetric information playback equipment;

(c) describe each type of recording medium that is being demonstrated, as well as describe the recording methods and formats that are used for each type of recording medium;

(d) demonstrate all the telemetric information playback equipment in a manner that allows the receiving Party to observe a display or indicator that demonstrates that the telemetric information playback equipment is operating properly. Such telemetric information playback equipment shall be demonstrated in operation using all the types of recording media that are being demonstrated in accordance with subparagraph (b) of this paragraph;

(e) answer questions of the receiving Party pertaining to its ability to play back telemetric information recorded on the demonstrated recording media;

(f) for the examples of telemetric information recorded on the recording media that are being demonstrated, provide corresponding illustrative examples of summaries of each of the demonstrated recording media that meet the requirements of paragraph 2 of Part Three of the Annex on Telemetric Information, and corresponding illustrative examples of interpretive data for the telemetric information that meet the requirements of paragraph 5 of Part Three of the Annex on Telemetric Information.

2. Upon completion of the demonstration, the providing Party shall provide to the receiving Party all the demonstrated recording media with the examples of telemetric information recorded on them, examples of summaries of each of the demonstrated recording media and examples of interpretive data for the telemetric information on the recording media, as well as other information that is additionally provided in order to achieve the objectives of the demonstration.

3. The Demonstration must be sufficient for the receiving Party to be able to get an idea of the full set of telemetric information playback equipment, as well as the technical requirements necessary for playing back the examples of telemetric information recorded on the demonstrated recording media.

4. During the demonstration the procedures for playing back telemetric information shall be demonstrated. The providing Party shall provide a description of those types of modulation, methods, modes, and recording formats, as well as methods for encoding telemetric information contained on recording media that allow the receiving Party to convert the telemetric information contained on the recording medium to the form (format) that originates on board the missile before broadcast.

5. Ambiguities and unresolved questions in connection with the demonstration shall be considered within the framework of the Bilateral Consultative Commission.

6. The provisions of paragraphs 2-6 of Part Six of the Annex on Telemetric Information, which are applicable to the trainee team members, shall also apply to representatives of the receiving Party participating in demonstrations.

7. This Agreement shall enter into force as of the date of signature and shall remain in force so long as the Treaty remains in force.

Done at Geneva on February 7, 2012, in two originals, each in the English and Russian languages, both texts being equally authentic.

Commissioner of
the United States of America to
the Bilateral Consultative
Commission

John M. Ordway

Commissioner of
the Russian Federation to
the Bilateral Consultative
Commission

Vladimir L. Leontyev

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Bilateral Consultative Commission: Agreement Number 2 On the Amount of Telemetric Information on ICBM and SLBM Launches That Each Party Shall Provide

Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance
February 7, 2012
Geneva, Switzerland

The Delegation of the United States of America to the Bilateral Consultative Commission and the Delegation of the Russian Federation to the Bilateral Consultative Commission.

Acting in accordance with the Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms of April 8, 2010, hereinafter referred to as the Treaty,

Have agreed as follows:

1. For each launch of an ICBM or SLBM for which telemetric information is provided in accordance with Article IX of the Treaty, Part Seven of the Protocol to the Treaty, and the Annex on Telemetric Information to the Protocol to the Treaty, the Party conducting the launch shall provide telemetric information to the other Party beginning from the time of ignition of the first stage motor of the ICBM or SLBM, until:

(a) the end of issuance of the command for separation of the self-contained dispensing mechanism from the final stage of the ICBM or SLBM; or;

(b) the end of issuance of the command for separation of the first of the other objects installed on the ICBM or SLBM for the purpose of being delivered into the upper atmosphere or space, from the final stage of the ICBM or SLBM; or

(c) the expiration of one second after loss of active control of the missile’s control system (when the active stage of the missile does not respond to control signals), if such loss occurred prior to separation of the self-contained dispensing mechanism or the first of the other objects installed on the ICBM or SLBM for the purpose of being delivered into the upper atmosphere or space, from the final stage of the ICBM or SLBM, or until the moment of loss of the telemetric signal coincident with such loss of active control, whichever occurred earlier.

2. Each Party shall provide, in the interpretive data for the telemetric information, names of data elements and their location in the telemetry frame, as well as descriptions necessary to identify the command for separation of the self-contained dispensing mechanism or the first of the other objects installed on the ICBM or SLBM for the purpose of being delivered into the upper atmosphere or space, from the final stage of the ICBM or SLBM.

3. This Agreement shall enter into force as of the date of signature and shall remain in force so long as the Treaty remains in force.

Done at Geneva on February 7, 2012, in two originals, each in the English and Russian languages, both texts being equally authentic.