CURRENT POSITIONS ON ARMS CONTROL : LONG-RANGE OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

Soviet: Ceiling of 8,000 nuclear warheads, involving about a 30% reduction in warheads on intercontinental ballistic missiles; ship-launched ballistic and cruise missiles, and bomber-carried cruise missiles, short-range attack missiles and bombs. No cuts without U.S. restraint in its “Star Wars” missile defense program.

U.S.: Ceiling of 7,500 ballistic missile warheads and bomber-carried cruise missiles, also a 30% reduction, but excluding sea-launched cruise missiles, bomber-carried short-range missiles and bombs. Sub-ceiling of 5,500 on ballistic missile warheads, 3,300 of them ground-launched.

MISSILE DEFENSES

Soviet: Drop escape clause from existing Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which now allows either side to quit on 6 months’ notice, for 15 years. Allow only research on missile defenses in that time.

U.S.: Keep existing ABM Treaty for 5 years, allowing research, development ant testing. If space defenses appear feasible then, hold talks over 2 years on conditions for deployment. If no agreement is reached, the United States could proceed with building defenses.

INTERMEDIATE-RANGE MISSILES

Soviet: 100 warheads each in Europe (Soviets now have 819; United State, 236.) Freeze the number of warheads in Asia (Soviets have 513; United States, 0). Soviets could keep SS-20 mobile ballistic missiles, but U.S. warheads must all be on slow-flying, winged, ground-launched cruise missiles, not Pershing II ballistic missiles already deployed.

U.S.: 100 warheads each in Europe. “Proportionate and concurrent” reduction of Soviet warheads in Asia, presumably to 100. U.S. missiles withdrawn from Europe would be kept in the continental United States. Strict verification procedures for number of short-range Soviet nuclear missiles in Eastern Europe.