What was the outcome of the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT)?

The first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, known as SALT I, had a significant outcome with respect to the control and limitation of strategic nuclear weapons. It was signed on May 26, 1972, by United States President Richard Nixon and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, and consisted of two main agreements:

1. The Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty: This agreement limited each nation to two ABM complexes, one to protect the national capital and one to protect an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) field. This was eventually further limited to just one site for each country. The intention was to prevent the development of an extensive ABM defense which could undermine the effectiveness of the deterrence strategy of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD).

2. Interim Agreement on Offensive Arms: Often referred to as the SALT I treaty, this agreement froze the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers at existing levels and provided for the limitation of strategic missile systems. This interim agreement placed caps on the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) that each country could deploy, essentially limiting the arms race to the levels of technology and deployment existing at that time.

The outcome of SALT I was an important step in managing and reducing tensions during the Cold War as it was one of the first efforts undertaken by the rival superpowers to limit the growth of their nuclear arsenals through negotiation and mutual consent. However, it was not a permanent solution to arms proliferation, as it eventually led to the negotiation of SALT II and other arms control treaties, such as the START treaties, that sought to further reduce nuclear arms rather than simply limiting their expansion.

The concept of arms control treaties like SALT I revolves around the idea of limiting the development, testing, deployment, and proliferation of nuclear weapons to maintain strategic stability and decrease the likelihood of a nuclear war. The basis of such treaties lies in international diplomacy and strategic security doctrine. During the Cold War, both the United States and Soviet Union had vested interests in ensuring that a balance of power was maintained to prevent either side from gaining an advantage that could tempt them to initiate a nuclear strike on the other, a situation theorized by the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). This doctrine posited that both sides would refrain from launching a first strike since the responding second strike would guarantee the complete annihilation of both attacker and defender.

The broader implications of treaties like SALT I extend to the international non-proliferation regime, which includes treaties like the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), aiming to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to non-nuclear-weapon states. Through these cooperative efforts, the international community seeks to reduce the risk of nuclear war and encourage steps toward nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.