START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA

S E C R E T GENEVA 001223 SIPDIS DEPT FOR T, VCI AND EUR/PRA DOE FOR NNSA/NA-24 CIA FOR WINPAC JCS FOR J5/DDGSA SECDEF FOR OSD(P)/STRATCAP NAVY FOR CNO-N5JA AND DIRSSP AIRFORCE FOR HQ USAF/ASX AND ASXP DTRA FOR OP-OS OP-OSA AND DIRECTOR NSC FOR LOOK DIA FOR LEA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2019 TAGS: KACT MARR PARM PREL RS US START SUBJECT: START FOLLOW-ON NEGOTIATIONS, GENEVA (SFO-GVA-VII): (U) MEETING OF THE DEFINITIONS SUBGROUP OF THE TREATY TEXT AND DEFINITIONS WORKING GROUP, DECEMBER 09, 2009 REF: A. A) GENEVA 1178 (SFO-GVA-VII-093) ¶B. B) GENEVA 1222 (SFO-GVA-VII-113) Classified By: A/S Rose E. Gottemoeller, United States START Negotiator. Reasons: 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (U) This is SFO-GVA-VII-115. ¶2. (U) Meeting Date: December 9, 2009 Time: 3:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M. Place: Russian Mission, Geneva -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶3. (S) A meeting of the Definitions Subgroup of the Treaty Text and Definitions Working Group met on December 9 and agreed to drop four terms, "support equipment," "mobile training launcher," "solid rocket motor," and "air-to-surface ballistic missile"; to send three terms to the conforming group, "production facility," "mobile launcher of ICBMs," "conversion or elimination facility"; and agreed to continue discussion on seven terms, "basing area," "ICBM base," "new type," "nuclear warhead," "transit," "version," and "variant." The Russian side proposed deletion of five telemetry-related terms, "ICBM or SLBM the final stage of which executes a procedure for dispensing reentry vehicles," "residual propellant," "payload," "launch weight," and "procedure for dispensing reentry vehicles." ¶4. (S) SUBJECT SUMMARY: Agreed to Drop; Sent to Conforming; Additional Discussions; and Telemetry-Related Items. -------------- AGREED TO DROP -------------- ¶5. (S) The Definitions Subgroup agreed to drop three terms from the Terms and Definitions List because they were not used in the text or did not exist: -- "Support equipment" was not used in the treaty or protocol; -- Russia did not possess "mobile training launchers" and they were not listed in the treaty; and -- "Solid rocket motors" were no longer used. ¶6. (S) The term "air-to-surface ballistic missile (ASBM)" was no longer used in Article V and the sides agreed to drop the term, while reserving the right to reinstate it, if necessary. -------------- SENT TO CONFORMING -------------- ¶7. (S) The following terms were sent to the Conforming Group: - The term "conversion or elimination facility" means: (a) for ICBMs or SLBMs, a specified facility for the elimination of ICBMs, SLBMs and launch canisters; (b) for mobile launchers of ICBMs, a specified facility for the conversion or elimination of mobile launchers of ICBMs; (c) for SLBM launchers, a specified facility for the conversion or elimination of SLBM launchers; and (d) for heavy bombers, a specified facility for the conversion of heavy bombers, or the elimination of heavy bombers. -- The term "mobile launcher of ICBMs" means an erector-launcher mechanism for launching ICBMs and the self-propelled device on which it is mounted. -- The term "production facility" means: (a) for ICBMs or SLBMs, a facility at which: (I) ICBMs or SLBMs that are maintained, stored, and transported as assembled missiles in their launch canisters, are assembled, including the joining of all stages and the loading of such missiles into launch canisters; (ii) ICBMs or SLBMs that are maintained, stored, and transported as assembled missiles without launch canisters, are assembled, including the joining of two or more stages; (iii) first stages of ICBMs or SLBMs that are maintained, stored, and transported in stages are assembled; (b) for ballistic missile submarines, a facility at which construction of ballistic missile submarines is performed; (c) for mobile launchers of ICBMs, a facility at which the erector-launcher mechanism of a mobile launcher of ICBMs is mounted on the self-propelled device; (d) for heavy bombers, a facility at which assembly of a complete heavy bomber airframe is performed. -------------- ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS -------------- ¶8. (S) ADM Kuznetsov suggested discussing the term "new type" as a follow-on to Col Kamenskiy's presentation at the last meeting (Ref A). Mr. Siemon indicated that he did not have the instructions he needed to have a constructive discussion. ¶9. (S) Siemon distributed new definitions for "basing area" and "ICBM base" and stated that if these terms could be agreed, then the "re stricted area" and "deployment area" could be deleted. Mr. Connell explained that the terms were intended to better align the definitions with their use in the MOU. Kuznetsov questioned whether the area limitations referred to area or geographic coordinates and said he would check with his MOU experts. The proposed definitions were: -- The term "basing area" means an area within an ICBM base for mobile launchers of ICBMs, limited in size, in which deployed mobile launchers of ICBMsand their associated missiles are based and in whch fixed structures for mobile launchers of ICBMs may be located. -- The term "ICBM base" means: (a) for mobile launchers of ICBMs, an area limited in size, within which routine movements of deployed mobile launchers of ICBMs and their associated missiles are conducted, and in which one or more basing areas and one associated maintenance facility are located; (b) for silo launchers of ICBMs, an area in which one or more groups of silo launchers of ICBMs and one associated maintenance facility are located. ¶10. (S) A review of the treaty text showed that the term "version" was used in the Inspection Protocol to outline the information to be provided to the inspection team upon arrival on-site. The sides agreed that "support equipment" and "SLBM" were not needed to describe "version" and agreed to revisit the definition at the next meeting. ¶11. (S) Kuznetsov raised the definition of "deployed heavy bomber" and associated counting rule issues with respect to the term "air base," particularly in respect to B1-Bs. The U.S. side acknowledged that this same issue had been discussed during the Ad Hoc Group meeting earlier in the day (Ref B) and was not able to provide any more information. ¶12. (S) The Russian side initiated the discussion of the term "warhead" (Begin comment: The United States had proposed "nuclear warhead." End comment.) and Kuznetsov asked Mr. Dean to "look at it from the angle of exclusion." The already conformed term of "heavy bomber equipped for nuclear armaments" was raised with respect to the use of the word "nuclear bombs" in the definition. Kuznetsov floated the idea of changing it to "warhead." The sides agreed to review the term with delegation experts. ¶13. (S) Kamenskiy outlined his technical objections to the U.S.-proposed definition of the term "new type," a term used in the Inspection Protocol that included a ten percent change in launch weight or five percent change in length of the first stage, or three percent change in the diameter of the first stage as criteria. The U.S. side explained that it was unable to work on this term until it received instructions. ¶14. (S) In discussing the term "transit," the need for including launch canisters in the definition was questioned by the Russian side. Their reasoning was that launch canisters for the purpose of SOA are disposable and would not be moved for any purpose subject to the provisions of the treaty. They therefore asked whether notification for these items would be necessary. The sides agreed to check with the Conversion or Elimination Working Group before finalizing this term. -------------- TELEMETRY-RELATED TERMS -------------- ¶15. (S) Kamenskiy proposed another term for agreement, "stage," and requested the deletion of an additional five terms, "ICBM or SLBM the final stage of which executes a procedure for dispensing reentry vehicles," "residual propellant," "payload," "launch weight," "procedure for dispensing reentry vehicles." His rationale for deleting the terms was that they would only be used in a throw weight protocol, which was not included as a part of the treaty. The Russian side requested that the term "stage" be modified. Kamenskiy explained that the ability to calculate an additional 1000m/sec velocity for a section of a missile that is equipped with a propulsion unit was hard to determine and unnecessary. Seimon agreed to consider the change in the definition of "stage" but declined to accept the proposal for deleting the five terms because they were linked to telemetry. ¶16. (U) Documents provided: - UNITED STATES: - Proposal of the United States on Changes to the Term "Basing Area," December 9, 2009; and - Proposal of the United States on Changes to the Term "ICBM Base," December 9, 2009. ¶17. (U) Participants: UNITED STATES Mr. Siemon Mr. Comeau Mr. Connell Mr. Dean Dr. Dreicer Mr. Hanchett Mr. French (Int) RUSSIA ADM Kuznetsov Ms. Fuzhenkova Col Kamenskiy Ms. Melikbekian Mr. Poznihir Mr. Pogodin (Int ¶18. (U) Gottemoeller sends. GRIFFITHS