ABM Treaty Signed by US and USSR
May 26, 1972 · 20th Century
On May 26, 1972, the United States and the Soviet Union signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty at the Moscow Summit. Negotiated as part of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I), the treaty limited each party to one ABM deployment site with a maximum of 100 interceptors. Its underlying logic held that if neither side could defend against a nuclear strike, neither side would initiate one. It was the first arms control treaty to prohibit interference with national technical means of verification — establishing satellite reconnaissance as a legitimate monitoring tool. The treaty remained in force for 30 years.
Key Figures
Richard NixonLeonid Brezhnev
Locations
Moscow Kremlin
Topics
Cold WarRussiaUSAinternational lawnuclear weaponsarms controldétente
Connected Events — 7 Connections
First binding constraint on nuclear weapons buildup following Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
Nixon China opening increased Soviet anxiety about US-China alignment, pressuring Brezhnev to finalize ABM Treaty at Moscow Summit three months later Nixon Visit to China
Outer Space Treaty ban on orbital nuclear weapons established the arms control precedent that the ABM Treaty extended to space-based missile defense systems Outer Space Treaty Signed
Extended arms reduction framework established by INF Treaty Signed by US and USSR
Terminated 30-year treaty established by United States Withdraws from ABM Treaty
Extended multilateral nuclear constraint framework established by bilateral agreements including JCPOA Iran Nuclear Deal Finalized
Ended 54-year era of binding nuclear constraints that began with New START Treaty Expires — No Replacement in Force
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