WARHEAD VERIFICATION USING X-RAY TECHNIQUES UNDER START

ON-SITE VERIFICATION HAS EMERGED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ANY AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION UNDER THE STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTION TALKS (START). THIS IS AN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WHEN FORMULATING OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF REENTRY VEHICLE (RV) COUNTING RULES. CONFIRMATION OF THE NUMBER OF RVS ON A DEPLOYED MISSILE SYSTEM REQUIRES PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF THE FINAL STAGE PROVIDING FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF RV SHAPE, SIZE AND MATERIAL COMPOSITION, AS WELL AS INFORMATION OF OTHER SUBSYSTEMS. USE OF A REMOTE SENSING INSTRUMENT WHICH COULD SCAN WEAPON SYSTEMS TO DETECT AND COUNT THE NUMBER OF NUCLEAR WARHEADS PRESENTS AN ADVANTAGEOUS ALTERNATIVE FOR RV VERIFICATION. THIS INSTRUMENT WOULD PERFORM FUNCTIONAL TESTING WITHOUT REQUIRING DISASSEMBLY OF THE WEAPON SYSTEM AND COULD BE SUFFICIENTLY SIMPLE SO AS TO NOT ALTER THE WEAPON SYSTEM ALERT STATE. IT WOULD FIT WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF CURRENT PROPOSALS, ACCOMPLISH VERIFICATION CHEAPLY AND EASILY AND WOULD PROVIDE A PERMANENT DATA RECORD OF EACH VERIFICATION MEASUREMENT.