Threshold Test Ban Treaty

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Threshold Test Ban Treaty

Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear Weapon Tests
Type	Arms control
Signed	3 July 1974 (1974-07-03)
Location	Moscow, Soviet Union
Effective	11 December 1990
Condition	Ratification by United States of America and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Signatories	Soviet Union United States
Ratifiers	Soviet Union United States
Languages	English Russian
Full text
Threshold Test Ban Treaty at Wikisource

The Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear Weapon Tests, also known as the Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT), was signed in July 1974 by the United States and Soviet Union. It establishes a nuclear "threshold" by prohibiting nuclear tests of devices having a yield exceeding 150 kilotons after March 31, 1976.^[1]

The threshold is militarily important since it removes the possibility of testing new or existing nuclear weapons going beyond the fractional-megaton range. In the 1960s, many tests above 150 kilotons were conducted by both countries. The mutual restraint imposed by the Treaty reduced the explosive force of new nuclear warheads and bombs which could otherwise be tested for weapons systems. Of particular significance was the relationship between explosive power of reliable, tested warheads and first-strike capability. Agreement on the Threshold Test Ban Treaty was reached during the summit meeting in Moscow in July 1974.

Ratification did not occur until 1990 for a number of reasons, including agreeing on ways to verify compliance. To address this issue, both countries agreed to the Joint Verification Experiment in 1988.^[2]