SALT II Talks/Treaty
SALT II (Strategic Armaments Limitation Treaty) was the second of two treaties agreed to between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Reagan would talk extensively during his 1975-1979 Radio Broadcasts about the SALT II treaty due to the treaty negotiations wrapping up. He was quite firmly against the treaty, feeling it was unfairly weighted against the United States. The treaty would be signed by President Jimmy Carter and General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev in Vienna on June 18, 1979. Within 6 months, the Soviet Union would invade Afghanistan and a Soviet combat brigade was discovered in Cuba. Carter would withdraw the treaty from the Senate, preventing its ratification.
During his broadcasts, Reagan made frequent references to certain pieces of military hardware:
- Soviet: "Backfire Bomber" (Tupolev Tu-22M) long-range strategic bomber
- Soviet: "B-1 Bomber" knock-off (Tupolev Tu-160) heavy bomber
- Soviet: SS-18 (R-36 Missile), SS-18 was a NATO designation.
- American: B-1 Bomber (Rockwell B-1 "Lancer" Bomber) heavy bomber
- American: Trident Missile (Trident)
- American: Minuteman Missile (LGM-30 Minuteman)
