Open Skies Treaty (OST) "EMPOWER IAS"

In news:

• Russia has announced that it was pulling out of the Open Skies Treaty, saying that the pact had been seriously compromised by the withdrawal of the United States.

Open Skies Treaty

• It was signed in 1992 and came into effect in 2002.
• It is an agreement that allows its 34 signatories countries to monitor arm development by conducting surveillance flights (unarmed) over each other’s territories.
• Therefore, the treaty established an aerial surveillance system for its participants.
• Both US and Russia are signatories of the treaty.
• India is not a member of this treaty.

 

Issues with the OST

• The U.S. has used the treaty more intensively than Russia.
• Between 2002 and 2016, the U.S. flew 196 flights over Russia (in addition to having imagery from other countries) compared to the 71 flights flown by Russia.

 

Significance

• The U.S.’s exit last year from other arms deal the West had signed with Russia — the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty — as well as its imminent departure from the OST has raised the strong possibility that the Trump administration may not renew the New Start Treaty.
• The New START Treaty was signed by the Obama administration with Russia that caps Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenal. The New Start Treaty is due to expire in February 2021.
• The Trump administration has been worried that extending New START would negatively impact an arms deal with China and Russia.
• It is concerned that China’s nuclear stockpile could be doubled if the New Start Treaty continued as is, without including China.