History of the Nunn-Lugar Program
In November 1991, Senator Lugar (R-IN) and former Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA) authored the Nunn-Lugar Act, which established the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.
This program has provided U.S. funding and expertise to help the former Soviet Union safeguard and dismantle its enormous stockpiles of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, related materials, and delivery systems. On January 28, 2010, Senator Dick Lugar outlined important issues in arms control targets, treaty negotiations and the ability of the Nunn-Lugar program to achieve results in a speech to the Conference on Strategic Weapons in the 21st Century.
"We hope for and anticipate constructive movement in arms control on the world's biggest stages. But we should be cautious in our estimates of the influence of U.S. arsenal cuts on the behavior of smaller nuclear powers and aspirants. I believe that our success in encouraging others to abandon weapons or limit their expansion will depend much more on the hard work of expanding arms control and non-proliferation tools and addressing regional circumstances that influence the choices of governments related to weapons of mass destruction."
"The Nunn-Lugar program is well positioned to enter a new phase of global security engagement. Nunn-Lugar now has more flexibility to meet unexpected threats in locations around the world. It has the authority to spend up to 10 percent of annual Nunn-Lugar program funds notwithstanding any other law. The Secretary of Defense has the authority to accept funds from foreign governments and other entities to contribute to activities carried out under Nunn-Lugar."
In May 2009, Senator Lugar celebrated the Nunn-Lugar Chemical Weapons Destruction Facility in Shchuchye, Russia. More than a decade in the making, the facility will destroy nearly 2 million chemical weapons shells and nerve agent that has been stored here since Soviet days. It is arguably the largest facility in the world destroying chemical munitions, and is currently the only operating facility that can accommodate the destruction of 2 million munitions.
Nunn-Lugar expansion in Albania
Through an expansion effort led by Senator Lugar, the Nunn-Lugar program extended its cooperative reach beyond the former Soviet Union for the first time in 2004.
The Albanian government requested American assistance in destroying newly found chemical weapons. On July 19, 2007, the Albanian Defense Ministry announced destruction of its chemicals weapons stockpile utilizing the Nunn-Lugar program.
The Nunn-Lugar Scorecard
The Nunn-Lugar scorecard now totals 7,527 strategic nuclear warheads deactivated, 774 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) destroyed, 498 ICBM silos eliminated, 156 ICBM mobile launchers destroyed, 651 submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) eliminated, 476 SLBM launchers eliminated, 32 nuclear submarines capable of launching ballistic missiles destroyed, 155 bomber eliminated, 906 nuclear air-to-surface missiles (ASMs) destroyed, 194 nuclear test tunnels eliminated, 471 nuclear weapons transport train shipments secured, upgraded security at 24 nuclear weapons storage sites, and built and equipped 20 biological monitoring stations. Perhaps most importantly, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Belarus are nuclear weapons free as a result of cooperative efforts under the Nunn-Lugar program. Those countries were the third, fourth and eighth largest nuclear weapons powers in the world.
Beyond nuclear, chemical and biological elimination, the Nunn-Lugar program has worked to reemploy scientists and facilities related to weapons of mass destruction in peaceful research initiatives. The International Science and Technology Centers, of which the United States is the leading sponsor, engaged 58,000 former weapons scientists in peaceful work. The National Nuclear Security Administration's Global Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention program has funded over 750 projects, engaging thousands of former weapons scientists at over 180 facilities and resulting in the creation of 2,300 new peaceful high-tech jobs.
Nunn-Lugar definition of terms
ICBM – Intercontinental ballistic missile
SLBM – Submarine launched ballistic missile
SSBN – Nuclear submarine capable of launching ballistic missile
ASM – Air-to-surface missile