FAS In-Depth: March 30, 2012 20th Anniversary of the Open Skies Treaty

FAS In-Depth: March 30, 2012   

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Note: This weekly FAS Member newsletter analyzes a current security threat and FAS work on this issue. If you have any ideas for upcoming content, please contact Katie Colten, Membership Coordinator, at kcolten@fas.org.

20th Anniversary of the Open Skies Treaty

March 24th marked the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Open Skies Treaty, which established a program of allowing countries to conduct unarmed, aerial surveillance of member countries with the goal of allowing members  to gather information about military forces and activities of concern. The treaty was first signed by President George H.W. Bush on March 24, 1992 and was put into full effect in January 2002. 34 countries have signed this treaty including the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and Germany.
In an editorial published in the New York Times on March 25, 2012, George Shultz, Sidney Drell (member of FAS's Board of Sponsors) and Christopher Stubbs wrote that "this treaty is an under-appreciated triumph of modern confidence building and arms control," and in the future, as the world faces environmental challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation, this treaty could assist in solving these problems.
The images which are obtained via the treaty can be shared with all signatory countries and imagery can also be used in natural disaster relief scenarios. For some member countries, Open Skies is the leading mechanism for monitoring  security concerns via satellite imagery. The authors argue that it is in the United States' "interest to strengthen and extend both the technical collection capabilities and scope of international participation in cooperative aerial monitoring programs," which can be accomplished by investing in upgrades to U.S. aircraft and satellite monitoring equipment.
For more information on the Open Skies Treaty, check out these FAS resources on our website.
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Open Skies Treaty Resources:
Open Skies Treaty
Treaty on Open Skies (Treaty text)

Congressional Research Service Reports:

Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements

Other Reports:

Implementation of, and Compliance With The Treaty on Open Skies (Air Force Manual 16-604)
National Security Directive 73 (White House)
Technical Co-operation in the Framework of the Open Skies Treaty (WEU Parliamentary Assembly)
Open Skies Pamphlet (Defense Treaty Inspection Readiness Program)
Implementation of, and Compliance with, International Arms Control and Nonproliferation Agreements (Air Force Instruction 16-601)
Verification Technologies: Cooperative Aerial Surveillance in International Agreements (OTA)
The Treaty on Open Skies (Center for National Security Studies)
Army Arms Control Implementation Policy (Department of the Army)