Jan 25 1995 [N] Russian Strategic Command initially
mistakes a Black Brant XII Norwegian-U.S. joint research rocket launched from
Norway's northwest coast as a hostile missile launch. Russian strategic command
notifies President Yeltsin, and Russia momentarily considers launching a counter-attack
against the United States.
Jan 30 1995 [N] The United States announces that
it will extend its moratorium on nuclear testing until a CTBT
enters into force.
March 20 1995 [C] Aum Shinrikyo releases sarin
nerve gas on the Tokyo subway, killing 12 people and injuring more than 1,000.
March 23 1995 [N] The
Conference
on Disarmament agrees to a mandate for a committee to begin negotiations
on a treaty to ban the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons (a
FMCT).
April 5-6 1995 [N] All five nuclear
weapon states issue new texts of their negative
security assurances to non-nuclear
weapon state parties to the NPT.
U.S., Russian, U.K., and French negative security assurances are nearly identical,
and all have major exceptions. Only China has a clear and absolute no
first use policy.
April 11 1995 [N] The UN Security Council adopts
resolution 984 on security assurances to non-nuclear
weapon states that are parties to the NPT.
April 17-May 12 1995 [N] The Review and Extension
Conference of the Parties to the NPT
convenes. The NPT is indefinitely extended, and the parties adopt decisions
on "Strengthening the review process for the Treaty," "Principles and objectives
on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament" and a "Resolution on the Middle
East" without a vote. States agree to complete a CTBT
no later than 1996 and the nuclear
weapon states agree to exercise restraint until a CTBT comes into force.
States also agree to the "immediate commencement and early conclusion of negotiations
of a FMCT" at the
Conference
on Disarmament.
April 21 1995 [M] The U.S. Army conducts its first
flight test of a theater
high altitude area defense (THAAD) missile interceptor at the White Sands
Missile Range in New Mexico.
May 15 1995 [N] China explodes a nuclear device
in the 40-150-kiloton
range, despite its pledge just days prior at the
NPT Review and Extension Conference to "exercise utmost restraint" regarding future
nuclear testing.
June 13 1995 [N] French President Jacques Chirac
announces that France will end a three-year moratorium and conduct a series
of eight nuclear tests in the South Pacific. The tests will begin in September
1995 and last until May 1996. Two months later, in the face of negative international
and domestic reaction, France announces the tests will end more quickly.
June 17 1995 [N] The first shipment of low-enriched
uranium (LEU) arrives in the United States from Russia. The shipment is
part of the U.S.-Russian HEU
Deal, a 20-year contract to sell to the United States 500 tons of HEU
blended down to LEU.
July 31 1995 [M] The U.S. Army conducts its second
flight test of a THAAD
missile interceptor at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Aug 10 1995 [N] France announces its support for
a CTBT prohibiting "any nuclear weapon
test explosion or any other nuclear explosion."
Aug 11 1995 [N] President Clinton announces a total ban on all U.S. nuclear weapon testing, supporting a
true zero-yield CTBT banning any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear
explosion.
Aug 17 1995 [N] China conducts its 43rd nuclear
weapons test at its Lop Nor test site. The explosion has a yield of 60 kilotons.
Sept 5 1995 [N] France resumes nuclear testing
in the South Pacific with a 20-kiloton
explosion at the Muraroa atoll in the South Pacific.
Sept 14 1995 [N] The United Kingdom announces
its support for a zero-yield CTBT.
Sept 22 1995 [N] The International Court of Justice
in The Hague rejects New Zealand's bid to stop further French nuclear testing
in the South Pacific.
Sept 26 1995 [N] Addressing the 50th session of
the UN General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev announces
his government's support for a "universal and permanent moratorium on nuclear
testing."
Oct 1 1995 [N] France detonates a 110-kiloton
nuclear warhead, which it plans to deploy on a new generation of nuclear submarines,
at the Fangataufa atoll in the South Pacific.
Oct 13 1995 [M] The U.S. Army conducts its third
flight test of a THAAD
missile interceptor at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Oct 27 1995 [N] France explodes a 60-kiloton
nuclear device at Muraroa atoll.
Oct 27 1995 [N] The U.S. Department of Energy announces
plans to conduct six sub-critical
nuclear tests.
Nov 16 1995 [O] CFE
Treaty's reduction period comes to an end, with the verified elimination
of over 50,000 pieces of artillery and military equipment. The treaty provided
for a transparent elimination process whereby parties could monitor the destruction
of items limited by the treaty.
Nov 21 1995 [N] France conducts a 40-kiloton
nuclear weapons test at Muraroa atoll.
Nov 26 1995 [N] Australian Prime Minister Paul
Keating announces the formation of the Canberra
Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, a 17-member group of government
leaders, scientists, disarmament experts, and military strategists from around
the world. The Commission is charged with proposing "practical steps towards
a nuclear-weapons-free world."
Dec 9 1995 [N] Belarus agrees to transfer its
last 19 Soviet strategic nuclear missiles to Russia, for a total of 70 nuclear
missiles transferred to Russian control.
Dec 12 1995 [N] The UN General Assembly calls
for the immediate cessation of nuclear weapons tests.
Dec 13 1995 [M] The U.S. Army successfully conducts
its fourth flight test of a THAAD
missile interceptor at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Dec 15 1995 [N] The Treaty
on the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (Treaty of Bangkok) is opened
for signature. That same day, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN),
Cambodia, Laos, and Burma sign the treaty as the ASEAN summit in Bangkok.
Dec 15 1995 [N] North Korea and the Korean
Energy Development Organization (KEDO) sign the reactor supply agreement,
worth $4.5 billion. The agreement specifies what requirements North Korea must
fulfill to receive two light water
reactors (LWR). North Korea must remain party to the NPT,
implement its
IAEA safeguards
agreement, and dismantle its existing nuclear facilities, including its reprocessing
plant.
Dec 22 1995 [N] Israeli Prime Minister Shimon
Peres states, "Give me peace, we will give up the nuclear capability. That's
the whole story." This statement suggests that Israel has developed nuclear
weapons.
Dec 27 1995 [N] France conducts a 30-kiloton nuclear weapons test at Muraroa atoll.
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