Missile Technology Control Regime

The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) is a multilateral export control regime. It is an informal and voluntary partnership among 35 countries to prevent the proliferation of missile and unmanned aerial vehicle technology capable of carrying above 500 kg payload for more than 300 km.

History

The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) established in April 1987[1] by the G7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, and the United States of America. The MTCR was created in order to curb the spread of unmanned delivery systems for nuclear weapons, specifically delivery systems that could carry a payload of 500 kg for a distance of 300 km.

At the annual meeting in Oslo on 29 June - 2 July 1992, chaired by Mr. Sten Lundbo, it was agreed to expand the scope of the MTCR to include nonproliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for all weapons of mass destruction. Prohibited materials are divided into two Categories, which are outlined in the MTCR Equipment, Software, and Technology Annex. Membership has grown to 35 nations, with 4 additional nations, including Israel. India also joined on 27th of June 2016 adhering to the MTCR Guidelines unilaterally.[2]

Since its establishment, the MTCR has been successful in helping to slow or stop several ballistic missile programs, according to the Arms Control Association: “Argentina, Egypt, and Iraq abandoned their joint Condor II ballistic missile program. Brazil and South Africa also shelved or eliminated missile or space launch vehicle programs. Some Eastern European countries, such as Poland and the Czech Republic, destroyed their ballistic missiles, in part, to better their chances of joining MTCR.” In October 1994, in order to make the enforcement of MTCR Guidelines more uniform, the member states established a “no undercut” policy, meaning if one member denies the sale of some technology to another country, then all members must adhere.[3]

The People's Republic of China is not a member of the MTCR but has agreed to abide by the original 1987 Guidelines and Annex, but not the subsequent revisions. China first verbally pledged that it would adhere to the MTCR in November 1991, and included these assurances in a letter from its Foreign Minister in February 1992. China reiterated its pledge in the October 1994 US-China joint statement. In their October 1997 joint statement, the United States and China stated that they agree "to build on the 1994 Joint Statement on Missile Nonproliferation."[4] In 2004 China applied to join the MTCR, but members did not offer China membership because of concerns about China's export control standards.[5][6]

Israel, Romania and Slovakia have also agreed to voluntarily follow MTCR export rules even though not yet members.[7]

The regime has its limitations; countries within the MTCR have been known to violate the rules clandestinely.[8] China, Iran, Israel, North Korea, and Pakistan continue to advance their missile programs. Some of these countries, with varying degrees of foreign assistance, have deployed medium-range ballistic missiles that can travel more than 1,000 kilometers and are exploring missiles with much greater ranges, Israel and China in particular having already deployed strategic nuclear SLCMs and ICBMs and satellite launch systems. Some of these countries, which are not MTCR members, are also becoming sellers rather than simply buyers on the global arms market. North Korea, for example, is viewed as the primary source of ballistic missile proliferation in the world today. China has supplied ballistic missiles and technology to Pakistan.[9] China has also supplied DF-3A IRBMs to Saudi Arabia.[10] Iran has supplied missile technology to Syria.[11] Due to its non-member MTCR status Israel is unable to export its Shavit space launch system to foreign customers though in 1994 the US Clinton administration did allow an import waiver for US companies to buy the Shavit.[12]

In 2002, the MTCR was supplemented by the International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (ICOC), also known as the Hague Code of Conduct, which calls for restraint and care in the proliferation of ballistic missile systems capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction, and has 119 members, thus working parallel to the MTCR with less specific restrictions but with a greater membership.

India formally applied for membership to the group in June 2015, with active support from France and the United States,[13] and officially became a member on 27 June 2016 with the consensus of the 34 member nations.[14][15][16]

Members

MTCR members

The MTCR has 35 members.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "MTCR Index". mtcr.info. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  2. ↑ "Research Library: Country Profiles: Israel". NTI. 2 October 2009. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
  3. ↑ "The Missile Technology Control Regime at a Glance". Arms Control Association. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
  4. ↑ "James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies | Combating the spread of weapons of mass destruction with training & analysis". Cns.miis.edu. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  5. ↑ "China and Multilateral Export Control Mechanisms". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
  6. ↑ "Missile Regime Puts Off China". Arms Control Today. Arms Control Association. November 2004. Retrieved 2010-06-11.
  7. ↑ "The Missile Technology Control Regime at a Glance | Arms Control Association". Armscontrol.org. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  8. ↑ "China Secretly Sold Saudi Arabia DF-21 Missiles With CIA Approval". The Diplomat. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  9. ↑ http://www.strategycenter.net/research/pubID.47/pub_detail.asp
  10. ↑ http://www.nti.org/learn/countries/saudi-arabia/delivery-systems/
  11. ↑ "Syria | Country Profiles". NTI. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  12. ↑ "Israel-U.S. Trade Grows but Missile-related Exports are Still Controlled". Wisconsinproject.org. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
  13. ↑ "India Fails to get MTCR Membership, But Wins Wide Support". www.indiastrategic.in. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  14. ↑ "India joins Missile Technology Control Regime. Top 5 things to know". The Hindu. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  15. ↑ "India joins Missile Technology Control Regime as full member". The Indian Express. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  16. ↑ "The Missile Technology Control Regime". www.mtcr.info. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 "Members of Missile Technology Control Regime". mtcr.info. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
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