Which treaty banned medium and intermediate-range land-based nuclear weapons and was signed in 1987?

• A. START I
• B. INF Treaty
• C. SALT II
• D. ABM Treaty

Answer: (B)

This question tests your knowledge of arms-control agreements that target specific classes of missiles. The treaty signed in 1987 that bans medium- and intermediate-range, land-based nuclear weapons is the INF Treaty. It prohibits ground-launched ballistic missiles and ground-launched cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, and requires the destruction of these missiles and their launchers on both sides, backed by a verification regime with on-site inspections. This was a major step in lowering the immediate risk of a regional nuclear conflict and helped set the stage for broader reductions that followed.

As context, START I focuses on reducing strategic offensive arms and was signed later, in 1991. SALT II was an earlier agreement that limited certain strategic forces but did not specifically ban this category of missiles. The ABM Treaty deals with missile defense capabilities rather than banning a class of missiles themselves.