# Why did the INF Treaty focus specifically on ground-based missiles?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-inf-treaty-focus-specifically-on-ground-based-missiles/828879>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 3, 2019, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-inf-treaty-focus-specifically-on-ground-based-missiles/828879 "2019-02-03T15:49:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-inf-treaty-focus-specifically-on-ground-based-missiles/828879/1 "2019-02-03T15:49:18Z")

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Why was intermediate range (500-5500km) a big deal over ICBMs and tactical BMs?

Why were ground-launched missiles singled out over sea or air-launched ones?

Why include cruise missiles since they would be less useful for a nuclear engagement than ballistic missiles? Why prohibit a 1000 km-range cruise missile launched from a TEL but not a fighter?  
From the US point of view, it makes a lot of sense. Ground-based intermediate range ballistic missiles were one of the few areas where the Soviets had some kind of advantage by the 70s and 80s. Why did the Soviets agree to it, though?

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**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-inf-treaty-focus-specifically-on-ground-based-missiles/828879/2 "2019-02-03T16:46:06Z")

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WAG. The short flight time from launch to impact would give almost no time to retalliate, rendering MAD useless and increasing the attractiveness of a preemptive strike.

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**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-inf-treaty-focus-specifically-on-ground-based-missiles/828879/3 "2019-02-03T17:09:08Z")

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The simple answer is that it was a US advantage and in the political and economic climate of the era, they got their way.

> **[Under the Missile’s Shadow: What Does the Passing of the INF Treaty Mean?](https://warontherocks.com/2018/10/under-the-missiles-shadow-what-does-the-passing-of-the-inf-treaty-mean/)**
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> The Trump administration's recent announcement that the United States will withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty