Just what exactly is a warhead? An analysis of Russian/English translations and definitions

That there are significant definitional differences between languages is a statement of the obvious. It logically follows that definitional ambiguity occurs when translating a term from one language to another. The far-reaching implications of this fact, however, are not as widely recognized. One word that has been and will continue to be significant is warhead. This analysis (1) examines the different translations and definitions of the word warhead in English and Russian; (2) discusses the usage of warhead in the context of arms control; and (3) explores the implications definitional differences have for future negotiations. It specifically utilizes treaty texts, as well as the Helsinki agreement text, to construct a contextual use of warhead. It is concluded that if US policymakers are committed to including nuclear explosive devices in START III force reductions, negotiators must identify and use a more specific term than warhead or boyegolovka. Also included as an appendix are copies of the signed Helsinki agreement in both English and Russian