The Open Skies Treaty Signed - Multilateral Dialogue Vienna

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March 1992 24

The Open Skies Treaty Signed

Asset Publisher

OSCE

Danish jets accompany a Russian An-30 aircraft during an observation flight under the Open Skies Treaty over the territory of Denmark

The US, Canada, and 22 European nations signed the Open Skies Treaty on 24 March 1992. The treaty allows unrestricted observation by unarmed reconnaissance flights at short notice over the entire territories of its members to collect overhead imagery, shared between observed and observer states, as well as being available to other members of the treaty at a fee.

Why It Matters

The treaty was first proposed by US president Dwight Eisenhower in 1955 as a confidence building measure and for collecting intelligence. US President George H.W. Bush revived the idea in May 1989, and negotiations between NATO and the Warsaw Pact started in February 1990. Former US Secretary of State George Schulz said the treaty could reduce the risk of misunderstandings or crises that could involve the United States and contribute to “a more stable and secure European continent.” There were 1500 observation flights, often with Russian and NATO military personnel crewing them until October 2019.