Soviets, Adhering to INF Treaty, Make Surprise Tour of U.S. Base

WASHINGTON — The Soviet Union exercised its right for the first time Tuesday to conduct a surprise inspection under the new Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Pentagon said.

Defense Department spokesman Dan Howard said a 10-person team of Soviet inspectors had arrived earlier Tuesday at the Rhein-Main Air Base near Frankfurt, West Germany, and declared its intention to conduct a so-called short-notice inspection.

The INF treaty, which requires the elimination of all U.S. and Soviet ground-based intermediate-range nuclear missiles, authorizes up to 20 short-notice inspections each year for the next three years. A smaller number of surprise visits are authorized during each of the following 10 years.