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If you are defining tactical and strategic by the New START treaty explicitly then I understand your definitions now. SLBMs would fall into strategic by that context and basically all air launched weapons are tactical, since none of them count towards New START totals*. I wouldn't use that legal framework as the absolutely meaning of "tactical" and "strategic"; that is just how that particular treaty defines those terms as they are used throughout. Kinda the same way an apartment lease will explicitly declare what it considers the be "the lessor" for the sake of that contract. That isn't a dictionary definition of the word "lessor", that is the meaning of the term as it is used in that document only.While W76-2 would be "strategic" under New START, its use could easily be tactical in my opinion. Though one couldn't blame another country for assuming it was the beginning of a strategic exchange, which was one of the reasons some people opposed the deployment.*EDIT: theoretically this could even include air launched ballistic missiles, unless New START explicitly precludes them or explicitly defines allowable air launched weapons. I'm unfamiliar with the exact language on this point; I just know that all bombers are considered a single launcher and a single warhead for the purposes of deployed launcher/warhead limits.
If you are defining tactical and strategic by the New START treaty explicitly then I understand your definitions now. SLBMs would fall into strategic by that context and basically all air launched weapons are tactical, since none of them count towards New START totals*. I wouldn't use that legal framework as the absolutely meaning of "tactical" and "strategic"; that is just how that particular treaty defines those terms as they are used throughout. Kinda the same way an apartment lease will explicitly declare what it considers the be "the lessor" for the sake of that contract. That isn't a dictionary definition of the word "lessor", that is the meaning of the term as it is used in that document only.
While W76-2 would be "strategic" under New START, its use could easily be tactical in my opinion. Though one couldn't blame another country for assuming it was the beginning of a strategic exchange, which was one of the reasons some people opposed the deployment.
*EDIT: theoretically this could even include air launched ballistic missiles, unless New START explicitly precludes them or explicitly defines allowable air launched weapons. I'm unfamiliar with the exact language on this point; I just know that all bombers are considered a single launcher and a single warhead for the purposes of deployed launcher/warhead limits.
