Today, when more than 70 years have passed since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the scientific and industrial potential of many states makes it possible to create super-powerful ammunition, any educated person should know that there are nuclear weapons. Given the secrecy of this topic, the reluctance of some governments and regimes to declare the real state of affairs in this area is not an easy task.
The magnificent five
The first was the United States. The country, which traded with both allies and enemies, received a net profit from the war, more than all the gigantic losses of Nazi Germany, had the opportunity to invest huge amounts of money in the "Manhattan Project". Home to Batman, Captain America, in its usual democratic manner, without hesitation, in 1945, the United States tested an atomic bomb on peaceful cities in Japan. In 1952, the United States was the first to use thermonuclear weapons, many times more destructive than the first atomic weapons.
The first line was added to the list titled "Which countries have nuclear weapons" by the death of innocent people and radioactive ash.
The second had to be the Soviet Union. To have a neighbor on the planet, a "democratic" savage brandishing an atomic club, was simply dangerous, without having similar weapons for protection and the possibility of a retaliatory strike. Exhausted Great Patriotic War It took the country colossal efforts of scientists, intelligence officers, engineers, workers to inform the Soviet people already in 1949 that they had created an atomic bomb. In 1953, thermonuclear weapons were tested.
Fortunately, Nazi Germany was not the first to work on the creation of a military-defense complex based on a chain reaction of uranium fission. The help of German scientists, engineers, the use of the technologies they have developed, exported by the US Army, greatly simplified the creation of superweapons by the overseas empire of "good".
Which countries have nuclear weapons? Following the leaders of the rapidly developing race, spurred on by the Cold War between the United States and the USSR, Britain, China and France tried to answer this question. Chronologically it looked like this:
Explicit and covert
Which countries have nuclear weapons besides the "old" nuclear powers? Those who openly announced the creation and testing of both atomic and later thermonuclear weapons were:
First of all, this is Israel. No one doubts that this country has nuclear weapons. She did not conduct ground or underground explosions. There are only suspicions about joint tests in the South Atlantic together with South Africa, which was also considered the owner of nuclear reserves before the fall of the apartheid regime. At present, South Africa completely denies their existence.
For many years, the world community and, above all, Israel, were suspected of developing and creating atomic technologies for military use by Iraq and Iran. The valiant defenders of democracy who invaded Iraq did not find there either nuclear weapons or chemical weapons with bacteriological in addition, which they immediately shyly kept silent about. Iran, under the influence of international sanctions, recently opened all its facilities related to nuclear energy to IAEA inspectors, who confirmed the lack of developments in the creation of weapons-grade plutonium.
Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is now suspected of secretly seeking a superweapon.
This is where the list of states of the nuclear club, consisting of explicit and secret members, ends.
Which countries have nuclear weapons, at the moment, all interested parties know quite accurately, because this is a matter of global security. From time to time, information appears in the media about the work being carried out in many countries from South Korea, Brazil to Saudi Arabia, which have sufficient scientific and production potential, to create their own nuclear weapons, but there is no official, documentary evidence of this.
The arms race in the 20th century spurred the powers to develop under the plausible pretext of deterring nuclear attacks. In fact, some countries categorically deny their involvement in combat tests, even though circumstantial evidence speaks of the presence of a nuclear arsenal on their territory.
But, whatever the position, scientists and mere mortals interested in the question understand: if the bombing begins, then the historical "Kid" and "Fat Man" dropped in August 1945 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki will seem like an amateur performance compared to that fiery cauldron that will start on the planet. Given the modern nuclear arsenal of some countries. Whatever one may say, the most powerful nuclear bomb was made during the Soviet era.
Nuclear arsenal of countries, number of nuclear warheads by country 2017/2018
| Country | Nuclear program | Number of nuclear arsenal (warheads) |
|---|---|---|
| Second country to develop nuclear weapons. It has the largest arsenal of any country and is investing heavily in upgrading its warheads and launch vehicles. | 7000 | |
| The first country to develop nuclear weapons and the only country to use them in war. The US spends the most on its nuclear arsenal. | 6800 | |
| Most of the nuclear warheads are deployed on submarines equipped with M45 and M51 missiles. One boat is on patrol 24/7. Some warheads are launched from aircraft. | 300 | |
| China has a much smaller arsenal than the United States and Russia. Its warheads are launched from the air, from land and from the sea. China is increasing the size of its nuclear arsenal. | 270 | |
| It maintains a fleet of four nuclear powered submarines in Scotland, each carrying 16 Trident missiles. The UK Parliament voted in 2016 to modernize its nuclear forces. | 215 | |
| It is significantly improving its nuclear arsenal and associated infrastructure. V last years he increased the size of the nuclear arsenal. | 120-130 | |
| India has developed nuclear weapons in violation of non-proliferation obligations. It increases the size of the nuclear arsenal and expands launch capabilities. | 110-120 | |
| He maintains a policy of ambiguity about his nuclear arsenal, neither confirming nor denying its existence. As a result, there is little information or discussion about it. | 80 | |
| North Korea has a new nuclear program. Its arsenal probably contains less than 10 warheads. It is unclear if he has the ability to deliver them. We wrote the North Korean nuclear omba. | 10 | |
| Total | 14,900 warheads |
Nuclear club list of countries
Russia
- Russia received most of its nuclear weapons after the collapse of the USSR, when mass disarmament and the export of nuclear warheads to Russia were carried out at military bases of the former Soviet republics.
- Officially, the country has a nuclear resource in the amount of 7,000 warheads and ranks first in the world in terms of armament, of which 1950 are in a deployed state.
- The first test was carried out by the former Soviet Union in 1949 with a ground launch of an RDS-1 rocket from the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan.
- The Russian position on nuclear weapons is to use them in response to a similar attack. Or in the case of attacks with conventional weapons, if this would threaten the existence of the country.
USA
- The case of two missiles dropped on two cities in Japan in 1945 is the first and only example of a military nuclear attack. So the States became the first country to carry out an atomic explosion. Today it is also the country with the most powerful army in the world. Official estimates indicate the presence of 6,800 active units, of which 1,800 are deployed in combat condition.
- The last US nuclear test was carried out in 1992. The United States takes the position that it has enough weapons to defend itself and to defend the allied states from attack.
France
- After World War II, the country did not pursue the goal of developing its own weapons of mass destruction. However, after the Vietnam War and the loss of its colonies in Indochina, the country's government revised its views, and since 1960 it has been conducting nuclear tests, first in Algeria, and then on two uninhabited coral islands in French Polynesia.
- In total, the country conducted 210 tests, the most powerful of which were the 1968 Canopus and 1970 Unicorn. There is information about the presence of 300 nuclear warheads, 280 of which are located on deployed carriers.
- The scale of the world armed confrontation clearly demonstrated that the longer the French government ignored peaceful initiatives to contain weapons, the better for France. Even to the "Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty" proposed by the UN in 1996, France joined only in 1998.
China
- China. The first test of atomic weapons, codenamed "596", China conducted in 1964, opening the way to the top five residents of the Nuclear Club.
- China today has 270 warheads in storage. Since 2011, the country has adopted a policy of minimal weapons, which will be used only in case of danger. And the development of Chinese military scientists does not lag behind the leaders in armaments, Russia and the United States, and since 2011 they have presented the world with four new modifications of ballistic weapons with the ability to charge them with nuclear warheads.
- There is a joke that China is repelled by the number of its compatriots, who make up the largest diaspora in the world, when it speaks of the "minimum required" number of combat units.
United Kingdom
- Great Britain, as a true lady, although it is one of the leading five nuclear powers, did not practice such indecency as atomic tests on its own territory. All tests were carried out away from British lands, in Australia and in the Pacific Ocean.
- She began her nuclear career in 1952 with the activation of a nuclear bomb with a yield of more than 25 kilotons of TNT on board the frigate Plym, anchored near the Pacific islands of Montebello. In 1991, the tests were discontinued. Officially, the country has 215 charges, of which 180 are located on deployed carriers.
- The UK is actively opposed to the use of nuclear ballistic missiles, although there was a precedent in 2015 when Prime Minister David Cameron cheered the international community with the message that the country, if desired, could demonstrate the launch of two or three charges. In which direction the nuclear greetings will fly, the minister did not specify.
Young nuclear powers
Pakistan
- Pakistan. The common border with India and Pakistan does not allow signing the "Nonproliferation Treaty". In 1965, the country's foreign minister announced that Pakistan would be ready to start developing its own nuclear weapons if neighboring India began to sin. His determination was so serious that he promised to put the whole country on bread and water for this, for the sake of protection from the armed provocations of India.
- Explosive devices have been under development for a long time, with variable funding and capacity building since 1972. The country conducted its first tests in 1998 at the Chagai test site. There are about 120-130 nuclear charges in storage in the country.
- The appearance of a new player on nuclear market forced many partner countries to impose a ban on the import of Pakistani goods into their territory, which could severely undermine the country's economy. Fortunately for Pakistan, it had a number of unofficial sponsors who allocated funds for nuclear tests. The largest receipts were oil from Saudi Arabia, which was imported into the country daily at 50 thousand barrels.
India
- The homeland of the most cheerful films was pushed to participate in the nuclear race by its proximity to China and Pakistan. And if China has long paid no attention to the positions of superpowers and India, and does not particularly oppress, then the tough confrontation with its neighbor Pakistan, constantly turning into a state of armed conflict, spurs the country to constant work on its potential and refusal to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty ".
- Nuclear power from the very beginning did not allow India to bully into the open, so the first test, codenamed "Smiling Buddha" in 1974, was carried out secretly, underground. All developments were so classified that even their own defense minister was notified of the tests at the last moment by the researchers.
- India officially admitted that yes, we sin, we have charges, only in the late 1990s. According to modern data, there are 110-120 of them in storage in the country.
North Korea
- North Korea... Back in the mid-1950s, the DPRK government did not like the favorite move of the United States as an argument in the negotiations "to demonstrate strength". At that time, the United States actively intervened in the Korean War, allowing the atomic bombing of Pyongyang. The DPRK learned its lesson and headed for the militarization of the country.
- Together with the army, which today is the fifth largest in the world, Pyongyang is conducting nuclear research, which until 2017 was of no particular interest to the world, since it was held under the auspices of space exploration and is relatively peaceful. Sometimes the neighboring lands of South Korea shook from medium earthquakes of unknown nature, that's all the trouble.
- At the beginning of 2017, the "fake" news in the media that the United States is sending its aircraft carriers to meaningless promenades to the Korean coast left a residue, and the DPRK, without much hiding, conducted six nuclear tests. Today the country has 10 nuclear units in storage.
- How many more countries are conducting research to develop nuclear weapons is unknown. To be continued.
Suspicions of possession of nuclear weapons
Several countries are known to be suspected of storing nuclear weapons:
- Israel like an old and wise roar, he is in no hurry to lay out his cards on the table, but he does not directly deny the presence of nuclear weapons. The "Non-Proliferation Treaty" has not been signed either. And all that the world has is just rumors about nuclear tests, which the Promised One allegedly conducted since 1979 together with South Africa in the South Atlantic and the presence of 80 nuclear charges in storage.
- Iraq, according to unverified data, has stored an unknown number of nuclear weapons for an unknown number of years. “Just because it can,” the US said, and in the early 2000s, together with Great Britain, they brought troops into the country. Later they offered their heartfelt apologies that they were "mistaken." We did not expect anything else, gentlemen.
- I fell under the same suspicions and Iran, due to the tests of the "peaceful atom" for the needs of the energy sector. This was the reason to impose sanctions on the country for 10 years. In 2015, Iran pledged to report on uranium enrichment research, and the country was freed from sanctions.
Four countries removed all suspicion from themselves by officially refusing to participate "in these races of yours." Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine transferred all their capacities to Russia with the collapse of the USSR, although the President of Belarus A. Lukashenko sometimes take, and sigh with a note of nostalgia, that “If only weapons were left, they would talk to us differently”. And South Africa, at least once participated in the development of nuclear power, openly left the race and lives in peace.
Partly because of the contradictions of internal political forces opposed to the nuclear policy, partly because of lack of necessity. One way or another, some transferred all their capacities to the energy sector to cultivate a "peaceful atom", and some abandoned their nuclear potential altogether (like Taiwan, after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine).
List of countries that have phased out nuclear programs:
- Australia
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Libya
- Egypt
- Taiwan
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- South Korea
The states that own nuclear warheads are members of the so-called Nuclear Club. Among the leaders in terms of the number of units of these weapons are the United States and Russia. Both countries carried out their first nuclear weapons tests almost simultaneously.
The world's nuclear powers represented in the rating (with the exception of Israel) have officially confirmed that they have atomic weapons and are members of the Nuclear Club. At the moment, the door to it is closed, since most countries in the world have signed a non-proliferation agreement, according to which they refuse to develop and test warheads.
Any state has the opportunity to withdraw from the terms of the Agreement by notifying about the decision 90 days in advance. However, in in this case it risks falling under all sorts of costs, sanctions and more serious problems. For example, it was for this reason that the Americans destroyed the Iraqi dream of their own atomic bomb, destroyed by bombers together with a research center.
So, the list of countries included in the Nuclear Club is as follows.
USA
American military establishment are the most powerful in the world. In addition, the United States is the only country on the planet that used atomic bombs during the war.
In the entire history of the existence of nuclear weapons in America, almost 7,000 charges of various modifications have been produced. Most of the entire nuclear ammunition load is on submarines.
The Americans adhere to the version used by the majority of the members of the Nuclear Club: the number of atomic warheads is limited to the amount necessary to ensure guaranteed safety. Our own and allied countries.
Russia
How many nuclear warheads did Russia get from Soviet Union, now do not count. It is known that in the early 90s warheads were “assembled” at all military bases and transported to Russian ones.
According to the comments of the Russian military, Russian atomic weapons will be used only in case of danger. If a similar type of weapon is used against the Russian Federation, or the integrity and existence of the state will be in jeopardy.
As of 2019, Russia has a potential of 7,000 nuclear warheads.
United Kingdom
All countries with nuclear weapons sooner or later carried out explosions on their own and any other European territory. The UK is an exception to these rules. Until 1991, the British conducted tests on the lands of Australia and in the waters of the Pacific Ocean.
The UK's nuclear potential includes 215 warheads.
France
The French have conducted more than 200 tests and constantly refuse to take part in the peace agreements of the countries participating in the Nuclear Club. As of today, the country owns 300 atomic bombs.
China
China is the only state from the entire list of the Nuclear Club that has pledged not to strike at countries in the world that do not have a similar type of weaponry. In 2011, the Chinese made an official statement that they did not plan to expand the number of missiles and would adhere to their minimum stockpile.
After that, Chinese scientists have developed 4 varieties of the latest ballistic missiles designed for nuclear warheads.
On this moment the Celestial Empire has a potential of 270 warheads.
India
The existence of nuclear weapons in India became apparent as early as 1974. However, the Indians made official recognition of their presence only at the end of the 20th century.
Almost immediately after the announcement, in 1998, they carried out 3 more tests and announced their rejection of further developments. At the moment, the country may have 120-130 nuclear warheads, but in view of the constant confrontation with Pakistan, the declared number is in question.
Israel
The statements of the Israeli military about the possession of this type of weapon are ambiguous. They do not make statements about the possession of a peaceful atom, nor do they make the opposite statements.
There is evidence that the country has had a nuclear potential since 1979. It was at this time that several bright flares were recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, almost identical to the explosions of atomic bombs. On this occasion, there are suggestions that they were the first tests of the Israeli military.
The unpleasant moment in this case is the fact that they refused to sign the "Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons."
Pakistan
Alarmed by the Indian trials in 1974, Pakistani authorities said they would "eat grass, but create their own." 24 years later, the Pakistanis achieved the desired result and carried out the first explosions at the Chagai military training ground. The reason for this reaction to the expansion of the weapons of a neighboring state is due to the constant permanent hostility between countries with neighboring borders.
Pakistan currently has 130-140 warheads.
DPRK
In the middle of the last century, the leader of the DPRK, Kim Il Sung, alarmed by the threat of the United States of a possible bombing strike, appeals to the Soviet Union for help. The leadership of the USSR agrees to help the "fraternal" socialist state and provides all-round assistance in the development of the project. Improving the political situation in the world and reducing the likelihood of bombing allowed them to be suspended. At least that's what the official data said.
Despite this, in 2004 the first experimental nuclear tests were carried out in the country. According to the Korean government, atomic weapons are intended for space research.
The most unpleasant moment in this situation is that today the exact number of warheads available to the DPRK is unknown. According to the version received from some sources, their number does not exceed 10, according to another - more than 50.
Officially, the Nuclear Club does not exist - this is a so-called political science cliché, that is, a term conventionally denoting states related to nuclear powers. All of them have, are testing or are developing this type of weapon.
Video
Documentary films L. Mlechin. “Nuclear club. How much is the entrance ticket ":
On July 16, 1945, a new era began in the history of our civilization - in the state of New Mexico on the territory military base the world's first twenty-kiloton nuclear warhead, Gadget, was detonated. The military was pleased with the results of the tests, and less than two months later, the first uranium bomb, Little Boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion practically wiped out the city from the face of the earth. Three days later, a similar fate befell Nagasaki. Since then, the sword of total nuclear destruction of Damocles hangs invisibly over humanity ...
Despite the undoubted humanistic achievements of our civilization, physical violence - or the threat of its use - remains one of the main instruments of international politics. It is therefore not surprising that nuclear weapons - the most powerful weapon of killing and destruction ever created by man - have become a factor of strategic magnitude.
Possession of nuclear technology gives a state a completely different weight on the world stage, even if the country's economy is in a deplorable state and its citizens are starving. And you won't have to run far for examples: a small nuclear North Korea forced the mighty United States of America to reckon with itself.
The presence of nuclear weapons opens the door for any regime to the community of the elite - the so-called Nuclear Club. Despite numerous disagreements between its members, they all agree on one thing: to prevent further expansion of the Nuclear Club and to prevent other countries from developing their own nuclear weapons. And to achieve this goal, any methods are used, from the most severe international sanctions to bombing strikes and sabotage. nuclear facilities... A vivid example of this is the epic with Iran's nuclear program, which has been going on for several decades.
Of course, nuclear weapons can be considered an absolute "unclouded" evil, but it cannot be denied that they are also a powerful deterrent. If the USSR and the USA did not have deadly nuclear arsenals, then the confrontation between them would hardly be limited to the Cold War. Most likely, in this case, a new world carnage would have erupted already in the 50s. And it was the nuclear bomb that made it impossible. And in our time, the possession of nuclear weapons is a reliable (and probably the only) guarantee of security for any state. And the events around North Korea are the most vivid example of this. In the 90s, Ukraine, under the guarantees of the leading states, voluntarily renounced the world's third nuclear arsenal, and where is its security now? To stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons, an effective international protection mechanism is needed state sovereignty... But for now, this is more likely from the field of unscientific fiction ...
How many nuclear powers are there today in the world? How large are their arsenals, and which state can be called the world leader in this area? Are there any countries trying to obtain nuclear status?
Nuclear club: who are among the elite
It should be clearly understood that the expression "nuclear club" is nothing more than a journalistic cliché; such an organization, of course, does not exist officially. There is not even a corresponding informal get-together, like the G7, where it would be possible to solve the most pressing issues and develop common approaches.
Moreover, relations between some nuclear-weapon states are, to put it mildly, not very good. For example, Pakistan and India have fought several times, their next armed conflict may well end in a series of mutual atomic strikes. A few months ago, a full-scale war almost broke out between the DPRK and the United States. A lot of contradictions - fortunately, not so large-scale - exist today between Washington and Moscow.
And sometimes it is very difficult to say whether a state is nuclear or not yet. A typical example is Israel, in whose nuclear status experts have little doubt. But, meanwhile, official Jerusalem has never recognized that it has such a weapon.
Existing nuclear states on the world map. Red indicates "official" nuclear countries, orange - known nuclear powers, yellow - countries that are suspected of possessing nuclear weapons
There are also a number of other countries that different time engaged in the creation of nuclear weapons, and what results their nuclear program achieved is difficult to say.
So, the official nuclear powers of the world for 2019, the list:
- Russia;
- United Kingdom;
- France;
- China;
- India;
- Pakistan;
- Israel;
- DPRK.
Separately, mention should be made of South Africa, which succeeded in creating nuclear weapons, but was forced to abandon it and close its nuclear program. Six already manufactured charges were disposed of in the early 90s.
Former Soviet republics- Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus - voluntarily renounced nuclear weapons in the early 90s in exchange for security guarantees that were offered to them by all major nuclear powers. Moreover, at that time Ukraine possessed the third nuclear arsenal in the world, and Kazakhstan - the fourth.
US nuclear weapons: history and modernity
The United States is the country that was the first in the world to create nuclear weapons. Development in this area was started during the Second World War ("Project Manhattan"), they attracted best engineers and physicists - the Americans were very afraid that the Nazis would be able to create a nuclear bomb first. By the summer of 1945, the United States had three nuclear charges, two of which were later dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
For several years, the United States was the only state in the world that was armed with nuclear weapons. Moreover, the Americans were convinced that the Soviet Union did not have the resources and technologies to create its own nuclear bomb in the coming years. Therefore, the news that the USSR is a nuclear power was a real shock for the political leadership of this country.
Initially, the main type of American nuclear weapons were bombs, and the main carrier of nuclear weapons was army aviation. However, already in the 60s, the situation began to change: the Flying Fortresses were replaced by land-based and sea-based intercontinental missiles.
In 1952, the United States tested the world's first thermonuclear device, and in 1954, the most powerful American thermonuclear charge with a capacity of 15 megatons was detonated.
By 1960, the total capacity of nuclear weapons in the United States amounted to 20 thousand megatons, and in 1967 the Pentagon had more than 32 thousand warheads at its disposal. However, American strategists quickly realized the redundancy of this power, and by the end of the 1980s it had been reduced by almost a third. At the time of the end of the Cold War, the American nuclear arsenal was less than 23 thousand. After its completion, the United States began a large-scale disposal of obsolete nuclear weapons.
In 2010, the START III treaty was signed between the United States and Russia, according to which the parties pledged to reduce the number of nuclear charges to 1,550 units within ten years, and the total number of ICBMs, SLBMs and strategic bombers to 700 units.
The United States is undoubtedly in the top of the atomic club: this country has in service (at the end of 2019) 1,367 nuclear warheads and 681 deployed strategic carriers.
Soviet Union and Russian Federation: history and current state
After the emergence of nuclear weapons from the United States, the Soviet Union had to enter the nuclear race from the position of catching up. Moreover, for a state whose economy was destroyed by the war, this competition was very exhausting.
The first nuclear device in the USSR was detonated on August 29, 1949. And in August 1953, a Soviet thermonuclear charge was successfully tested. Moreover, unlike the American counterpart, the first Soviet hydrogen bomb really had the dimensions of an ammunition and could be used in practice.
In 1961, a powerful thermonuclear bomb with an equivalent of more than 50 megatons was detonated at the Novaya Zemlya test site. In the late 1950s, the first intercontinental ballistic missile R-7 was created.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia inherited all of its nuclear arsenals. Currently (at the beginning of 2018) Russia has 1,444 nuclear warheads and 527 deployed carriers.
It can be added that our country has one of the most advanced and technologically advanced nuclear triads in the world, which includes ICBMs, SLBMs and strategic bombers.
UK nuclear program and arsenals
England conducted its first nuclear tests in October 1952 on an atoll near Australia. In 1957, the first British thermonuclear weapon was detonated in Polynesia. The last test took place in 1991.
Since the Manhattan Project, the UK has had special relationship with the Americans in the nuclear field. Therefore, it is not surprising that in 1960 the British abandoned the idea of creating their own rocket and bought a delivery system from the United States.
There are no official figures on the size of the British nuclear arsenal. However, it is believed to contain approximately 220 nuclear charges, of which 150-160 are at alert duty... Moreover, the only component of the nuclear triad, which Britain has at its disposal, are submarines. London has no land ICBMs or strategic aviation.
France and its nuclear program
After General de Gaulle came to power, France embarked on a course of creating its own nuclear forces. Already in 1960, the first nuclear tests were carried out at a test site in Algeria, after the loss of this colony, the atolls in the Pacific Ocean had to be used for this purpose.
France joined the nuclear test ban treaty only in 1998. It is believed that at the moment this country has about three hundred nuclear warheads.
Nuclear weapons of the People's Republic of China
The Chinese nuclear program began in the late 1950s, and it was carried out with the active assistance of the Soviet Union. Thousands of Soviet specialists were sent to fraternal communist China to help build reactors, mine uranium, and conduct tests. In the late 1950s, when relations between the USSR and China deteriorated completely, cooperation was quickly turned off, but it was too late: the 1964 nuclear test opened the doors of the nuclear club for Beijing. In 1967, the PRC successfully tested a thermonuclear charge.
China conducted nuclear weapons tests on its territory at the Lop Nor test site. The last one took place in 1996.
Due to the country's extreme closeness, it is rather difficult to estimate the size of the PRC's nuclear arsenal. Beijing is officially believed to have 250-270 warheads. The Chinese army has 70-75 ICBMs, and submarine-based missiles are another delivery vehicle. Strategic aviation is also part of the Chinese triad. The Su-30s, which China purchased from Russia, are capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons.
India and Pakistan: a step away from a nuclear conflict
India had good reasons to acquire its own nuclear bomb: the threat from China (already nuclear) and the long-term conflict with Pakistan, which resulted in several wars between the countries.
The West helped India obtain nuclear weapons. The first reactors were supplied to the country by Britain and Canada, and the Americans helped with heavy water. The Indians conducted the first nuclear test in 1974 on their own territory.
Delhi did not want to recognize its nuclear status for a very long time. This was only done in 1998 after a series of test explosions. India is currently believed to have approximately 120-130 nuclear warheads. This country has long-range ballistic missiles (up to 8,000 km), as well as SLBMs on Arihant-class submarines. Su-30 and Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft can carry tactical nuclear weapons.
Pakistan began work on its own nuclear weapons in the early 1970s. In 1982, the uranium enrichment plant was completed, and in 1995, the reactor, which made it possible to obtain weapons-grade plutonium. Pakistani nuclear weapons were tested in May 1998.
It is believed that currently Islamabad may have 120-130 nuclear warheads.
DPRK: Juche nuclear bomb
The most famous story associated with the development of nuclear weapons is undoubtedly the North Korean nuclear program.
The DPRK began developing its own atomic bomb back in the mid-1950s, and the most active assistance in this matter was from the Soviet Union. With the help of specialists from the USSR, a research center with a nuclear reactor was opened in the country, Soviet geologists were looking for uranium in North Korea.
In mid-2005, the world was surprised to learn that the DPRK was a nuclear power, and the following year, the Koreans conducted the first test of a 1 kiloton nuclear bomb. In 2019, Kim Jong Ye told the world that his country already has thermonuclear weapons in its arsenal. It is believed that Pyongyang may currently have 10 to 20 nuclear warheads.
In 2012, the Koreans announced the creation of the Hwaseong-13 intercontinental ballistic missiles with a range of 7.5 thousand km. This is quite enough to strike at the territory of the United States.
Just a few days ago, American President Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at which the parties seemed to agree on the closure of the DPRK's nuclear program. However, so far this is more of a declaration of intent, and it is difficult to say whether these negotiations will lead to real denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Nuclear program of the State of Israel
Israel does not officially recognize that it possesses nuclear weapons, but the whole world knows that it does have them.
It is believed that the Israeli nuclear program began in the mid-50s, and the first nuclear charges were received in the late 60s and early 70s. There is no exact information about the tests of Israeli nuclear weapons. On September 22, 1979, the American satellite "Vela" detected strange outbreaks over the desert part of the South Atlantic, very reminiscent of the consequences of a nuclear explosion. It is believed that this was the test of Israeli nuclear weapons.
It is believed that Israel currently possesses about 80 nuclear warheads. In addition, this country has a full-fledged nuclear triad for the delivery of nuclear weapons: Jericho-3 ICBMs with a range of 6.5 thousand km, Dolphin-class submarines capable of carrying cruise missiles with a nuclear warhead, and F- 15I Ra'am with CD Gabriel.
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The nuclear arms race began at the end of World War II, when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. Since then, several countries have prepared their own nuclear devices and others are working on their production.
United States
Nuclear tests began during World War II and ended in the early 1990s after the collapse of communism. The United States still has the largest operational warheads (over 2,000), while thousands more are currently being dismantled.
The Americans also have nuclear weapons stationed in other NATO countries. Together with Russia, the United States is a member of the atomic weapons club, which has air, sea and land-based nuclear weapons. For two decades, the United States has worked with Russia to reduce the number of nuclear weapons around the world.
Russia
Russia conducted its first nuclear test in 1949, four years after the Americans bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During cold war the arms race led to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Today Russia has about 1,700 operational warheads. However, nuclear experts fear that after some 1990 warheads may have fallen into the hands of third parties and thus are not counted.
United Kingdom
Britain joined the nuclear club in 1951 and has about 160 warheads that can only be delivered by submarines.
France
France is the third largest nuclear power after the United States and Russia. The country can launch its 300 warheads either from the air or from the sea.
China
Communist China began a nuclear program in the 1950s after the United States moved some of its own warheads to Asia during the Korean War. At present, China can deploy land-based and air-launched missiles, and in the very near future will be able to deliver them in submarines.
India
India tested its first nuclear weapon in 1974 because it saw neighboring China and Pakistan as the main threat in the region. India has land and air weapons bases that could be put into service at short notice.
Pakistan
After conflicts and regional wars with India in the last forty years, Pakistan tested its first combat in 1998 and is said to have 100 warheads.
Israel
While Israel has never confirmed an atomic weapon test, experts believe the country has had a nuclear weapons program for decades. Israel likely has at least 80 missiles on the ground that can carry nuclear warheads.
North Korea
In the past few years, North Korea has conducted underground tests. Western experts believe the communist state has enough plutonium to build atomic bombs, but they doubt the country can deliver them on missiles. The sanctions against the country came into effect several years ago, after negotiations that failed to stop the program.
Nuclear tests in North Korea
Iran
The Western world is also concerned about Iran's plans to build an atomic bomb. International Commission on atomic energy claims to have strong evidence that Iran is producing plutonium for bombs. Iranian leaders have repeatedly stated that they are only enriching uranium for nuclear power. The United Nations has placed sanctions on countries in an attempt to stop Iran's program.
Several other states also had nuclear weapons programs at one time or have already produced warheads. The states of the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine and Kazakhstan, had nuclear warheads when the country collapsed, but brought it back to Russia in the following years.
South Africa developed nuclear weapons during the apartheid years but stopped them in 1990. Saddam Hussein was thinking about developing his own nuclear weapons in Iraq. In 2003, the United States invaded the country because it thought the dictator had weapons of mass destruction.
Argentina, Brazil and South Korea stopped their nuclear programs many years ago.