Countries that have nuclear weapons. Nuclear powers: who has the deadliest weapons in the world

The arms race in the 20th century encouraged powers to develop under the plausible pretext of deterring nuclear attacks. In fact, some countries categorically deny their involvement in combat tests, despite the fact that nuclear arsenal circumstantial evidence speaks on their territory.

But, whatever the position, scientists and ordinary mortals interested in the issue understand: if the bombing begins, then the historical “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 will seem like an amateur performance in comparison with that fiery cauldron , which will begin on the planet. Considering the current capabilities of the nuclear arsenal of some countries. Whatever one may say, the most powerful nuclear bomb was made under the USSR.

Nuclear arsenal of countries, number of nuclear warheads by country 2017/2018

A 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 modernizing 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 nuclear warheads are carried 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 US and Russia. Its warheads are launched from the air, from land and from sea. China is increasing the size of its nuclear arsenal.	270
	It maintains a fleet of four nuclear 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 related infrastructure. IN 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
	It maintains a policy of ambiguity regarding its 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 fewer than 10 warheads. It is unclear whether he has the capacity to deliver them. We wrote the nuclear bomb of North Korea.	10
	Total	14900 warheads

Nuclear Club list of countries

Russia

• Russia received most of its atomic weapons after the collapse of the USSR, when mass disarmament and removal of nuclear warheads to Russia were carried out at the military bases of the former Soviet republics.
• Officially, the country has a nuclear resource of 7,000 warheads and ranks first in the world in terms of weapons, of which 1,950 are deployed.
• The former Soviet Union conducted its first test in 1949 with a ground launch of an RDS-1 rocket from the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan.
• The Russian position regarding nuclear weapons is to use them in response to a similar attack. Or in case of attacks with conventional weapons, if this threatens the existence of the country.

USA

• The incident of two missiles dropped on two Japanese cities in 1945 is the first and only example of a live atomic attack. Thus, the United States became the first country to implement nuclear explosion. Today it is also the country with the most strong army in the world. Official estimates report 6,800 active units, of which 1,800 are deployed in combat status.
• The last US nuclear test was carried out in 1992. The US takes the position that it has sufficient weapons to protect itself and allied countries from attack.

France

• After World War II, the country did not pursue the goal of developing its own weapons mass destruction. However, after Vietnam War and the loss of its colonies in Indochina, the government of the country reconsidered its views, and since 1960 has been pursuing nuclear tests first in Algeria, and then in two uninhabited coral islands in French Polynesia.
• In total, the country conducted 210 tests, the most powerful of which were the Canopus in 1968 and the Unicorn in 1970. There is information about the presence of 300 nuclear warheads, 280 of which are located on deployed carriers.
• The scale of the global armed confrontation clearly demonstrated that the longer the French government ignores peaceful initiatives to curb weapons, the better for France. Even France acceded to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty proposed by the UN in 1996 only in 1998.

China

• China. First test atomic weapons Under the code name “596”, China held in 1964, opening the way to becoming one of the five residents of the Nuclear Club.
• Modern China 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 developments of Chinese military scientists are in no way behind the leaders in weapons, Russia and the United States, and since 2011 they have presented to the world four new modifications of ballistic weapons with the ability to load them with nuclear warheads.
• There is a joke that China is based on the number of its compatriots, who make up the largest diaspora in the world, when talking about the “minimum necessary” number of combat units.

Great Britain

• Great Britain, like a true lady, even though it is one of the leading Five nuclear powers, and such obscenity as atomic tests on my own territory, did not practice. 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, testing was stopped. Officially, the country has 215 charges, of which 180 are located on deployed carriers.
• The UK actively opposes the use of nuclear ballistic missiles, although there was a precedent in 2015, when Prime Minister David Cameron cheered up the international community with the message that the country, if desired, could demonstrate the launch of a couple of charges. The minister did not specify in which direction the nuclear greeting would fly.

Young nuclear powers

Pakistan

• Pakistan. The common border with India and Pakistan prevents them from signing the Non-Proliferation Treaty. In 1965, the country's foreign minister said that Pakistan would be ready to begin developing its own nuclear weapons if neighboring India began to do so. His determination was so serious that he promised to put the entire country on bread and water for the sake of protection from armed provocations of India.
• Development of explosive devices has been ongoing for a long time, with variable funding and construction of facilities since 1972. The country conducted its first tests in 1998 at the Chagai training ground. There are about 120-130 in storage in the country nuclear charges.
• The emergence of a new player in the nuclear market forced many partner countries to impose a ban on the import of Pakistani goods into their territory, which could greatly undermine the country's economy. Fortunately for Pakistan, it had a number of unofficial sponsors who provided funds for nuclear testing. The largest receipts were oil from Saudi Arabia, which was imported into the country at a rate of 50 thousand barrels daily.

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 been in the position of superpowers and does not pay attention to India, and does not particularly oppress permanent job over its potential and refusal to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
• Nuclear power prevented India from venturing out into the open from the very beginning, so the first test, codenamed “Smiling Buddha” in 1974, was carried out secretly, underground. All developments were so classified that the researchers even notified their own Minister of Defense about the tests at the last moment.
• Officially, India admitted that yes, we sin, we have charges, only in the late 1990s. According to modern data, there are 110-120 units in storage in the country.

North Korea

• North Korea. The favorite move of the United States - “showing strength” as an argument in negotiations - was very disliked by the DPRK government back in the mid-1950s. At that time, the States actively intervened in Korean War, allowing the atomic bombing of Pyongyang. The DPRK learned its lesson and set a course for militarizing the country.
• Together with the army, which today is the fifth largest in the world, Pyongyang is conducting nuclear research, which until 2017 was not particularly interesting to the world, since it took place under the auspices of space exploration, and relatively peacefully. Sometimes the neighboring lands shook South Korea from medium-sized earthquakes of unknown nature, that’s all the trouble.
• At the beginning of 2017, the “false” news in the media that the United States was sending its aircraft carriers to meaningless promenades off the Korean shores left a residue, and the DPRK, without much concealment, conducted six nuclear tests. Today the country has 10 nuclear units in storage.
• How many other countries are conducting research on developing nuclear weapons is unknown. To be continued.

Suspicions of nuclear weapons storage

There are several known countries suspected of storing nuclear weapons:

• Israel, like the old and wise Reve, is in no hurry to lay his cards on the table, but does not directly deny the presence of nuclear weapons. The “Non-Proliferation Treaty” has also not been signed, and it’s more invigorating than the morning snow. And all that the world has are only rumors about the nuclear tests that the Promised One allegedly conducted since 1979 together with South Africa in the South Atlantic and the presence of 80 nuclear warheads in storage.
• Iraq, according to unverified data, has been storing an unknown number of nuclear weapons for an unknown number of years. “Simply because it can,” they said in the United States, and at the beginning of the 2000s, together with Great Britain, they sent troops into the country. Later they apologized heartily that they were “mistaken.” We didn't expect anything else, gentlemen.
• Came under the same suspicions Iran, due to testing the “peaceful atom” for energy needs. This became 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 released from sanctions.

Four countries cleared themselves of all suspicion 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 sighs with a hint of nostalgia that “If only there were any weapons left, they would talk to us differently.” And South Africa, even though it once participated in the development of nuclear power, openly withdrew from the race and lives quietly.

Partly due to the contradictions of internal political forces that opposed nuclear policy, partly due to a lack of necessity. One way or another, some transferred all the power in the energy sector to the cultivation of the “peaceful atom”, and some from nuclear potential refused 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

Today, more than 70 years have passed since atomic bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the scientific and industrial potential of many states makes it possible to create heavy-duty ammunition, any educated person should know there are nuclear weapons. Considering the secrecy of this topic, the reluctance of some governments and regimes to declare the current state of affairs in this area is not an easy task.

The Fab Five

The USA was the first. A country that traded with both allies and enemies, and received a net profit from the war greater than all the gigantic losses of Hitler's Germany, was able to invest huge amounts of money in the Manhattan Project. The birthplace of Batman, Captain America in its characteristic democratic manner, without hesitation, in 1945 the United States tested an atomic bomb on the peaceful cities of Japan. The United States was the first to use thermonuclear weapons in 1952, many times larger destructive force than the first atomic weapons.

In the list called “Which countries have nuclear weapons,” the death of innocent residents and radioactive ash was the first line written.

The Soviet Union had to become the second. Having a “democratic” savage waving an atomic club as a neighbor on the planet was simply dangerous, without having similar weapons for protection and the possibility of a retaliatory strike. Exhausted Great Patriotic War the country required colossal efforts of scientists, intelligence officers, engineers, and workers in order 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, working on the creation of a military-defense complex based on a chain reaction of fission of uranium nuclei. The help of German scientists and engineers, the use of the technologies they developed, exported by the US Army, greatly simplified the creation of superweapons by the overseas empire of “good”.

Which countries have nuclear weapons - this question follows the leaders of the rapidly developing race, spurred by cold war between the USA and the USSR, England, China and France tried to answer. Chronologically it looked like this:

1952 - Great Britain tested atomic weapons at an island test site near Australia, in 1957 - thermonuclear weapons in Polynesia.

1960 - France in Algeria, thermonuclear in 1968 on an atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

1964 - China at a test site near Lake Lop Nor, where a thermonuclear charge was tested in 1967.

In 1968, these five great nuclear powers, which are also permanent members of the UN Security Council, in order to maintain the military-technical, political balance of power and under the slogan of universal peace on the planet, signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Such Weapons, Prohibition of the Transfer nuclear technologies military purposes to other countries.

Explicit and secret

Which countries have nuclear weapons besides the “old” nuclear powers? Those who openly declared the creation and testing of both atomic and later thermonuclear weapons at one time were:

India tested an atomic weapon back in 1974, but did not admit it. Only in May 1998, after several underground explosions, including a thermonuclear one, did it declare itself a country with nuclear weapons.

Pakistan, in the same May 1998, according to its own statement, carried out its own tests in response to India's actions.

North Korea announced the creation of weapons in 2005, tested them in 2006, and declared itself a nuclear power in 2012.

This concludes the list of 8 states that admit to having nuclear weapons. The remaining states, which do not officially declare the presence of such weapons, do not hide this fact very much, demonstrating to everyone their high scientific, technological, military-technical potential.

First of all, this is Israel. No one doubts that this country has nuclear weapons. She did not carry out his above-ground or underground explosions. There are only suspicions about joint tests in the South Atlantic together with South Africa, which was also considered to have nuclear reserves before the fall of the apartheid regime. Currently, South Africa completely denies their existence.

Long years global community and, above all, Israel was suspected of developing and creating nuclear technologies for military use by Iraq and Iran. The valiant defenders of democracy who invaded Iraq did not find any nuclear weapons there, nor chemical or bacteriological ones in addition, which they immediately bashfully kept silent about. Iran, under the influence of international sanctions, recently opened all its nuclear energy facilities to IAEA inspectors, who confirmed the absence of developments in the creation of weapons-grade plutonium.

Now Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is suspected of secretly seeking to acquire superweapons.

This concludes the list of nuclear club states, consisting of overt and secret members.

At the moment, all interested parties know quite precisely which countries have nuclear weapons, because this is a matter of global security. From time to time, information appears in the media about the ongoing work 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.

Today, nuclear weapons are thousands of times more powerful than the two infamous atomic bombs that destroyed the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. Since that bombing, the nuclear arms race various countries moved into a different phase, and under the pretext of nuclear deterrence never stopped.

Iran

• Status: Charged with unofficial possession.
• First test: never.
• Final test: never.
• Arsenal size: 2,400 kilograms of low-enriched uranium.

Top U.S. military officials unanimously say Iran can produce at least one nuclear weapon every year, and it would take more time to develop a modern, operational atomic bomb he needs a maximum of five years.

Currently, the West regularly accuses Tehran of developing nuclear weapons, which is just as regularly denied by the Iranian leadership. According to the official position of the latter, the state’s nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes and is being developed for the energy needs of enterprises and medical reactors.

After international verification in the sixties, Iran had to abandon its nuclear program (1979). However, according to secret Pentagon documents, it was resumed in the mid-nineties. For this reason, UN sanctions were imposed on the Asian state, the introduction of which should stop the development of Iran's nuclear program, which threatens peace in the region; nevertheless, Iran is a nuclear power.

Israel

• Status: not official.
• First test: possibly 1979.
• Last test: possibly 1979.
• Arsenal size: up to 400 units.
• Test Ban Treaty (CTBT): Signed.

Israel is considered a country that not only possesses full-fledged nuclear weapons, but is also capable of delivering them to various points through intercontinental ballistic missiles, aviation or navy. The state began its research in the nuclear field soon after its founding. The first reactor was built in 1950, and the first nuclear weapon in the sixties.

Currently, Israel does not seek to maintain its reputation as a nuclear power, however, many European countries, including France and the UK, are actively promoting Israel in this industry. You should know that information has been leaked that the Israelis have created mini nuclear bombs that are small enough to be installed in a suitcase. They were also reported to possess an unknown number of bomb neutrons.

• Status: official.
• First test: 2006.
• Last test: 2009.
• Arsenal size: less than 10 units.

In addition to possessing a significant arsenal of modern chemical weapons, North Korea is a full-fledged nuclear power. Currently, the state of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has a pair of operating nuclear reactors.

To date, North Korea has two successful nuclear tests, which were confirmed by international experts based on survey and monitoring results. seismic activity in the test areas.

• Status: official.
• First test: May 28, 1998.
• Last test: May 30, 1998.
• Arsenal size: from 70 to 90 units.
• Test Ban Treaty (CTBT): not signed.

Pakistan resumed its previously interrupted nuclear program in response to India's Buddha Smile test. The official statement from the authorities contains the following words: “If India creates an atomic bomb, we will eat grass and leaves for a thousand years, or even starve, but we will get similar weapons. Christians, Jews and now Hindus have the bomb. Why don't Muslims allow themselves to do this? ". This phrase belongs to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto after the tests in India.

Let us recall that Pakistan’s nuclear program was born back in 1956, but was frozen by order of President Ayub Khan. Nuclear engineers tried to prove that the nuclear program was vital, but the country's president said that if real threat Pakistan will be able to acquire ready-made nuclear weapons.

The Pakistan Air Force has two units operating the Nanchang A-5C (No. 16 and No. 26 Squadrons), which are excellent for delivering nuclear warheads. Pakistan ranks seventh in our ranking of nuclear powers in the world.

India

• Status: official.
• First test: 1974.
• Last test: 1998.
• Arsenal size: less than 40 to 95 units.
• Test Ban Treaty (CTBT): not signed.

India has an impressive number of nuclear weapons and is also capable of delivering them to their destination using aircraft And surface ships. In addition, its nuclear missile submarines are in the final stages of development.

India's first nuclear test was original name"Smiling Buddha" as if this nuclear explosion pursued exclusively peaceful goals. The world community reacted to such actions after the 1998 tests. Economic sanctions against India were imposed by the United States, Japan and their Western allies.

• Status: official.
• First test: 1964.
• Last test: 1996.
• Arsenal size: about 240 units.
• Test Ban Treaty (CTBT): Signed.

Almost immediately after testing the first atomic bomb, China tested its hydrogen bomb. These events occurred in 1964 and 1967, respectively. Currently Chinese People's Republic has 180 active nuclear warheads and is considered one of the most powerful world powers.

China is the only state with a nuclear arsenal that has given security guarantees to all countries that do not have such technology. The official part of the document reads: “China undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones, regardless of time and under any circumstances.”

• Status: official.
• First test: 1960.
• Last test: 1995.
• Arsenal size: at least 300 units.

France is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and is known to possess weapons of mass destruction. Developments in this direction in the Fifth Republic began after the end of World War II, but it was only possible to create an atomic bomb in 1958. Tests in 1960 made it possible to verify the functionality of the weapon.

To date, France has carried out more than two hundred nuclear tests, and its potential puts the country in fourth place in world ranking of nuclear powers.

• Status: official.
• First test: 1952.
• Last test: 1991.
• Arsenal size: more than 225 units.
• Test Ban Treaty (CTBT): Ratified.

The United Kingdom Great Britain ratified the “Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons” back in 1968. The United States and the United Kingdom cooperate closely and mutually beneficially on issues nuclear safety, starting with the signing of the 1958 Mutual Defense Treaty.

In addition, these two countries (USA and UK) also actively exchange various classified information received by state intelligence services.

Russian Federation

• Status: official.
• First test: 1949.
• Last test: 1990.
• Arsenal size: 2,825 units.
• Test Ban Treaty (CTBT): Ratified.

The Soviet Union was the second country to detonate nuclear bomb(1949). From then until 1990, Russia carried out at least 715 nuclear tests involving testing of 970 different devices. Russia is one of the most powerful nuclear powers in the world. The first nuclear explosion, with a yield of 22 kilotons, received given name"Joe-1."

The Tsar Bomba is by far the heaviest atomic weapon of all time. It was tested in 1967, detonating at a whopping 57,000 kilotons. This charge was originally designed at 100,000 kilotons, but was reduced to 57,000 kilotons due to the high likelihood of excessive radioactive fallout.

USA

• Status: official.
• First test: 1945.
• Last test: 1992.
• Arsenal size: 5,113 units.
• Test Ban Treaty (CTBT): Signed.

In total, the United States has conducted more than 1,050 nuclear tests and occupies a leading place in our top ten nuclear world powers. At the same time, the state has missiles with a delivery range atomic warhead up to 13,000 kilometers. The first test of the Trinity atomic bomb was carried out in 1945. This was the first explosion of this kind in world history, which demonstrated to humanity new type threats.

One of the greatest luminaries of the scientific world, Albert Einstein, approached President Franklin Roosevelt with a proposal to create an atomic bomb. So the creator unwittingly became the destroyer.

Today, according to the nuclear program North America More than twenty secret facilities operate. It is curious that during tests in the United States, there were many incidents with nuclear weapons, which, fortunately, did not lead to irreparable consequences. Examples include incidents near Atlantic City, New Jersey (1957), Thule Air Force Base, Greenland (1968), Savannah, Georgia (1958), at sea near Palomares, Spain (1966), off the coast of Okinawa, Japan (1965), etc.

Confrontation between the two most powerful nuclear powers in the world, Russia and the USA: video

Total There are currently over 20 thousand nuclear warheads in the world, according to data from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). More than half of this amount - 11 thousand - is contained in the arsenal of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

A report published today on the SIPRI website reveals that the world's eight nuclear powers have a total of 20,530 nuclear warheads. Of these, 5,027 are deployed. Russia also occupies a leading position here: at the disposal of the Missile Forces strategic purpose(Strategic Missile Forces) 2427 missiles with nuclear warheads. The United States is slightly inferior in this regard - it has 2,150 deployed nuclear warheads. France has almost 300 similar missiles, and Great Britain has almost half as many.

However, 5 thousand deployed warheads are just the tip of the global nuclear iceberg. The number of military nuclear warheads mothballed in military warehouses exceeds this figure three times. The strategic nuclear stockpiles of the big five - Russia, the USA, France, Great Britain and China - as well as India, Pakistan and Israel that join them, amount to 15,500 warheads.

Russia remains the undisputed leader here, capable of equipping 8,570 missiles with nuclear warheads. The United States is not far behind, with 6,350 warheads stored in its warehouses. Great Britain and France have 65 and 10 nuclear weapons, respectively. China's entire nuclear arsenal of 200 warheads is kept in an undeployed state. The military nuclear potential of Delhi and Karachi is estimated at approximate figures: 80 - 100 warheads for India and 90 - 100 for Pakistan. Israel, according to experts, has 80 nuclear warheads.

While the major nuclear powers are making global efforts nuclear disarmament, analysts note the growth of military nuclear potential in third world countries. Thus, within the framework of the agreement between the Russian Federation and the United States on the reduction of strategic and offensive arms (START-3), Russia reduced its arsenal by a thousand nuclear warheads. The United States cut its offensive reserves proportionately - by 900 units. But India and Pakistan, judging by expert calculations, have increased their combat power by about 20 nuclear warheads each.

Note that, according to the US State Department, which published its report on the American strategic potential a few days ago, the United States and warheads than Russia. The report states that the Americans have 882 deployed ballistic missiles, while Russia has only 521. Moreover, the United States has a total of 1,800 nuclear warheads, while the Russian Federation has 1,537.

The published information was the result of data exchange between nuclear powers under the START-3 agreement. Exchange of information, when the United States transferred its database to its Russian counterparts, without, however, indicating specific numbers.

Meanwhile, the implementation of START III remains under threat due to disagreements between Russia and the United States over the American missile defense system in Europe. In mid-May, the Russian Foreign Ministry threatened to withdraw from the treaty if the Americans continued to place their weapons in European countries. Earlier, the head of the main operational directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Andrei Tretyak, said that the deployment American system missile defense(PRO) close Russian borders our nuclear deterrent forces (SNF). Research organizations of the Ministry of Defense came to such conclusions during the analysis of plans to modernize the US missile defense system.

Nuclear (or atomic) weapons are the presence of the entire nuclear arsenal, its means of transportation, as well as control hardware. Such weapons are classified as weapons of mass destruction - weapons mass destruction. The explosive action of the so-called “rusty death” weapon is based on the principle of using some of the qualities possessed by nuclear energy released as a result of a nuclear or thermonuclear reaction.

Types of nuclear weapons

Everything available at globe Nuclear weapons can be divided into two types:

• Atomic weapons are single-phase type explosive mechanisms. During the fission of heavy nuclei of plutonium or uranium 235, energy is released;
• Thermonuclear weapon is an explosive mechanism with a two-phase type. During the impact of the first phase, the release of energy occurs due to the fission of heavy nuclei. During the action of the second phase, the phase with thermonuclear fusion. In the process of proportional composition of reactions, the types of these weapons are determined.

From the history of the emergence of nuclear weapons

In 1889 married couple Curie committed in scientific world grand opening. They discovered a hitherto unknown substance in a piece of uranium that released a colossal amount of energy.

After this discovery, events developed as follows. E. Rutherford studied the basic properties of atoms. E. Walton and D. Cockcroft were the first in the world to carry out fission atomic nucleus. And already in 1934, scientist Leo Szilard registered a patent for the creation of an atomic bomb.

The purpose for which atomic weapons were created is very trivial - it is world domination, with the intimidation and destruction of their enemies. So, when the Second was already underway World War, German scientists, Soviet Union and the United States were engaged scientific research and nuclear weapons development. These three largest and most powerful states, actively participating in hostilities, attempted to achieve victory at any cost. Moreover, if at that time they had managed to use these weapons as key factor in victory, then it could be used more than once in other military conflicts.

Nuclear powers of the world for 2018

The states that currently possess nuclear weapons are secretly called the Nuclear Club.

The following are considered legitimate within the international legal framework:

• United States of America (USA);
• Russia (which received nuclear weapons from the USSR after its collapse);
• France;
• Great Britain;
• China.

The following are considered illegitimate:

• India;
• North Korea;
• Pakistan.

There is another state - Israel. Officially, it does not have its own nuclear weapons. However, the world community is of the opinion that Israel should take its place in the Nuclear Club.

However, it is possible that there may be other participants on this list. Many world states had nuclear programs, but some of them gave up the idea later, and some are still working on them to this day. In some states, such weapons are supplied by other countries, for example, the United States. The exact number of weapons and how many nuclear powers own these weapons in the world is not known. However, approximately twenty and a half thousand nuclear warheads are scattered throughout the globe.

In 1968, they signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Later, in 1986, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed. However, not all states decided to sign and ratify (legalize) these documents. Thus, the threat to the world is still real. Moreover, no matter how strange it may sound, at present the presence of nuclear weapons is a guarantee of peace, a deterrent that can protect against aggression, which is why many states are so eager to acquire them.

United States Arsenal

Today, the United States has an arsenal of 1,654 warheads. The United States is armed with bombs, warheads, and shells. All this is used in military aviation, in the submarine fleet, as well as in artillery.

At the end of World War II, the United States produced over sixty-six thousand bombs with warheads, but already in 1997 the production of new types of nuclear weapons was completely stopped. By 2010, the United States arsenal numbered more than five thousand units nuclear weapons. Since 2013, their number has decreased to 1,654 units according to the project, which involved a reduction in nuclear potential.

As the unofficial world leader, the United States has the status of a nuclear power and, according to the 1968 treaty, as part of five states, it legitimately possesses nuclear weapons.

Russia (former USSR) is the second nuclear power

Russia currently has 1,480 warheads and 367 nuclear carriers. This ammunition is intended for use missile forces, sea strategic forces And strategic aviation. For last decade Russia's military nuclear stockpile decreased significantly, by 12% per year. Due to the signing of an agreement on mutual disarmament, by 2012 it was supposed to decrease by 2/3.

Today, the Russian Federation, as the successor to the USSR, is one of the main members of the 1968 agreements on nuclear weapons and possesses them legally. In the current global political and economic situation, Russia is being opposed to the United States and European states. However, with such a serious arsenal, you can defend your independent positions on geopolitical issues.

French nuclear potential

France currently has approximately 300 strategic warheads, as well as approximately 60 air-launched tactical multiprocessors. All this can be used submarines and aviation. For a long time, France had to strive to be independent in matters of its own weapons. She was developing her own supercomputer and conducting nuclear tests until 1998. France was no longer involved in nuclear weapons.

British nuclear capability

The UK has 225 nuclear warheads. Of these, over 160 are in combat readiness and are located on submarines. No one has accurate information about the weapons of the British army. They do not disclose the exact size of their nuclear arsenal. The UK has no desire to increase its nuclear stockpile, as well as to its reduction. It is guided by a policy of deterring allied and neutral states from using these weapons.

Chinese nuclear potential

Estimated American specialists The Chinese have approximately 240 warheads. Although according to official data, the Chinese military has approximately 40 intercontinental missiles, which are controlled by artillery and submariners. Besides, Chinese army owns approximately 1000 missiles short range.

Chinese authorities do not disclose precise information about their arsenal. They state that their nuclear weapons are expected to be maintained at the lowest level that is safe. Moreover, the Chinese authorities say that they will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, and in relation to non-nuclear states they will not use them at all. Such statements are only welcomed by the international community.

Indian nuclear potential

According to some estimates, India does not officially have nuclear weapons. India currently has approximately 30 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, as well as enough materials to make 90 more.

In addition, the Indian Army has short-range missiles ballistic missiles medium range, extended-range missiles. Being an illegal possessor of atomic weapons, the Indian authorities do not officially declare their nuclear policy, this causes negative reactions in the world community.

Pakistani nuclear potential

It is known from unofficial sources that the Pakistani army has almost 200 nuclear warheads. Accurate information there is no information about the types of their weapons. The world community reacted to nuclear tests as harshly as possible. Pakistan has been subject to economic sanctions by almost all major world states. The exception was Saudi Arabia, which supplied the state with approximately fifty thousand barrels of oil per day.

North Korea is a new generation nuclear power

North Korea is a state that officially possesses nuclear weapons, and in this regard, in 2012, it amended its Constitution. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea possesses single-stage medium-range missiles, mobile complex"Musudan."

Reaction international community on the creation and testing of nuclear weapons was extremely negative. The lengthy six-party negotiations are still ongoing, and the state is subject to an economic embargo. However, the North Korean authorities are in no hurry to abandon the creation of their nuclear shield.

Should we give up nuclear weapons?

Nuclear weapons are one of the most terrible types of destruction of the population and economic potential of a hostile state. This is a weapon that destroys everything in its path. Aware of the seriousness of the presence of such weapons, the governments of many states (especially “ Nuclear Club") are taking a wide variety of measures to reduce the number of these weapons, as well as guarantees for their non-use.