There is a lot of trash talked about nuclear weapons; not many people are sure which countries are nuclear capable. Even fewer people are aware of which countries are the most heavily armed. But the time has come for people to know the truth!! In this article we look into which countries are nuclear armed and try to clear up some of the myths surrounding their advanced weapons program. We will also try and go into some detail in describing the danger each nuclear capable state poses to world peace.
Nuclear-weapon capable states:
Under the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty, the 5 “nuclear weapon states” agreed to help prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology.
The 5 recognised nuclear states:
– USA (over 20000 deployed)
– Russia (1800 deployed)
– UK (160 warheads ready, with more stockpiled)
– France (290 warheads)
– China (over 200 warheads)
A trident missile launch
Despite their efforts, nuclear weapons technology has spread to several other countries.
Known non-NPT states:
– India (between 90 and 110 warheads)
– Pakistan (around 110 warheads)
– North Korea (6-10 suspected warheads)
– Israel (Suspected of having 80 warheads)
It is important to note that Israel neither confirms or denies having nuclear weapons, which is probably a sign that they do.
Nuclear test as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole
Countries which used to have nuclear weapons:
– South-Africa
– Ukraine
– Belarus
– Kazakhstan
The Mark 6 Nuclear Bomb
South Africa developed nuclear weapons in secret before willingly having them destroyed.
Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine had left over warheads as the soviets had stored them there before the collapse of the union in the early 90s. They decided to transfer all nuclear weapons to Russia in exchange for assured protection. And considering that Russia is currently invading Ukraine….it was a mistake. It’s very possible that more nuclear capable states will join this list in the near future. Each developed country seems to have their own campaign for nuclear disarmament, and their members tend to be extremely angry with the current state of affairs. On the other hand, it’s also possible that a non-nuclear capable state could join the list of those in possession of nukes. And that would be a disaster. A complete disaster for everyone involved. So I’ll be updating this article if I ever feel that future events have rendered it inaccurate.