Who has nuclear weapons

There are five ‘declared’ nuclear weapon states. They are the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. ‘Declared’ means that they have signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as countries which had tested nuclear weapons. No other country that has signed the NPT is allowed to have these weapons.

Following the series of tests in 1998, it was clear that both India and Pakistan were developing nuclear weapons. They now both possess them. Although it will never say if it does indeed have them, it is generally agreed that Israel also has a nuclear arsenal. These three countries have not signed the NPT.

In May 2009 North Korea (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – DPRK) announced that it had conducted an underground nuclear test. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, it was larger than the previous test in 2006 but still smaller than the Hiroshima bomb. The Bulletin also suggests that the device failed to detonate properly.

Other countries have been suspected at various times of either having or attempting to develop a nuclear weapons programme, including Iraq, Iran, Libya and Syria. That list of ‘possible developers’ has probably now been reduced to one – Iran. But it is not certain that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability.

Furthermore, any country that has developed its own nuclear power capability could possibly develop the technology needed to produce nuclear weapons.

The total number of warheads for each country is as follows:

• China: About 240 total warheads.
• France: Fewer than 300 operational warheads.
• Russia: Approximately 2,600 operational strategic warheads , approximately 2,000 operational tactical warheads, and approximately 8,000 stockpiled strategic and tactical warheads.
• United Kingdom: Following the recent Strategic Defence and Security Review there will now be no more than 120 deployed strategic warheads, with a total stockpile of up to 180.
  
• United States: 5,113 active and inactive nuclear warheads and approximately 4,500 warheads retired and awaiting dismantlement. The 5,113 active and inactive nuclear warhead stockpile includes 1,968 strategic warheads , approximately 500 operational tactical weapons, and approximately 2,645 inactive warheads.
• India: Up to 100 nuclear warheads.
• Israel: Between 75 to 200 nuclear warheads.
• Pakistan: Between 70 to 90 nuclear warheads.
  
• Korea: ?

(Figures from the Arms Control Association)

The only US nuclear weapons deployed outside its borders (except for those on submarine patrol) are in Europe and are for use by NATO allies. There are around 200 bombs based in Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Turkey.

Each warhead has the destructive power measured in kilotons (kts). A kiloton is equal to 1,000 tons of TNT. The Hiroshima bomb was 15 kts, that is, equal to 15,000 tons of TNT. There is an enormous range in the power of nuclear warheads. For example, the US figures range from bombs of less than 1 kiloton (kt) to the submarine-launched Trident Mk5 missiles that are 475 kts.

It can appear to be very confusing when trying to decide if countries really have cut back on their nuclear weapons. Taking Britain as an example, it is true to say that it now has fewer warheads than during the height of the Cold War. It is also true to say that it now has only one nuclear weapon system, the Trident submarine fleet. However, Trident replaced the Polaris submarine-based system, but it was not a simple like-for-like changeover. As with Polaris, Trident consists of four submarines, each one capable of carrying 16 missiles.

But there are many differences. The missiles have around twice the range (4,500 miles compared to 2,500) are faster and more accurate. Polaris had two warheads per missile but each warhead on the Trident missiles (currently limited to 48 per submarine by the government) can be guided to a separate target.

But the biggest difference is in the destructive power. Each Polaris warhead yield was 40 kts with the total number of warheads being 128. So the total destructive power was 5,120kts. – approximately 340 Hiroshimas.

Trident, even with the cutback in warheads, is far more deadly. Each warhead is 100kts and there are 180 of them. That’s 18,000 kts in total – over 1000 Hiroshimas.

Many would argue that that’s a more important comparison than what has been reduced since the Cold War. After all, there is no ‘enemy’ with hundreds or thousands of nuclear weapons ready to attack. When you read about the effects of that one bomb on Hiroshima, does Britain really need the equivalent of over 1000 of them? And does the world need 22,500 warheads?