Who didn't have time

Terms are a delicate thing. The “nuclear club” is usually understood to mean only five states: the USA, Russia (as the legal successor of the USSR), Great Britain, France, and China. That's all! Both Israel, which traditionally neither denies nor confirms the presence of nuclear arsenals, and India and Pakistan, which demonstratively conducted nuclear tests and officially announced the presence of nuclear charges, cannot receive legal status from the point of view of international law nuclear powers. The fact is that to join the club you do not need the consent of its current members, but a time machine. All countries that managed to conduct nuclear tests before January 1, 1967 automatically became nuclear powers. The chronology is as follows: the Americans - in 1945, we - four years later, the British and the French - in 1952 and 1960, respectively. China jumped into the “last carriage” - 1964.

Let us note that this state of affairs has always caused and still causes a feeling of indignation among some part of the nuclear-free nations. Nevertheless, 185 countries around the world accepted these rules of the game and signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. This means that the door to the elite nuclear establishment has closed forever.

The situation is paradoxical: any country that does not recognize the mentioned Treaty formally has all the rights to create its own nuclear charge. And the members of the Treaty are also free to withdraw from it at any time - they just need to warn the others about this 90 days in advance.

Of course, the potential owner of the bomb will have to incur serious material costs, endure all kinds of international sanctions and, perhaps, even survive a military attack (at one time, the Iraqi nuclear program was literally buried by Israeli F-16s, destroying an Iraqi research center).

Nevertheless, particularly stubborn countries can still become owners of the coveted bomb. Approximately 40 states of the world today, figuratively speaking, are on the threshold: that is, they have the capabilities to produce national nuclear weapons. But only four dared to cross this threshold. In addition to the aforementioned Israel, India and Pakistan, North Korea considers itself a nuclear power. However, there is no reliable evidence that Pyongyang conducted at least one test atomic bomb, not a single intelligence service in the world has. In this connection, some authoritative experts call the nuclear ambitions of the North Koreans a bluff. There are reasons for this. Thus, North Korea declared itself at the same time a great space power, declaring that it had launched a real satellite. But not a single tracking station recorded it in orbit. Which is quite strange, especially considering that, according to Pyongyang, their satellite was broadcasting revolutionary songs from near-Earth space.

Nuclear arsenals

There are fewer than 30 thousand warheads in nuclear arsenals today.

If we still assume that North Korea is not bluffing, then of this amount its hypothetical contribution is the most modest. 100 km north of the capital North Korea With the help of the Chinese, a nuclear reactor was built. It was suppressed twice under US pressure, but it was still estimated that during its operation it could have accumulated from 9 to 24 kg of weapons-grade plutonium. Experts believe that the production of one bomb, comparable in power to the charge that destroyed Hiroshima, requires from 1 to 3 kg of plutonium-239. Thus, the maximum that the North Korean army can have is 10 relatively low-power charges.

But if there are few bombs in the Juche homeland, then there are more than enough carriers. They even have intercontinental missiles in development that can reach the United States.

Experts attribute to Pakistan the presence of approximately 50 nuclear warheads. Older Scud-type ballistic missiles and more advanced Ghauri ballistic missiles can be used as carriers. In addition, Pakistani engineers independently equipped the existing F-16s with bomb racks for nuclear bombs.

India has approximately 50 to 100 nuclear bombs. Wide choice of carriers: nationally developed ballistic and cruise missiles, fighter-bombers.

Israel has a more substantial arsenal: approximately 200 charges. It is believed that Israel is equipped with nuclear-capable missiles on F-16 and F-15 aircraft, as well as Jericho-1 and Jericho-2 missiles with a range of up to 1,800 km. In addition, this country has the most advanced air and missile defense system in the Middle East.

The UK has about 200 warheads. All of them are located on four nuclear submarines armed with Trident II missiles. Previously, there were nuclear bombs in the arsenal of Tornado aircraft, but the British abandoned tactical nuclear weapons.

The French army and navy have 350 nuclear warheads: sea-launched missile warheads and aerial bombs that can be carried by Mirage 2000N tactical fighter-bombers and Super Etandar carrier-based attack aircraft.

Chinese generals have up to 300 strategic and up to 150 tactical charges at their disposal.

The United States today has over 7 thousand warheads on strategic carriers: ballistic missiles ah land and sea based, and on bombers, and up to 4 thousand tactical bombs. Total 11-12 thousand nuclear warheads.

Russia, according to Western experts, has approximately 18 thousand nuclear warheads, 2/3 of which are tactical. According to data provided to RG by the director of the Institute of Strategic Stability, Viktor Mikhailov, in 2000, strategic nuclear forces Russia had 5906 warheads. Another 4,000 nuclear warheads are non-strategic and consist of tactical bombs, cruise missile warheads and torpedoes. According to experts from one of the most authoritative institutes in the world - the Swedish SIPRI, two years ago our strategic nuclear forces had 4852 warheads, of which 2916 were on 680 ICBMs, 1072 carried ballistic missiles from submarines. Also, 864 warheads were installed on air-to-ground cruise missiles. It should be borne in mind that there is a steady trend towards their further reduction. True, the accumulated world reserves of weapons-grade plutonium make it possible to increase arsenals to 85 thousand charges within a short period of time.

Generally total The number of nuclear weapons available in the world today is known only approximately. But it is known with bomb accuracy that the arms race reached its apogee in 1986. At that time there were 69,478 thousand nuclear warheads on the planet.

Alas, we must admit that although there are fewer bombs, their carriers have become more advanced: more reliable, more accurate and almost invulnerable.

In addition, scientists are working on a fourth-generation bomb: a purely thermonuclear weapon in which the fusion reaction must be initiated by some alternative energy source. The fact is that current hydrogen bombs use the classic nuclear explosion, which produces the main radioactive fallout. If the “nuclear fuse” can be replaced with something, then the generals will receive a bomb that will be as powerful as the current thermonuclear ones, but within 1-2 days after its use, the radiation in the affected area will decrease to an acceptable level. Simply put, the territory is suitable for capture and use. Imagine what a temptation this is for the attacking side...

Bomb Refusers

Statements about the need to have in service nuclear weapon are heard from time to time even in countries whose nuclear-free status is seemingly unshakable. In Japan high-ranking officials They regularly speak out in favor of discussing the issue of nuclear weapons, after which they resign in scandal. From time to time, calls for the creation of the first “Arab atomic bomb” in Egypt are revived. There is also a scandal surrounding the secret program of nuclear research and experiments in South Korea, which has always served as an example of restraint compared to its northern neighbor.

Brazil, which we associate exclusively with Don Pedro and wild monkeys, is determined to launch in 2010... its own nuclear submarine. It is appropriate to remember that back in the 80s, the Brazilian military developed two designs of atomic charges with a yield of 20 and 30 kilotons, although the bombs were never assembled...

At the same time, several countries voluntarily gave up nuclear weapons.

In 1992, South Africa announced that it had eight nuclear warheads and invited IAEA inspectors to oversee their disposal.

Kazakhstan and Belarus voluntarily parted with weapons of mass destruction. After the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine automatically became a powerful nuclear missile power. The Ukrainians had at their disposal 130 SS-19 intercontinental ballistic missiles, 46 SS-24 missiles and 44 heavy strategic bombers with cruise missiles. Note that, unlike other republics in the post-Soviet space, which also had nuclear arsenals, Ukraine had the ability to build ballistic missiles (for example, all the famous SS-18 Satan were produced in Dnepropetrovsk) and had a uranium deposit. And theoretically, she could well qualify for membership in the “nuclear club.”

Nevertheless, the Ukrainian ballistic missiles were destroyed under the control of American observers, and Kyiv transferred all 1,272 nuclear warheads to Russia. From 1996 to 1999, Ukraine also eliminated 29 Tu-160 and Tu-95 bombers and 487 Kh-55 air-launched cruise missiles.

The Ukrainians kept one and only Tu-160 for themselves: for the Air Force Museum. It seems like they didn’t keep the nuclear bombs as a souvenir.

Evgeniy Avrorin, scientific director of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center - All-Russian Research Institute of Technical Physics (Snezhinsk), full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences:

In general, the production of nuclear weapons is quite complex and subtle technology, which is used both in the production of fissile materials and directly in the creation of nuclear weapons. But when we carried out an analysis at our center regarding which states could create nuclear weapons, we came to the following conclusion: today absolutely any industrialized state can do this. Only a political decision is required. All information is quite accessible, nothing is unknown. The only question is technology and investing certain financial resources.

RG | Evgeniy Nikolaevich, it is widely believed that in order to enrich uranium, which is necessary for nuclear weapons, it is necessary to build a special plant with cascades of hundreds of thousands of centrifuges. At the same time, the cost of creating a nuclear fuel production cycle costs more than a billion dollars. Is technology really that expensive?

Evgeniy Avrorin | It depends we're talking about. Much less nuclear materials are needed to create weapons than to create advanced energy. Enrichment technology is, so to speak, fractional. Now it is no longer a secret that the most promising and advanced technology is the so-called “turntables,” which were best developed in the Soviet Union. These are very small devices, and each of them individually is very inexpensive. Yes, they are very low-performance. And in order to obtain materials for the development of large-scale energy, a lot of them are needed, which is where billions of dollars come from. At the same time, to obtain several kilograms of uranium necessary for the production of nuclear weapons, many such devices are not needed. I repeat, only mass production is expensive.

RG| The IAEA claims that about 40 countries are on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Will the growth of threshold countries continue?

Evgeniy Avrorin | What does a country gain by acquiring nuclear weapons? Acquires more weight, greater authority, feels more secure. These are positive factors. There is only one negative factor - the country is experiencing discontent from the international community. But, unfortunately, the example of India and Pakistan has shown that positive factors prevail. No sanctions were applied against these countries.

The negative factors of possessing nuclear weapons prevailed in countries such as South Africa and Brazil: the first eliminated them, the second was on the verge of creating them, but refused to create them. Even little Switzerland had a program to create nuclear weapons, but it also curtailed it in time. The most important thing that needs to be offered to the so-called “threshold countries” is guarantees of their security in exchange for abandoning bombs. And we need to improve the control system. We need constant international monitoring, and not inspections that carry out one-time checks. Today this system is full of holes...

43 countries of the world, including 28 developing ones, have reserves of highly enriched uranium.

In the late 60s of the last century, Libya asked the USSR to build a reactor, and in the early 70s it tried to buy a nuclear bomb from China. The peaceful reactor was built, but the deal with the Chinese fell through.

Especially for the Yak-38 carrier-based vertical takeoff and landing attack aircraft, whose combat load was extremely limited, a lightweight and compact nuclear bomb RN-28. The “ammunition load” of such bombs on the heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers “Kyiv” was 18 pieces.

The most powerful hydrogen bomb in the world, “Kuzkina Mother” (“product 602”), weighed 26.5 tons and did not fit into the bomb bay of any of the heavy bombers that existed at that time. It was suspended under the fuselage of a Tu-95V specially converted for this purpose and dropped on October 30, 1961 in the area of ​​the Matochkin Shar Strait on Novaya Zemlya. “Product 602” was not accepted for service - it was intended solely for psychological pressure on the Americans.

In 1954, during the Totsky exercises, a real nuclear bomb was dropped on a “strong point of an infantry battalion of the US Army,” after which troops went on an attack through the center of a nuclear explosion. The bomb was called "Tatyana", and it was dropped from a Tu-4A - an exact copy of the American B-29 strategic bomber.

The future first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, also took part in the famous Israeli air raid on the Iraqi nuclear research center in Osirak. During the bombing, at least one non-Iraqi citizen, a French technician, was killed. Ilan Ramon himself did not bomb the reactor, but only covered the planes that struck with an F-15 fighter. Ramon died in the 2003 US shuttle Columbia accident.

Since 1945, approximately 128 thousand nuclear charges have been produced in the world. Of these, the USA produced a little more than 70 thousand, the USSR and Russia - approximately 55 thousand.

26.06.2013

It is foolish to deny that the nuclear arms race is over. The United States of America and the Russian Federation are leading the way, North Korea is looking for new technologies, having already captured nuclear weapons, and countries like Iran or Brazil already have powerful charges. Almost all countries are already ready for the Third World War, which may be radically different from the previous two. Adolf Hitler's hair would have stood on end if he had known about modern weapons capabilities. And you? So, five countries with powerful stockpiles of nuclear weapons. Approximately, of course. After all, such figures are a military secret.

No. 5. France

The country conducted its first nuclear test in 1960. And although France's nuclear strategy was not initially aggressive, today it boasts the presence of very powerful nuclear bombs. According to some estimates, France's stockpile includes about 290 active warheads.

No. 4. Great Britain

Britain conducted its first nuclear test in 1952. Manufacturing project nuclear bombs they called it "Hurricane". The UK currently has more than 250 warheads. the main objective project - to give a worthy response to the aggressive strategy for the production of nuclear weapons and weapons in principle, which the USSR undertook in its time.

No. 3. China

China has far more warheads than estimated on official Chinese and world news sites. Moreover, according to rumors, China is going to overtake the United States in terms of reserves. The state's first test was conducted in 1964. Today it is rated as one of the most powerful in the world.

No. 2. United States of America

Oddly enough, the USA is in second place, at least officially, because... It is difficult to find a more closed and at the same time powerful state than the United States. In addition, despite the fact that the total quantity is known, the power of each charge can only be guessed at. The country has more than 7,500 warheads. But by the way, the USA today has .

No. 1. Russia

And finally, first place! Russia conducted its first nuclear test in 1949. And went down in history as a state, having greatest number nuclear warheads, as well as as a state that detonated some of the most powerful nuclear warheads during testing. Just imagine, 57 megatons of TNT! They say that this explosion was carried out specifically to intimidate the United States. Russia's total warhead count currently stands at around 8,500 warheads or more.

Reading time: 11 min.

There are ten major powers on the 2018 list of nuclear weapons countries. Data on how many nuclear warheads a particular country has are located in Stockholm at the International Peace Research Institute. The “Nuclear Club” includes 9 states that, according to official data, have weapons of mass destruction. Our Big Rating magazine has prepared a rating for you - nuclear countries for 2018.

Iran

Nuclear warheads - no information.
Date of first test: no information.
Date of last test: no information available.
Today everyone knows which states have nuclear capabilities. And according to official reports, Iran has nothing to do with nuclear weapons. But this country has never stopped experimenting with the development nuclear potential, and there are persistent rumors that this power has its own nuclear warheads. The Iranian authorities claim that they can easily create nuclear weapons for themselves, but for now they have decided not to do this, since they use uranium only for scientific research. The IAEA monitors Iran's nuclear work; this agreement was concluded in 2015, but the situation may soon change. October 2017 - US President Donald Trump claims that the United States is no longer interested in this treaty. No one can predict how these words will change the overall political situation.

DPRK

Nuclear warheads – 10-60.
Date of first test: 2006.
Date of last test: 2017.
The DPRK was included in the list of states that have nuclear weapons in 2018, which greatly frightened the entire Western world. North Korea began its first work on the atom in the middle of the last century, when the United States began to threaten Pyongyang with a nuclear attack. And then the frightened government began to seek support from Soviet Union and China. Developments in the nuclear field started back in 1970 and were suspended in the nineties, with an improvement in the political climate. And as soon as the political situation cracked again, the development of nuclear weapons was resumed. Since 2004, North Korea began preparing for its first nuclear test. The military department argued that the test would pass with only a harmless goal - space exploration. Intrigue surrounds the number of warheads that North Korea has in its arsenal. Some sources claim that there are about twenty of them, others claim that the exact figure is sixty.

Israel

Nuclear warheads – 80.
Date of first test: 1979.
Date of last test: 1979.
Israel, in its best traditions, has never claimed that it has nuclear weapons, but it has never denied the opposite. Israel “added fuel to the fire” by not signing the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In addition, Israel, without a twinge of conscience, monitors the development of nuclear potential in all its neighbors. And if he sees the point in this, then he bombs the nuclear centers of other powers. This is how he resolved the conflict with Iraq in 1981. If you believe unconfirmed data, then the “promised land” had the opportunity to create nuclear weapons back in 1979. That same year, flashes of light were observed in the South Atlantic that were very similar to a nuclear explosion. There is a version that either Israel, or South Africa, or these two countries at the same time, are responsible for these explosions.

India

Nuclear warheads – 120-130.
Date of first test: 1974.

India first tested nuclear weapons back in 1974, but it agreed to the status of a nuclear country only at the end of the last century. After India detonated as many as three shells on one day in May 1998, literally three days later it forever refused to engage in nuclear weapons.

Pakistan

Nuclear warheads – 130-140.
Date of first test: 1998.
Date of last test: 1998.
Pakistan, which is India's neighbor and often at odds with it, is also not lagging behind in developing nuclear capabilities. After India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974, Pakistan began to actively develop nuclear capabilities. According to the then government, they decided to work on the atom immediately after India, even if it would be necessary to eat only water. And they did make atomic weapons, albeit with a delay of two decades. After India conducted another nuclear test in 1998, Pakistan, determined not to be outdone, detonated a pair of nuclear warheads at Chagai (a military test site).

Great Britain

Nuclear warheads – 215.
Date of first test: 1952.
Date of last test: 1991.
The UK remains the only nuclear-armed country that has not conducted a nuclear test on its own soil. Britain carried out every nuclear test in Australia or in the waters Pacific Ocean, but in 1991 they suddenly stopped their experiments. David Cameron in 2015 “added fuel to the fire” by saying that the British government could, if necessary, drop several nuclear warheads. But who he threatened still remains a mystery.

China

Nuclear warheads – 270.
Date of first test: 1964.
Date of last test: 1996.
China remains the only country that has promised not to bomb (or threaten to bomb) non-nuclear powers. In 2011, the Chinese government made public its decision that a minimum level of nuclear weapons would be maintained. But since that time, developers in the military sphere have come up with as many as four types of ballistic missiles that are capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. Therefore, the minimum level of weapons remains an open question.

France

Nuclear warheads – 300.
Date of first test: 1960.
Date of last test: 1995.
The French for all their time nuclear tests carried out more than two hundred explosions, ranging from tests in Algeria, which was then a colony of France, and ending with two atolls of French Polynesia. This country has never entered into negotiations with other powers for a peace settlement nuclear issue. France did not maintain a moratorium on nuclear testing in the 50s of the last century, and did not become a member of the treaty banning military experiments with nuclear weapons in the 60s. Only in the late nineties did it become a party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty

USA

Nuclear warheads - 6800.
Date of first test: 1945.
Date of last test: 1992.
The state with the most fearsome army on the planet is also a pioneer in nuclear testing. The United States was the first to carry out a nuclear explosion, and was also the first to use nuclear warheads in a war with another state. Since that time, the United States has produced more than 66,500 atomic weapons, with more than a hundred different variations. The basis of the nuclear weapons of the United States is the ballistic missile, with a variety of modifications. The American government refused to participate in the negotiations on the unconditional renunciation of nuclear weapons that started in May of this year (by the way, like the Russian Federation). The military doctrine of the United States confirms that Americans will reserve the right to a certain amount of weapons that will guarantee their own security, as well as the security of countries friendly to them. In addition, America promised not to carry out bombing on any nuclear countries, provided, of course, that they comply with the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Russia

Nuclear warheads – 7000.
Date of first test: 1949.
Date of last test: 1990.
Russia received nuclear weapons from the USSR - all available nuclear warheads were collected from all military points of the former Soviet Union. According to official sources, the government Russian Federation, nuclear weapons will only be used in response to such military actions against their country. Or if Russia's very existence is threatened by military action without the use of nuclear warheads, it can still use them against the enemy, but this is the most extreme case.

Is military action possible between North Korea and the United States?

The end of the last century was marked by people's fear of military action between Pakistan and India, and now everyone is afraid of a possible nuclear conflict between the DPRK and the United States. The United States first threatened North Korea in 1953, but once North Korea had its own atomic bomb, the conflict moved to a completely different level. Pyongyang and Washington respond to each other very aggressively and the question becomes urgent: will there be a nuclear battle between the United States and North Korea? This may well be the case if President Trump believes that the Koreans are very dangerous because they can do intercontinental missile, which can sink all of America.
Nuclear warheads have been located near the DPRK border since 1957, by order of the US government. Korean politicians say that almost the entire territory of America is within the reach of North Korea's nuclear warheads.

What position will Russia take in the conflict between North Korea and the United States?

The pact concluded between Russia and North Korea does not imply that Russia will take any side in the war. IN general concept, this means that if hostilities begin, Russia can be neutral, naturally it will only have to condemn the action of the attacking side. In the worst case scenario, Vladivostok could be covered in radioactive fallout from the destroyed North Korean facilities.

In recent months, North Korea and the United States have been actively exchanging threats to destroy each other. Since both countries have nuclear arsenals, the world is closely monitoring the situation. On the Day of the Struggle for the Complete Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, we decided to remind you who has them and in what quantities. Today, it is officially known that eight countries that form the so-called Nuclear Club have such weapons.

Who exactly has nuclear weapons?

The first and only state to use nuclear weapons against another country is USA. In August 1945, during World War II, the United States dropped nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The attack killed more than 200 thousand people.

Nuclear mushroom over Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right). Source: wikipedia.org

Year of first test: 1945

Nuclear warheads: submarines, ballistic missiles and bombers

Number of warheads: 6800, including 1800 deployed (ready for use)

Russia has the largest nuclear stockpile. After the collapse of the Union, Russia became the only heir to the nuclear arsenal.

Year of first test: 1949

Nuclear charge carriers: submarines, missile systems, heavy bombers, in the future - nuclear trains

Number of warheads: 7,000, including 1,950 deployed (ready for use)

Great Britain is the only country that has not conducted a single test on its territory. The country has 4 submarines with nuclear warheads; other types of troops were disbanded by 1998.

Year of first test: 1952

Nuclear charge carriers: submarines

Number of warheads: 215, including 120 deployed (ready for use)

France conducted ground tests of a nuclear charge in Algeria, where it built a test site for this.

Year of first test: 1960

Nuclear charge carriers: submarines and fighter-bombers

Number of warheads: 300, including 280 deployed (ready for use)

China tests weapons only on its territory. China has pledged not to be the first to use nuclear weapons. China in the transfer of technology for the production of nuclear weapons to Pakistan.

Year of first test: 1964

Nuclear charge carriers: ballistic launch vehicles, submarines and strategic bombers

Number of warheads: 270 (in reserve)

India announced the possession of nuclear weapons in 1998. In the Indian Air Force, nuclear weapons carriers can be French and Russian tactical fighters.

Year of first test: 1974

Nuclear charge carriers: short, medium and extended range missiles

Number of warheads: 120−130 (in reserve)

Pakistan tested its weapons in response to Indian actions. The reaction to the emergence of nuclear weapons in the country was global sanctions. Recently ex-president Pakistan's Pervez Musharraf that Pakistan considered launching a nuclear strike on India in 2002. Bombs can be delivered by fighter-bombers.

Year of first test: 1998

Number of warheads: 130−140 (in reserve)

DPRK announced the development of nuclear weapons in 2005, and conducted its first test in 2006. In 2012, the country declared itself a nuclear power and made corresponding amendments to the Constitution. IN Lately North Korea conducts a lot of tests - the country has intercontinental ballistic missiles and threatens the United States nuclear strike on the American island of Guam, which is located 4 thousand km from the DPRK.

Year of first test: 2006

Nuclear charge carriers: nuclear bombs and missiles

Number of warheads: 10−20 (in reserve)

These 8 countries openly declare the presence of weapons, as well as the tests being carried out. The so-called “old” nuclear powers (USA, Russia, UK, France and China) signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, while the “young” nuclear powers - India and Pakistan refused to sign the document. North Korea first ratified the agreement and then withdrew its signature.

Who can develop nuclear weapons now?

The main "suspect" is Israel. Experts believe that Israel has owned nuclear weapons of its own production since the late 1960s and early 1970s. There were also opinions that the country conducted joint tests with South Africa. According to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, Israel has about 80 nuclear warheads as of 2017. The country can use fighter-bombers and submarines to deliver nuclear weapons.

Suspicions that Iraq develops weapons mass destruction, was one of the reasons for the invasion of the country by American and British troops (recall the famous speech of US Secretary of State Colin Powell at the UN in 2003, in which he stated that Iraq was working on programs to create biological and chemical weapons and possesses two of the three necessary components for the production of nuclear weapons. — Approx. TUT.BY). Later, the US and UK admitted that there were reasons for the invasion in 2003.

Was under international sanctions for 10 years Iran due to the resumption of the uranium enrichment program in the country under President Ahmadinejad. In 2015, Iran and six international mediators entered into the so-called “nuclear deal” - they were withdrawn, and Iran pledged to limit its nuclear activities to “peaceful atoms” only, placing them under international control. With Donald Trump coming to power in the United States, Iran was reintroduced. Tehran, meanwhile, began.

Myanmar V last years also suspected of attempting to create nuclear weapons; it was reported that technology was exported to the country by North Korea. According to experts, Myanmar lacks the technical and financial capabilities to develop weapons.

IN different years many states were suspected of seeking or capable of creating nuclear weapons - Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Libya, Mexico, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Sweden. But the transition from a peaceful atom to a non-peaceful one either was not proven, or the countries curtailed their programs.

Which countries allowed to store nuclear bombs and which refused?

Some European countries store US warheads. According to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) in 2016, 150-200 US nuclear bombs are stored in underground storage facilities in Europe and Turkey. Countries have aircraft capable of delivering charges to intended targets.

Bombs are stored at air bases in Germany(Büchel, more than 20 pieces), Italy(Aviano and Gedi, 70−110 pieces), Belgium(Kleine Brogel, 10−20 pieces), the Netherlands(Volkel, 10−20 pieces) and Turkey(Incirlik, 50−90 pieces).

In 2015, it was reported that the Americans would deploy the latest B61-12 atomic bombs at a base in Germany, and American instructors were training Polish and Baltic Air Force pilots to operate these nuclear weapons.

The United States recently announced that it was negotiating the deployment of its nuclear weapons, where they were stored until 1991.

Four countries voluntarily renounced nuclear weapons on their territory, including Belarus.

After the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine and Kazakhstan were in third and fourth place in the world in terms of the number of nuclear arsenals in the world. The countries agreed to the withdrawal of weapons to Russia under international security guarantees. Kazakhstan transferred strategic bombers to Russia, and sold uranium to the United States. In 2008, the country's President Nursultan Nazarbayev was nominated for Nobel Prize world for its contribution to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Ukraine in recent years there has been talk of restoring the country's nuclear status. In 2016, the Verkhovna Rada proposed repealing the law “On Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.” Previously Secretary of the Council national security Ukraine's Alexander Turchynov stated that Kyiv is ready to use available resources to create effective weapons.

IN Belarus ended in November 1996. Subsequently, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko more than once called this decision the most serious mistake. In his opinion, “if there were nuclear weapons left in the country, they would be talking to us differently now.”

South Africa is the only country that independently produced nuclear weapons, and after the fall of the apartheid regime voluntarily abandoned them.

Who curtailed their nuclear programs

A number of countries voluntarily, and some under pressure, either curtailed or abandoned their nuclear program at the planning stage. For example, Australia in the 1960s, after providing its territory for nuclear testing, Great Britain decided to build reactors and build a uranium enrichment plant. However, after internal political debates, the program was curtailed.

Brazil after unsuccessful cooperation with Germany in the field of nuclear weapons development in the 1970–90s, it conducted a “parallel” nuclear program outside the control of the IAEA. Work was carried out on the extraction of uranium, as well as on its enrichment, albeit at the laboratory level. In the 1990s and 2000s, Brazil recognized the existence of such a program, and it was later closed. The country now has nuclear technology, which, if a political decision is made, will allow it to quickly begin developing weapons.

Argentina began its development in the wake of rivalry with Brazil. The program received its greatest boost in the 1970s when the military came to power, but by the 1990s the administration had changed to a civilian one. When the program was terminated, experts estimated that about a year of work remained to achieve the technological potential of creating nuclear weapons. As a result, in 1991, Argentina and Brazil signed an agreement on the use of nuclear energy exclusively for peaceful purposes.

Libya under Muammar Gaddafi, after unsuccessful attempts to purchase ready-made weapons from China and Pakistan, she decided on her own nuclear program. In the 1990s, Libya was able to purchase 20 centrifuges for uranium enrichment, but a lack of technology and qualified personnel prevented the creation of nuclear weapons. In 2003, after negotiations with the UK and the US, Libya curtailed its weapons of mass destruction program.

Egypt abandoned the nuclear program after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Taiwan carried out his developments for 25 years. In 1976, under pressure from the IAEA and the United States, it officially abandoned the program and dismantled the plutonium separation facility. However, he later resumed nuclear research in secret. In 1987, one of the leaders of the Zhongshan Institute of Science and Technology fled to the United States and spoke about the program. As a result, work was stopped.

In 1957 Switzerland created a Commission to study the possibility of possessing nuclear weapons, which came to the conclusion that weapons were necessary. Options were considered for purchasing weapons from the USA, Great Britain or the USSR, as well as developing them with France and Sweden. ABOUT However, by the end of the 1960s the situation in Europe had calmed down, and Switzerland signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Then for some time the country supplied nuclear technologies abroad.

Sweden has been actively developing since 1946. Her distinctive feature was the creation of nuclear infrastructure, the country's leadership was focused on the implementation of the concept of a closed nuclear fuel cycle. As a result, by the end of the 1960s, Sweden was ready for mass production of nuclear warheads. In the 1970s, the nuclear program was closed because... the authorities decided that the country would not be able to cope with simultaneous development modern species conventional weapons and the creation of a nuclear arsenal.

South Korea began its development in the late 1950s. In 1973, the Weapons Research Committee developed a 6-10 year plan to develop nuclear weapons. Negotiations were conducted with France on the construction of a plant for the radiochemical reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel and the separation of plutonium. However, France refused to cooperate. In 1975, South Korea ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The United States promised to provide the country with a “nuclear umbrella.” After American President Carter announced his intention to withdraw troops from Korea, the country secretly resumed its nuclear program. The work continued until 2004, when it became public knowledge. South Korea has curtailed its program, but today the country is capable of short time carry out the development of nuclear weapons.

05/13/2015 at 18:08 · Johnny · 105 490

Top 10 nuclear powers in the world

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. From the moment of this bombing, the nuclear arms race of various countries entered a new phase, and under the pretext of nuclear deterrence it never stopped.

10. 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 needs a maximum of five years to develop a modern, functional atomic bomb.

Currently, the West regularly accuses Tehran of developing nuclear weapons, which is just as regularly denied by the Iranian leadership. By official position 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, on Asian state UN sanctions were imposed, 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.

9. 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 has 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.

At present, Israel does not seek to maintain its reputation as a nuclear power, but 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.

8.

• 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 the results of surveys and monitoring of seismic activity in the test areas.

7.

• 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" tests. 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 a similar weapon. 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 a real threat arose, Pakistan would 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.

6. 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 destinations using aircraft and surface ships. In addition, its nuclear missile submarines are in the final stages of development.

The first nuclear test conducted by India had the original name “Smiling Buddha”, as if this nuclear explosion had exclusively peaceful purposes. 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.

5.

• 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, the People's Republic of China 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.”

4.

• 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.

3.

• 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 have worked closely and mutually beneficially on nuclear security issues since the 1958 Mutual Defense Treaty.

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

2. 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 a nuclear bomb (1949). From then until 1990, Russia carried out at least 715 nuclear tests related to the testing of 970 various 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.

1. United States of America

• 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 nuclear warhead delivery range of 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 a new type of threat.

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, by nuclear program There are more than twenty secret facilities operating in North America. 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