Number of nuclear warheads in countries. How many nuclear weapons are there in the world, and how is their proliferation controlled?
On July 16, 1945, the history of our civilization began new era– in the state of New Mexico, the world’s first twenty-kiloton nuclear warhead, Gadget, was detonated on the territory of a military base. The military was pleased with the results of the tests, and less than two months later the first uranium bomb, Little Boy, was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion practically wiped the city off the face of the earth. Three days later, a similar evil fate befell Nagasaki. Since then, the sword of Damocles of total nuclear destruction has been hanging invisibly over humanity...
Despite the undoubted humanistic achievements of our civilization, physical violence - or the threat of its use - remains one of the main instruments of international politics. It is therefore not surprising that nuclear weapons - the most powerful means of killing and destruction ever created by man - have become a factor of strategic proportions.
Possession of nuclear technology gives a state a completely different weight on the world stage, even if the country's economy is in a deplorable state and citizens are starving. And you don’t have to look far for examples: small nuclear North Korea has forced the mighty United States of America to reckon with itself.
The presence of nuclear weapons opens the door for any regime to the community of the elite - to the so-called Nuclear Club. Despite numerous disagreements between its participants, they are all united in one thing: to prevent further expansion of the Nuclear Club and prevent other countries from developing their own nuclear weapons. And to achieve this goal, any methods are used, from the most severe international sanctions to bomb attacks and sabotage at nuclear facilities. A clear example of this is the saga with Iran's nuclear program, which has been going on for several decades.
Of course, one can consider nuclear weapons to be an absolute “uncomplicated” evil, but one cannot deny the fact that they are also a powerful deterrent. If the USSR and the USA did not have deadly nuclear arsenals, the confrontation between them would hardly have been limited to the Cold War. Most likely, in this case, a new world massacre would have broken out already in the 50s. And it was the nuclear bomb that made it impossible. And in our time, the possession of nuclear weapons is a reliable (and probably the only) guarantee of security for any state. And the events around North Korea are the most obvious example of this. In the 90s, Ukraine, under guarantees from leading states, voluntarily abandoned the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal, and where is its security now? To stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons, an effective international mechanism protection of state sovereignty. But for now this is rather from the realm of unscientific fiction...
How many nuclear powers exist in the world today? How large are their arsenals, and which state can be called the world leader in this field? Are there any countries trying to gain nuclear power status?
Nuclear club: who is among the chosen ones
It should be clearly understood that the expression “nuclear club” is nothing more than a journalistic cliche; such an organization, of course, does not officially exist. There is not even a corresponding informal get-together, like the G7, where it would be possible to resolve the most pressing issues and develop common approaches.
Moreover, relations between some nuclear states are, to put it mildly, not very good. For example, Pakistan and India have already fought several times; their next armed conflict may well end in a series of mutual atomic strikes. And a few months ago, a full-scale war almost broke out between the DPRK and the United States. A lot of contradictions - fortunately, not so large - exist today between Washington and Moscow.
And sometimes it is very difficult to say whether a state is nuclear or not yet. A typical example is Israel, whose nuclear status experts have little doubt about. But, meanwhile, official Jerusalem has never admitted that it has such weapons.
Existing nuclear states on the world map. Red indicates “official” nuclear countries, orange indicates known nuclear powers, yellow indicates countries that are suspected of possessing nuclear weapons.
There are also a number of countries that different time were engaged in the creation of nuclear weapons, and it is difficult to say what results their nuclear program achieved.
So, the official nuclear powers of the world for 2018, list:
- Russia;
- Great Britain;
- France;
- China;
- India;
- Pakistan;
- Israel;
- DPRK.
Special mention should be made of South Africa, which succeeded in creating nuclear weapons, but was forced to abandon it and close its nuclear program. Six already manufactured charges were disposed of in the early 90s.
The former Soviet republics of Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus voluntarily gave up nuclear weapons in the early 1990s in exchange for security guarantees offered to them by all major nuclear powers. Moreover, at that time, Ukraine had the third nuclear arsenal in the world, and Kazakhstan – the fourth.
US nuclear weapons: history and modernity
The United States is the first country in the world to create nuclear weapons. Developments in this area began during the Second World War (“Manhattan Project”), and involved the best engineers and physicists - the Americans were very afraid that the Nazis would be the first to create a nuclear bomb. By the summer of 1945, the United States had three nuclear warheads, two of which were later dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
For several years, the United States was the only state in the world armed with nuclear weapons. Moreover, the Americans were confident that the Soviet Union did not have the resources and technology to create its own nuclear bomb in the coming years. Therefore, the news that the USSR is a nuclear power came as a real shock to the political leadership of this country.
Initially, the main type of American nuclear weapons were bombs, and the main carrier of nuclear weapons was army aviation. However, already in the 60s the situation began to change: the “Flying Fortresses” were replaced by intercontinental missiles land and sea based.
In 1952, the United States tested the world's first thermonuclear device, and in 1954, the most powerful American thermonuclear charge with a capacity of 15 Mt was detonated.
By 1960, the total nuclear weapons capacity in the United States amounted to 20 thousand megatons, and in 1967 the Pentagon had at its disposal more than 32 thousand warheads. However, American strategists quickly realized the excess of this power, and by the end of the 80s it was reduced by almost a third. At the end of the Cold War, the American nuclear arsenal amounted to less than 23 thousand charges. After its completion, the United States began large-scale disposal of obsolete nuclear weapons.
In 2010, the START III treaty was signed between the United States and Russia, according to which the parties pledged to reduce the number of nuclear warheads to 1,550 units within ten years, and the total number of ICBMs, SLBMs and strategic bombers to 700 units.
The United States is undoubtedly at the top of the nuclear club: this country has in its arsenal (end of 2018) 1,367 nuclear warheads and 681 deployed strategic delivery vehicles.
The Soviet Union and the Russian Federation: history and current state
After the US acquired nuclear weapons, Soviet Union had to join nuclear race from the position of catching up. Moreover, for a state whose economy was destroyed by the war, this competition was very exhausting.
The first nuclear device in the USSR was detonated on August 29, 1949. And in August 1953, a Soviet thermonuclear charge was successfully tested. Moreover, unlike its American counterpart, the first Soviet hydrogen bomb actually had the dimensions of ammunition and could be used practically.
In 1961, a powerful thermal bomb was exploded at the test site on Novaya Zemlya. nuclear bomb equivalent to more than 50 megatons. At the end of the 50s, the first intercontinental ballistic missile R-7 was created.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia inherited all of its nuclear arsenals. Currently (at the beginning of 2018) Russia has 1,444 nuclear warheads and 527 deployed carriers.
It can be added that our country has one of the most advanced and technologically advanced nuclear triads in the world, which includes ICBMs, SLBMs and strategic bombers.
UK nuclear program and arsenals
England had their first nuclear tests in October 1952 on an atoll near Australia. In 1957, the first British thermonuclear weapon was detonated in Polynesia. The last test took place in 1991.
Ever since the Manhattan Project, Britain has had a special relationship with the Americans in the nuclear field. Therefore, it is not surprising that in 1960 the British abandoned the idea of creating their own rocket and purchased a delivery system from the United States.
There are no official figures on the size of Britain's nuclear arsenal. However, it is believed that it amounts to approximately 220 nuclear warheads, of which 150-160 are on combat duty. Moreover, the only component of the nuclear triad that England has are submarines. London has neither land-based ICBMs nor strategic aviation.
France and its nuclear program
After General de Gaulle came to power, France headed towards creating its own nuclear forces. Already in 1960, the first nuclear tests were carried out at the test site in Algeria; after the loss of this colony, atolls had to be used for this purpose. Pacific Ocean.
France joined the nuclear test ban treaty only in 1998. It is believed that this country currently has approximately three hundred nuclear weapons.
Nuclear weapons of the People's Republic of China
The Chinese nuclear program began in the late 50s, and it took place with the active assistance of the Soviet Union. Thousands of Soviet specialists were sent to fraternal communist China to help build reactors, mine uranium, and conduct tests. At the end of the 50s, when relations between the USSR and China deteriorated completely, cooperation was quickly curtailed, but it was too late: the 1964 nuclear test opened the doors of the nuclear club to Beijing. In 1967, China successfully tested a thermonuclear weapon.
China tested nuclear weapons on its territory at the Lop Nor test site. The last of them took place in 1996.
Due to the extremely closed nature of the country, it is quite difficult to estimate the size of China's nuclear arsenal. Beijing is officially believed to have 250-270 warheads. The Chinese army is armed with 70-75 ICBMs, another means of delivery is missiles located on submarines. The Chinese triad also includes strategic aviation. The Su-30s that China purchased from Russia are capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons.
India and Pakistan: one step away from nuclear conflict
India had good reasons to acquire its own nuclear bomb: the threat from China (already nuclear) and the long-term conflict with Pakistan, which resulted in several wars between the countries.
The West helped India get nuclear weapons. The first reactors were supplied to the country by Britain and Canada, and the Americans helped with heavy water. The Indians conducted their first nuclear test in 1974 on their own territory.
Delhi for a very long time did not want to recognize its nuclear status. This was done only in 1998 after a series of test explosions. India is currently believed to have approximately 120-130 nuclear weapons. This country has long-range ballistic missiles (up to 8 thousand km), as well as SLBMs on Arihant-class submarines. Su-30 and Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft can carry tactical nuclear weapons.
Pakistan began work on its own nuclear weapons in the early 70s. In 1982, a uranium enrichment plant was completed, and in 1995, a reactor was completed, which made it possible to produce weapons-grade plutonium. Pakistani nuclear weapons were tested in May 1998.
It is believed that Islamabad may currently have 120-130 nuclear weapons.
North Korea: Juche nuclear bomb
Most known history Associated with the development of nuclear weapons is undoubtedly the North Korean nuclear program.
North Korea has begun developing its own atomic bomb back in the mid-50s, and she received the most active assistance in this matter from the Soviet Union. With the help of specialists from the USSR, a Research Center with a nuclear reactor, Soviet geologists searched for uranium in North Korea.
In mid-2005, the world was surprised to learn that the DPRK was a nuclear power, and next year The Koreans conducted the first test of a 1 kiloton nuclear bomb. In 2018, Kim Jong-ye told the world that his country already has thermonuclear weapons in its arsenal. It is believed that Pyongyang may currently possess 10-20 nuclear warheads.
In 2012, the Koreans announced the creation of Hwasong-13 intercontinental ballistic missiles with a flight range of 7.5 thousand km. This is quite enough to strike at US territory.
Just a few days ago there was a meeting American President Trump with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at which the parties seemed to agree to close the DPRK’s nuclear program. However, for now this is more of a declaration of intent, and it is difficult to say whether these negotiations will lead to real denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Nuclear program of the State of Israel
Israel does not officially admit that it has nuclear weapons, but the whole world knows that it still has them.
It is believed that the Israeli nuclear program began in the mid-50s, and the first nuclear weapons were produced in the late 60s and early 70s. There is no exact information about Israeli nuclear weapons tests. On September 22, 1979, the American Vela satellite detected strange flashes over the deserted part of the South Atlantic, very reminiscent of the consequences of a nuclear explosion. It is believed that this was an Israeli nuclear weapons test.
Israel is believed to currently have approximately 80 nuclear weapons. In addition, this country has a full-fledged nuclear triad for the delivery of nuclear weapons: the Jericho-3 ICBM with a range of 6.5 thousand km, Dolphin-class submarines capable of carrying cruise missiles with a nuclear warhead, and F- fighter-bombers 15I Ra'am with KR Gabriel.
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The nuclear picture of the world is not limited to the Russian-US biumvirate (see: NVO 09/03/2010 “Nuclear Tandem as a Guarantee of Balance”). As the strategic nuclear forces of the two leading powers are reduced, the strategic potentials of the remaining nuclear states - permanent members of the UN Security Council and countries included in the NPT - become relatively more visible.
Meanwhile, beyond a series of unilateral commitments, data submissions and declarations, they still lack legally binding and verifiable restrictions on their nuclear assets and their development programs.
The “nuclear five” are complemented by four states that have nuclear weapons but are not parties to the NPT. It is with them, as well as with the “threshold” regimes (primarily Iran), that the danger of further nuclear proliferation, the combat use of nuclear weapons in regional conflicts, and nuclear materials or technologies falling into the hands of terrorists is now associated.
FRANCE – “TRIOMPHANTE” AND “MIRAGE”
This country ranks third in the world in strategic nuclear weapons with its 108 carriers and approximately 300 warheads. France tested nuclear weapons in 1960 and is armed with thermonuclear warheads with a yield of 100–300 kt.
The basis of the French forces at present is 3 Triomphant-class SSBNs with 48 M45 missiles and 240 warheads and one boat of the previous Inflexible type project. One submarine is constantly under repair, and one is on maritime patrol. Interestingly, in order to save money, France supports a set of SLBMs only for operationally deployed missile submarines (i.e., in this case, three). Additionally, the French “Strike Force” includes 60 Mirage 2000N aircraft and 24 carrier-based Super Etandar fighter-bombers, capable of delivering a total of approximately 60 air-to-ground missiles to targets. France has no other nuclear weapons systems.
The modernization program involves the commissioning of the 4th Triomphane-class submarine (instead of the one being withdrawn from combat personnel the last boat of the Inflexible type) and the deployment on all submarine missile carriers of new SLBMs of the M51.1 type with increased range, as well as the adoption of a new aviation system- Raphael-type fighter. The aviation component of the French strategic nuclear forces belongs to operational-tactical assets according to the Russian-American classification, but is part of the strategic “Strike Forces” of France. In 2009, Paris announced its intention to halve the aviation component, which would reduce the quantitative level of strategic nuclear forces to approximately 100 carriers and 250 warheads.
Having a relatively small nuclear potential, France openly emphasizes a very offensive, even “bully” type of nuclear strategy, which includes the concept of the first use of nuclear weapons, massive and limited strikes against both traditional opponents and “rogue” countries, and Lately and in China (for this purpose a new extended-range SLBM is being created).
At the same time, the level of combat readiness of the French “Strike Forces” has been reduced, although the details of this are unknown. France stopped producing uranium in 1992 and plutonium in 1994, dismantled fissile material production facilities for military purposes (inviting foreign officials to visit them), and closed a nuclear test site in Polynesia. It also announced an upcoming unilateral reduction of its nuclear weapons by a third.
EASTERN NUCLEAR TIGER
Chinese People's Republic conducted the first nuclear weapons test in 1964. Currently, China is the only one of the five great powers, permanent members of the UN Security Council and recognized five nuclear powers of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that does not provide any official information about its military forces, including nuclear weapons.
The official justification for this secrecy is that the Chinese nuclear forces are small in number and technically incomparable with the nuclear weapons of the other five powers, and therefore, in order to maintain its nuclear deterrent potential, China needs to maintain uncertainty regarding its strategic nuclear forces.
At the same time, China is the only great power that has officially accepted a commitment not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, and without any reservations. This commitment is accompanied by some vague unofficial clarification (probably sanctioned by the government) that Chinese nuclear warheads are kept separate from missiles in peacetime. It is also indicated that in the event of a nuclear strike, the task is to deliver warheads to the carriers within two weeks and strike back at the aggressor.
It is generally believed that a nuclear power that has accepted a commitment not to be the first to use nuclear weapons relies on the concept and means of a retaliatory strike. However, according to generally accepted estimates, so far Chinese strategic nuclear forces, as well as missile attack warning systems (MAWS), and the infrastructure of combat command and control points are too vulnerable to provide the possibility of a retaliatory strike after a hypothetical disarming nuclear strike by the United States or Russia.
Therefore, the official doctrine of the PRC is interpreted as a predominantly political and propaganda tool (like the Soviet commitment on the no-first use of nuclear weapons from 1982), which does not reflect the real operational planning of strategic nuclear forces, which are actually aimed at a pre-emptive strike in the event of a direct threat of a nuclear attack. Due to the complete secrecy of official data, all assessments of China's nuclear weapons are based on information from foreign government and private sources. Thus, according to some of them, China has about 130 strategic ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads. They include 37 old stationary ICBMs of the Dongfang-4/5A type and 17 old stationary ballistic missiles medium range(MRBM) type "Dongfang-3A". Also deployed about 20 new ground-mobile ICBMs of the Dongfang-31A type (Chinese equivalent Russian missile"Topol") and 60 new ground-mobile MRBM "Dongfang-21". (According to other sources, China has 12 Dongfang-31/31A and 71 Dongfang-21/21A IRBMs.) All of these missiles have a monoblock warhead.
A new ICBM of the Dongfang-41 type with a multiple warhead (6–10 warheads) for ground-mobile and railway-mobile launchers (similar to the retired Russian RS-22 ICBM) is also being developed. China has periodically put to sea an experimental Xia-class nuclear submarine with 12 Julang-1 SLBM launchers and is building a second Jin-class submarine with longer-range Julang-2 missiles. The aviation component is represented by 20 obsolete Hong-6 type medium bombers, copied from Soviet aircraft Tu-16 produced in the 50s.
Although Beijing denies the presence of operational-tactical nuclear weapons, there are estimates that China has about 100 such weapons deployed.
In total, China's nuclear arsenal is estimated to be around 180–240 warheads, making it 4th or 3rd nuclear power after the USA and Russia (and possibly France), depending on the accuracy of available unofficial estimates. Chinese nuclear warheads are mainly of the thermonuclear class with a power range of 200 kt - 3.3 Mt.
There is no doubt that the economic and technical potential of the PRC allows for the rapid build-up of nuclear missile weapons across the entire range of their classes. It is noteworthy that, apparently in the context of some cunning political line, in contrast to the extremely “modest” strategic declarations at the military parade on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 2009, China clearly sought to impress the whole world with a rapidly growing military power, including strategic nuclear weapons.
BET ON TRIDENTS
The UK is the most open about its nuclear capabilities. Its nuclear weapons were first tested in 1952, and currently British thermonuclear warheads have a yield of about 100 kt and, possibly, the sub-kiloton class.
The country's strategic forces consist of four Vanguard-class submarines, which deploy 48 Trident-2 SLBMs purchased from the United States and 144 British nuclear warheads. The SLBM set, like that of France, is designed for three submarines, since one is constantly under repair. An additional 10 spare missiles and 40 warheads are on hand warehouse storage. There are unofficial estimates that some SLBMs are equipped with a single low-yield warhead and are aimed at rogue states. Britain has no other nuclear forces.
After heated debate in the middle of this decade, it was decided to begin designing a new type of SSBN and planning the purchase of modified Trident 2 missiles from the United States, as well as developing a new type of nuclear warheads for the period after 2024, when the Vanguard submarines reach the end of their service life . It is likely that progress in nuclear disarmament by the United States and Russia (new and subsequent START treaties) will entail a revision of these plans.
Providing options for limited nuclear strikes against “rogue” countries, London (in contrast to Paris) does not emphasize reliance on nuclear weapons and adheres to the strategy of “minimum nuclear deterrence.” It has been officially announced that nuclear forces are in a state of reduced combat readiness and their use will require a long time (weeks) after the transmission of the order from senior management. However, no technical clarification was given in this regard. The United Kingdom has declared the full extent of its fissile material stockpile and has also placed fissile material no longer required for defense purposes under international IAEA safeguards. It made all enrichment and reprocessing facilities available for international inspection by the IAEA and began work on national historical reporting of fissile materials produced.
Pakistani medium-range nuclear missile "Ghauri"
JERUSALEM NUCLEAR SHIELD
Israel differs from other nuclear states in that it not only does not report official data on its nuclear potential, but also does not confirm its existence. Nevertheless, no one in the world, either in government or private expert circles, questions the presence of nuclear weapons in Israel, and Tel Aviv quite deliberately does not dispute this assessment. Similar to the American line regarding its nuclear weapons on ships and submarines based in Japan, Israel is pursuing a “neither confirm nor deny” nuclear deterrence strategy.
Israel's officially unrecognized nuclear potential, according to the country's leadership, has a very tangible deterrent effect on surrounding Islamic countries and at the same time does not aggravate the awkward position of the United States in providing military assistance and political security support to Israel. Open recognition of the fact of possessing nuclear weapons, as Israeli leaders apparently believe, could provoke others Arab countries to withdraw from the NPT and create their own nuclear weapons.
Apparently, Israel developed nuclear weapons in the late 60s. Israeli nuclear warheads are designed on the basis of weapons-grade plutonium, and although they have never undergone full-scale testing, no one doubts their combat effectiveness due to the high scientific and technical level of Israeli nuclear scientists and those who assisted them abroad.
According to expert estimates, the Israeli nuclear arsenal currently numbers between 60 and 200 warheads. different types. Of these, about 50 are nuclear warheads for 50 medium-range Jericho-2 ballistic missiles (1500–1800 km). They cover almost all countries of the Middle East, including Iran, the Caucasus zone and the southern regions of Russia. In 2008, Israel tested the Jericho-2 missile with a range of 4,800–6,500 km, which corresponds to an intercontinental-class system. The remaining Israeli nuclear warheads appear to be aerial bombs and can be delivered by strike aircraft, primarily by more than 200 American-made F-16 aircraft. Additionally, Israel recently purchased three Dolphin-class diesel-electric submarines from Germany and has ordered two more. Probably, the torpedo tubes of these boats were adapted to launch tactical SLCMs of the Harpoon type (with a range of up to 600 km), purchased from the United States and capable of striking ground targets, including those with nuclear warheads.
Although Israel, for obvious reasons, does not explain its nuclear doctrine in any way, it is obvious that it provides for the first use of nuclear weapons (preventive or preemptive strike). After all, logically, it is designed to prevent a situation, to use the formula of the Russian Military Doctrine, “when the very existence of the state is threatened.” Until now, for 60 years, in all wars in the Middle East, Israel has won victories using only conventional armed forces and weapons. However, each time it was more difficult and cost Israel more and more losses. Apparently, Tel Aviv believes that such effectiveness of the use of the Israeli army cannot continue forever - taking into account the vulnerable geostrategic position of the state, the enormous superiority of the surrounding Islamic countries in terms of population, the size of the armed forces, with their volume purchases modern weapons and official declarations about the need to “erase Israel from political map peace."
However, recent trends may call into question Israel's national security strategy. In the event of further proliferation of nuclear weapons, primarily through their acquisition by Iran and other Islamic countries, Israel's nuclear deterrence will be neutralized by the nuclear potential of other states in the region. Then there could be a catastrophic defeat for Israel in one of the future conventional wars, or an even greater catastrophe as a result of a regional nuclear war. At the same time, there is no doubt that Israel’s “anonymous” nuclear potential is a serious problem for strengthening the nuclear weapons non-proliferation regime in the Near and Middle East.
ATOMIC HINDOSTAN
India, along with Pakistan and Israel, belongs to the category of states possessing nuclear weapons that do not have the legal status of a nuclear power under Article IX of the NPT. Delhi does not provide official data on its nuclear forces and programs. Most experts estimate India's potential at approximately 60–70 nuclear warheads based on weapons-grade plutonium with a yield of 15–200 kt. They can be placed on an appropriate number of monoblock tactical missiles (Prithvi-1 with a range of 150 km), operational-tactical missiles (Agni-1/2 - from 700 to 1000 km) and intermediate-range ballistic missiles undergoing testing (Agni -3" – 3000 km). India is also testing sea-launched short-range ballistic missiles such as Dhanush and K-15. Medium bombers such as the Mirage-1000 Vazhra and Jaguar IS Shamsher can probably serve as carriers of nuclear bombs, as can fighter-bombers such as the MiG-27 and Su-30MKI purchased from Russia, the latter being equipped for in-flight refueling from aircraft Il-78 is also Russian-made.
Having conducted the first test of a nuclear explosive device in 1974 (declared a test for peaceful purposes), India openly tested nuclear weapons in 1998 and declared its nuclear forces as a deterrent to the PRC. However, like China, India has accepted a commitment not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, making an exception for a nuclear retaliatory strike in the event of an attack on it using other types of WMD. Judging by the available information, India, like China, practices separate storage of missile launch vehicles and nuclear warheads.
Pakistan conducted its first nuclear weapons test in 1998, almost simultaneously with India and with the official goal of containing the latter. However, the very fact of an almost simultaneous test indicates that the development of nuclear weapons was carried out in Pakistan over a long preceding period, possibly starting with the Indian “peaceful” nuclear experiment of 1974. In the absence of any official information, Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is estimated at approximately 60-plus enriched uranium warheads with yields ranging from the sub-kiloton scale to 50 kt.
As carriers, Pakistan uses two types of operational-tactical ballistic missiles with a range of 400–450 km (type Haft-3 Ghaznavi and Haft-4 Shaheen-1), as well as MRBMs with a range of up to 2000 km (type Haft-5 Ghauri "). New ballistic missile systems medium-range (such as Haft-6 Shaheen-2 and Ghauri-2) are being tested, as are cruise missiles ground-based(type "Haft-7 Babur"), similar in technology to the Chinese GLCM "Dongfang-10". All missiles are placed on ground-mobile launchers and have a monoblock warhead. Cruise missiles of the Haft-7 Babur type are also being tested in air- and sea-launched versions - in the latter case, apparently, to equip Agosta-class diesel-electric submarines.
Likely air delivery vehicles include American-made F-16 A/B fighter-bombers, as well as French Mirage-V fighters and Chinese A-5s.
Operational-tactical missiles have been deployed to positions within reach of Indian territory (as well as Indian missiles near Pakistani territory). Medium-range systems cover almost the entire territory of India, Central Asia and Russian Western Siberia.
Pakistan's official nuclear strategy explicitly relies on the concept of a first (preemptive) nuclear strike - citing India's superior capabilities general purpose(like Russia in the context of the superiority of the United States, NATO and, in the future, China). However, according to available information, Pakistani nuclear warheads are stored separately from their carriers, like Indian ones, which implies the dependence of Pakistani nuclear deterrence on timely warning of a possible war with India.
Separate storage in the case of Pakistan is of great importance - due to the unstable internal political situation of the country, great influence there is Islamic fundamentalism (including in the officer corps), its involvement in the terrorist war in Afghanistan. We also cannot forget the experience of deliberate leakage of nuclear materials and technologies through the network of the “father of the Pakistani atomic bomb,” Nobel laureate Abdul Qadeer Khan, to the global “black market.”
THE MOST PROBLEM NUCLEAR POWER
Democratic People's Republic of Korea in terms of its nuclear status is a rather curious legal incident.
From the point of view of international law, the five great powers consist of legally recognized nuclear powers under the NPT - “nuclear weapon states” (Article IX). The three remaining de facto nuclear states (India, Pakistan and Israel) are recognized as such in political terms, but are not considered nuclear powers in the legal sense of this concept, since they have never been members of the NPT and cannot join it as nuclear powers according to the mentioned article.
North Korea has become another category - a state with an unrecognized nuclear status. The fact is that the DPRK took advantage of the fruits of peaceful nuclear cooperation with other countries within the framework of the NPT for military purposes, committed clear violations of its articles on IAEA safeguards, and ultimately withdrew from the NPT in 2003 with gross violations of its Article X, which determines the permitted procedure for withdrawal from the Agreement. Therefore, recognizing the DPRK's nuclear status would be tantamount to encouraging flagrant violations of international law and would set a dangerous example for other possible violating countries.
However, North Korea tested plutonium-based nuclear explosive devices in 2006 and 2009 and, according to expert estimates, has approximately 5-6 such warheads. It is assumed, however, that these warheads are not compact enough to be placed on missile or aircraft carriers. If these warheads were improved, North Korea could theoretically deploy them on several hundred Hwansong-type short-range ballistic missiles and several dozen Nodong-type MRBMs. Tests of Taepodong-class ICBMs in 2007–2009 were unsuccessful.
If equipped with nuclear warheads, the Hwangsong missiles could cover all of South Korea, adjacent areas of the People's Republic of China and Russian Primorye. In addition, Nodong medium-range missiles could reach Japan, central China, and Russian Siberia. And the Taepodong intercontinental missiles, if their development is successfully completed, would gain reach to Alaska, Hawaii and the west coast of the main US territory, almost all regions of Asia, the European zone of Russia and even Central and Western Europe.
Today, when more than 70 years have passed since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the scientific and industrial potential of many states makes it possible to create super-powerful ammunition, any educated person should know that there are nuclear weapons. 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:
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:
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 the owner before the fall of the apartheid regime nuclear stockpiles. Currently, South Africa completely denies their existence.
For many years, the world community and, above all, Israel suspected Iraq and Iran of developing and creating nuclear technologies for military use. 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 facilities related to nuclear energy, for 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. About ongoing in many countries from South Korea, Brazil to Saudi Arabia, who have sufficient scientific and production potential, are working on creating their own nuclear weapons, information appears in the media from time to time, but there is no official, documentary evidence of this.
The list of nuclear powers in the world for 2019 includes ten main states. Information on which countries have nuclear potential and in what units it is expressed quantitatively is based on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and Business Insider.
Nine countries that are officially owners of weapons of mass destruction form the so-called “Nuclear Club”.
No data.
First test: No data.
Last test: No data.
Today it is officially known which countries have nuclear weapons. And Iran is not one of them. However, he did not curtail work on the nuclear program and there are persistent rumors that this country has its own nuclear weapons. The Iranian authorities say that they are quite capable of building it for themselves, but for ideological reasons they are limited only to the use of uranium for peaceful purposes.
For now, Iran's use of nuclear power is under the control of the IAEA as a result of a 2015 agreement, but the status quo may soon be subject to change - in October 2017, Donald Trump said that the current situation no longer corresponds to US interests. How much this announcement will change the current political climate remains to be seen.
Number of nuclear warheads: 10-60
First test: 2006
Last test: 2018
The list of countries with nuclear weapons in 2019, to the great horror of the Western world, included the DPRK. Flirting with nuclear power in North Korea began in the middle of the last century, when Kim Il Sung, frightened by US plans to bomb Pyongyang, turned to the USSR and China for help. The development of nuclear weapons began in the 1970s, stopped as the political situation improved in the 90s, and naturally continued as it worsened. Already since 2004, nuclear tests have taken place in the “mighty, prosperous country.” Of course, as the Korean military assures, for purely harmless purposes - for the purpose of space exploration.
Adding to the tension is the fact that the exact number of nuclear warheads in North Korea is unknown. According to some data, their number does not exceed 20, according to others, it reaches 60 units.
Number of nuclear warheads: 80
First test: 1979
Last test: 1979
Israel has never said that it has nuclear weapons - but it has never claimed the opposite either. What adds piquancy to the situation is that Israel refused to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Along with this, the “promised land” vigilantly monitors the peaceful and not so peaceful nuclear power of its neighbors and, if necessary, does not hesitate to bomb the nuclear centers of other countries - as was the case with Iraq in 1981. According to rumors, Israel has every opportunity to create a nuclear bomb since 1979, when light flashes suspiciously similar to nuclear explosions were recorded in the South Atlantic. It is assumed that either Israel, or South Africa, or both of these states together are responsible for this test.
Number of nuclear warheads: 120-130
First test: 1974
Last test: 1998
Despite successfully detonating a nuclear charge back in 1974, India officially recognized itself as a nuclear power only at the end of the last century. True, having detonated three nuclear devices in May 1998, just two days after that India announced its refusal to further tests.
Number of nuclear warheads: 130-140
First test: 1998
Last test: 1998
It is no wonder that India and Pakistan, having a common border and being in a state of permanent unfriendliness, strive to overtake and surpass their neighbor - including in the nuclear field. After the Indian bombing of 1974, it was only a matter of time before Islamabad developed its own. As the then Prime Minister of Pakistan said: “If India builds its own nuclear weapons, we will make ours, even if we have to eat grass.” And they did it, albeit twenty years late.
After India conducted tests in 1998, Pakistan promptly carried out its own, detonating several nuclear bombs at the Chagai test site.
Number of nuclear warheads: 215
First test: 1952
Last test: 1991
Great Britain is the only country of the nuclear five that has not conducted tests on its territory. The British preferred to carry out all nuclear explosions in Australia and the Pacific Ocean, but since 1991 it was decided to stop them. True, in 2015, David Cameron gave in to the fire, admitting that England was ready to drop a bomb or two if necessary. But he didn’t say who exactly.
Number of nuclear warheads: 270
First test: 1964
Last test: 1996
China is the only country that has committed not to launch (or threaten to launch) nuclear strikes on non-nuclear-weapon states. And at the beginning of 2011, China announced that it would maintain its weapons only at a minimum level. sufficient level. However, since then, China's defense industry has invented four types of new ballistic missiles that are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. So the question of the exact quantitative expression of this “minimum level” remains open.
Number of nuclear warheads: 300
First test: 1960
Last test: 1995
In total, France conducted more than two hundred nuclear weapons tests - from an explosion in the then French colony of Algeria to two atolls in French Polynesia.
Interestingly, France has consistently refused to take part in the peace initiatives of other nuclear countries. It did not join the moratorium on nuclear testing in the late 50s of the last century, did not sign the treaty banning military nuclear tests in the 60s, and joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty only in the early 90s.
Number of nuclear warheads: 6800
First test: 1945
Last test: 1992
The country that possesses it is also the first power to carry out a nuclear explosion, and the first and only one to date to use nuclear weapons in a combat situation. Since then, the United States has produced 66.5 thousand atomic weapons of more than 100 different modifications. The bulk of US nuclear weapons are submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Interestingly, the United States (like Russia) refused to participate in the negotiations on the complete renunciation of nuclear weapons that began in the spring of 2017.
US military doctrine states that America retains enough weapons to guarantee both its own security and the security of its allies. In addition, the United States promised not to strike non-nuclear states if they comply with the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
1. Russia
Number of nuclear warheads: 7000
First test: 1949
Last test: 1990
Russia inherited some of its nuclear weapons after the collapse of the USSR - existing nuclear warheads were removed from the military bases of the former Soviet republics. According to the Russian military, they may decide to use nuclear weapons in response to similar actions. Or in case of strikes with conventional weapons, as a result of which the very existence of Russia will be threatened.
Will there be a nuclear war between North Korea and the United States?
If at the end of the last century the main source of fears of a nuclear war was the strained relations between India and Pakistan, then the main horror story of this century is the nuclear confrontation between the DPRK and the United States. Threaten North Korea nuclear strikes- a good US tradition since 1953, but with the advent of the DPRK's own atomic bombs, the situation reached new level. Relations between Pyongyang and Washington are tense to the limit. Will there be a nuclear war between North Korea and the United States? It is possible and will be if Trump decides that the North Koreans need to be stopped before they have time to create intercontinental missiles that are guaranteed to reach the west coast of the world stronghold of democracy.
The United States has kept nuclear weapons near the borders of the DPRK since 1957. And a Korean diplomat says the entire continental US is now within range of North Korea's nuclear weapons.
What will happen to Russia if a war breaks out between North Korea and the United States? There is no military clause in the agreement signed between Russia and the DPRK. This means that when war starts, Russia can remain neutral - of course, strongly condemning the actions of the aggressor. In the worst case scenario for our country, Vladivostok could be covered with radioactive fallout from the destroyed DPRK facilities.
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 weapons, from the point of view of international law cannot receive the legal status of 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 and endure all sorts 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. True, no intelligence agency in the world has reliable data that Pyongyang conducted at least one atomic bomb test. 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 of North Korea, it was built with the help of the Chinese nuclear reactor. 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: land- and sea-based ballistic missiles, 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 Viktor Mikhailov, director of the Institute of Strategic Stability, in 2000, Russia's strategic nuclear forces had 5,906 warheads. Another 4,000 nuclear warheads are non-strategic and consist of tactical bombs, warheads cruise missiles 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 allow short term increase arsenals to 85 thousand charges.
In general, the total number of nuclear weapons available in the world today is only known 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 bomb fourth generation: a purely thermonuclear weapon, the fusion reaction in which must be initiated by some alternative energy source. The fact is that current hydrogen bombs use a classic atomic explosion as a “fuse”, 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 nuclear weapons in service are heard from time to time even in countries whose nuclear-free status is seemingly unshakable. In Japan, high-ranking officials 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, 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 creation production cycle nuclear fuel worth more than a billion dollars. Is technology really that expensive?
Evgeniy Avrorin | It depends on what we're talking about. Nuclear materials to create weapons you need much less 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? Gains more weight, more authority, feels more protected. 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, 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 carrier-based vertical take-off and landing attack aircraft Yak-38, whose combat load was extremely limited, a light and compact nuclear bomb RN-28 was created. The “ammunition load” of such bombs on the heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers “Kyiv” was 18 pieces.
The most powerful in the world H-bomb“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.
