The arms race in the 20th century spurred powers to develop under the plausible pretext of deterring nuclear attacks. In fact, some countries categorically deny their involvement in combat tests, for nothing that indirect evidence speaks of the presence of a nuclear arsenal on their territory.

But, whatever the position, scientists and mere mortals who are interested in the issue understand: if the bombing starts, then the historical "Kid" and "Fat Man", dropped in August 1945 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, will seem like an amateur performance compared to that fiery cauldron that will start on the planet. Considering the modern capacity of the nuclear arsenal of some countries. Like it or not, the most powerful nuclear bomb was made under the USSR.

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

A country nuclear program Number of nuclear arsenal (warheads)
The second country to develop nuclear weapons. It has the largest arsenal of any country and is investing heavily in modernizing its warheads and launch vehicles. 7000
The first country to develop nuclear weapons and the only country to use them in war. The United States spends the most on its nuclear arsenal. 6800
Most of the nuclear warheads are placed on submarines equipped with M45 and M51 missiles. One boat is on patrol 24/7. Some warheads are launched from aircraft. 300
China has a much smaller arsenal than the US and Russia. Its warheads are launched from the air, land and sea. China is expanding its nuclear arsenal. 270
It maintains a fleet of four nuclear submarines in Scotland, each with 16 Trident missiles. The UK Parliament voted in 2016 to modernize its nuclear forces. 215
It is significantly improving its nuclear arsenal and related infrastructure. IN last years he increased the size of the nuclear arsenal. 120-130
India has developed nuclear weapons in violation of non-proliferation obligations. It increases the size of the nuclear arsenal and expands launch capabilities. 110-120
It maintains a policy of ambiguity about its nuclear arsenal, neither confirming nor denying its existence. As a result, there is little information or discussion about it. 80
At North Korea new nuclear program. Its arsenal probably contains less than 10 warheads. It's unclear if he has the ability to deliver them. We wrote the nuclear bomb of North Korea. 10
Total 14900 warheads

Nuclear club countries list

Russia

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

USA

  • The case of two rockets dropped on two Japanese cities in 1945 is the first and the only example military atomic attack. So the States became the first country to implement nuclear explosion. Today it is also a country with the most strong army in the world. Official estimates report the presence of 6800 active units, of which 1800 are deployed in a combat state.
  • Last thing nuclear test USA was held in 1992. The US takes the position that it has enough weapons to protect itself and protect allied states from attack.

France

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

China

  • China. The first test of an atomic weapon, codenamed "596", China conducted in 1964, opening the way to the top five residents of the Nuclear Club.
  • Modern China has 270 warheads in storage. Since 2011, the country has adopted a policy of minimal armament, which will be activated only in case of danger. And the developments of Chinese military scientists are not far behind the arms leaders, Russia and the United States, and since 2011 they have presented the world with four new modifications of ballistic weapons with the ability to load them with nuclear warheads.
  • There is a joke that China is based on the number of its compatriots, who make up the largest diaspora in the world, when they talk about the “minimum required” number of combat units.

Great Britain

  • Great Britain, as a true lady, although it is one of the leading Five nuclear powers, has not practiced such obscenity as atomic tests on its own territory. All tests were carried out away from the British lands, in Australia and in the Pacific Ocean.
  • She began her nuclear career in 1952 with the activation nuclear bomb with a capacity of more than 25 kilotons of TNT on board the Plym frigate, which anchored near the Pacific islands of Montebello. In 1991, the tests were terminated. Officially, the country has 215 charges, of which 180 are located on deployed carriers.
  • The UK is actively opposed to the use of nuclear ballistic missiles, although there was a precedent in 2015 when Prime Minister David Cameron encouraged the international community with the message that the country, if desired, could demonstrate the launch of a couple of charges. In which direction the nuclear hello will fly, the minister did not specify.

Young nuclear powers

Pakistan

  • Pakistan. Does not give common border with India and Pakistan to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty. In 1965, the country's foreign minister declared that Pakistan would be ready to start developing its own nuclear weapons if neighboring India began to sin in this way. His determination was so serious that for this he promised to put the whole country on bread and water, for the sake of protection from the armed provocations of India.
  • The development of explosive devices has been a long process, with variable funding and capacity building since 1972. The country conducted its first tests in 1998 at the Chagai test site. There are about 120-130 nuclear warheads in storage in the country.
  • The arrival of a new player nuclear market forced many partner countries to impose a ban on the import of Pakistani goods into their territory, which could greatly undermine the country's economy. Luckily for Pakistan, it had a number of unofficial sponsors of nuclear testing. The largest revenue was oil from Saudi Arabia, imported into the country daily at 50 thousand barrels.

India

  • The homeland of the most cheerful films to participate in the nuclear race was pushed by the neighborhood with China and Pakistan. And if China has long been paying no attention to the positions of superpowers and India, and does not particularly oppress it, then a tough confrontation with its neighbor Pakistan, constantly turning into a state of armed conflict, is spurring the country to permanent job over its potential and refusal to sign the "Nonproliferation Treaty".
  • Nuclear power from the very beginning did not allow India to bully in the open, so the first test, codenamed "Smiling Buddha" in 1974, was carried out secretly, underground. All developments were classified so much that even the researchers notified their own Minister of Defense about the tests at the last moment.
  • Officially, India admitted that yes, we sin, we have charges, only in the late 1990s. According to modern data, there are 110-120 units in storage in the country.

North Korea

  • North Korea. The favorite move of the United States - as an argument in the negotiations to "show strength" - back in the mid-1950s, the government of the DPRK did not like it very much. At that time, the States actively intervened in the Korean War, allowing atomic bombing Pyongyang. The DPRK learned its lesson and set a course for the militarization of the country.
  • Together with the army, which today is the fifth largest in the world, Pyongyang is conducting nuclear research, which until 2017 was not of particular interest to the world, since it was carried out under the auspices of space exploration, and relatively peacefully. Sometimes the neighboring lands of South Korea shook from medium-sized earthquakes of an incomprehensible nature, that's all the trouble.
  • In early 2017, the “fake” news in the media that the United States was sending its aircraft carriers on meaningless promenades to the Korean coast left a residue, and the DPRK conducted six nuclear tests without much concealment. Today the country has 10 nuclear units in storage.
  • How many other countries are conducting research on the development of nuclear weapons is unknown. To be continued.

Suspicions of possession of nuclear weapons

Several countries are known to be suspected of possessing nuclear weapons:

  • Israel, like an old and wise roar, he is in no hurry to lay out cards on the table, but he does not directly deny the existence of nuclear weapons. The "Non-Proliferation Treaty" is also not signed, it invigorates worse than the morning snow. And all that the world has is only rumors about nuclear tests that "Promised" allegedly conducted since 1979 together with South Africa in the South Atlantic and the presence of 80 nuclear charges in storage.
  • Iraq, according to unverified data, has been holding an unknown number of nuclear weapons for an unknown number of years. “Just because it can,” they said in the United States, and at the beginning of the 2000s, along with Great Britain, they sent troops into the country. They later offered their heartfelt apologies for being "mistaken". We didn't expect anything else, gentlemen.
  • fell under the same suspicions Iran, because of the tests of the "peaceful atom" for the needs of energy. This was the reason for 10 years to impose sanctions on the country. In 2015, Iran undertook to report on research on uranium enrichment, and the country was exempted from sanctions.

Four countries removed all suspicions from themselves by officially refusing to participate "in these races of yours." Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine transferred all their capacities to Russia with the collapse of the USSR, although the President of Belarus A. Lukashenko sometimes take it, and even sigh with notes of nostalgia, that “If there were any weapons left, they would talk to us differently.” And South Africa, although once involved in the development of nuclear power, openly withdrew from the race and lives in peace.

Partly because of the contradictions of internal political forces opposed to nuclear policy, partly because of the lack of necessity. One way or another, some transferred all their power to the energy sector for the cultivation of the “peaceful atom”, and some abandoned their nuclear potential altogether (like Taiwan, after the accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine).

List of countries that have curtailed nuclear programs:

  • Australia
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Libya
  • Egypt
  • Taiwan
  • Switzerland
  • Sweden
  • South Korea

Of course we live in Peaceful time, but still some things that are not so peaceful have a place to be.

After all, every country, no matter how pacifistic worldviews its leaders have, must take care of the safety of its citizens. And this is being done, among other things, thanks to a worthy confrontation with other countries.

Of course, there are many methods of confrontation, but it is still very important not to use weapons, but at least let them know that they are available - then you won’t have to “quarrel”.

That is why countries are trying to arm themselves. And arming your people in this context is not very effective - that's why they resort to nuclear weapons. And now it is already capable of inspiring shock and awe to anyone. Therefore, its presence is so valued among countries.

But which countries are particularly successful in this? There are several most protected leaders who have an impressive nuclear reserve. The most powerful nuclear countries in the world included in our top 10 are such that it is better not to argue with them, because in this case it will obviously not be worse for them. This is the power of nuclear weapons. Devastating and very impressive.

10 Canada

While Canada has yet to announce a nuclear capability, that doesn't mean it doesn't have it. It's just that, as it is believed, so far the country's potential, although great, is not enough for it to become a full-scale nuclear power.

But in relation to the sphere of trade connected with nuclear weapons, Canada is at a very high level, occupying significant positions in this area.

9. Israel

Israel also has not officially declared itself a nuclear country, but this also does not mean that it is not one, on the contrary, many believe that its nuclear potential is very considerable.

Of course, it is impossible to estimate everything with sufficient accuracy, but rough estimates give from eighty to two hundred warheads, which, in principle, is a significant enough number so that, in the event of a threat, a country could oppose something to its potential adversary.

8. North Korea

When we think about nuclear weapons, we often think of North Korea first. This is served by various high-profile statements that have been made by this country over the years.

Initially, the country was part of the NPT, but then declared that it was a nuclear power. Anyway, the country is a relative newcomer in this area, and it is not known how many warheads it currently has, but this number is probably measured in tens.

7. Pakistan

If we talk about military power, then few of the world's countries, in principle, can be compared with Pakistan. When he was exposed to India, he acquired, as a countermeasure, nuclear power.

Tests were made that served as a kind of deterrent measures that could deter other countries from invading the territory. Approximately, a country may have up to one hundred and ten warheads that are active on this moment.

6. India

Another fairly large nuclear power. The local nuclear program began in the year when the country was actively developing its independence. Initially, it was argued that all this would be used only for peaceful purposes, in order to maintain peace.

But then large-scale nuclear tests followed, which hinted that, in truth, the targets were not so peaceful. And the country has what is believed to be about one hundred warheads in stock.

5. China

It would be strange that such a large-scale country like China would not care about its security. Hence the need to acquire nuclear weapons. It was purchased in 1964. The country is an active participant in the treaty on the non-proliferation of such weapons. Weapons, however, China has quite a few - about two hundred and forty warheads at the moment, as it is believed, are active and ready to "use". Of course, this number is approximate.

4. France

Although it is customary to consider France to be something associated with romance and love, one should not forget that it used to be an imperial country, and therefore everything is decided quite seriously regarding military affairs there. Concern for one's own security is placed in France at a very high place. As for nuclear weapons, they have been present since 1960. There are believed to be between 290 and 300 warheads, more than larger China.

3. UK

The UK has been among the countries that have had a sufficient number of nuclear weapons for a very long time, since 1952. You can also highlight the fact that this country most actively called on other states for nuclear weapons. But the United Kingdom also distinguished itself by acquiring a huge nuclear stockpile. Up to 225 warheads are at its disposal and ready for active use in case of any emergency. The number is very large.

2. Russia

Enter number nuclear countries Russia was forced by the US attack on Japan. As a result, in 1949, the first experiments began. They were successful, because gradually the number of weapons that were at the disposal of the country grew. Now it has become very large. The exact number of warheads that are active at a given time is not known, but the upper ceiling is estimated by experts at about eight and a half thousand.

1. United States

This country, no matter how skeptical many are, is still the most developed in nuclear terms. It is, at the same time, the most best example how not to use such weapons stocks. Because the country's intervention in the lives of other countries, including with the use of nuclear weapons, has already become a canonical example. But this does not negate the huge number of warheads, which varies from more than two thousand to about 7.7 thousand.

Race nuclear weapons began at the end of World War II when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan. Since then, several countries have prepared their own nuclear devices and others are working on their production.

United States

Nuclear testing began during World War II and ended in the early 1990s after the collapse of communism. The United States still has the most operational warheads (over 2,000), while thousands more are being dismantled.

The Americans also have nuclear weapons stationed in other NATO countries. Together with Russia, the US is a member of the atomic weapons club that has air, sea and land-based nuclear weapons. For two decades, the United States has been working with Russia to reduce the number of nuclear weapons around the world.

Russia

Russia conducted its first nuclear test in 1949, four years after the Americans bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. During cold war the arms race led to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Today, Russia has about 1,700 operational warheads. However, nuclear experts fear that after some 1990 warheads may have fallen into the hands of third parties and are thus not counted.

Great Britain

Britain joined the nuclear club in 1951 and has about 160 warheads that can only be delivered by submarine.

France

France is the third largest nuclear power after the US and Russia. The country can launch its 300 warheads either from the air or from the sea.

China

Communist China started nuclear program in the 1950s after the US moved some of its own warheads to Asia during Korean War. At present, China can deploy land-based and air-launched missiles, and will be able to deliver them by submarine at the earliest.

India

India tested its first nuclear weapon in 1974 because it saw neighboring China and Pakistan as the main threat in the region. India has land and air weapons bases that could be put into service in a short time.

Pakistan

After conflicts and regional wars with India in the last forty years, Pakistan tested its first combat test in 1998 and is said to have 100 warheads.

Israel

Although Israel has never confirmed a nuclear weapon test, experts believe the country has had a nuclear weapons program for decades. Israel probably has at least 80 missiles on the ground that can deliver nuclear warheads.

North Korea

In the past few years, North Korea has been conducting underground tests. Western experts believe that the communist state has enough plutonium to build atomic bombs, but they doubt that the country can deliver them to missiles. Sanctions against the country came into force several years ago, after negotiations that failed to stop the program.

Nuclear testing in North Korea

Iran

The Western world is also concerned about Iran's plans, which are building atomic bomb. International Commission on atomic energy claims to have strong evidence that Iran is producing plutonium for bombs. Iranian leaders have repeatedly stated that they only enrich uranium for nuclear power. The United Nations has placed sanctions on countries in an attempt to stop Iran's program.

Several other states at one time also had nuclear weapons programs or already produced warheads. States of the former Soviet Union, including Ukraine and Kazakhstan possessed nuclear warheads when the country collapsed, but brought it back to Russia in subsequent years.

South Africa developed nuclear weapons during the apartheid years but stopped them in 1990. Saddam Hussein was thinking about developing his own nuclear weapons in Iraq. In 2003, the United States invaded the country because they thought the dictator had weapons of mass destruction.

Argentina, Brazil and South Korea stopped their nuclear programs many years ago.

Total There are over 20,000 nuclear warheads in the world today, according to data from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). More than half of this number - 11 thousand - is kept in the arsenal of the RF Armed Forces.

A report published today on the SIPRI website reveals that the world's eight nuclear powers have a total of 20,530 nuclear warheads. Of these, 5027 are in the expanded state. The leading position here is occupied by Russia: at the disposal Missile troops strategic purpose (RVSN) 2427 missiles with nuclear warheads. The United States is slightly inferior in this regard - it has 2,150 deployed nuclear warheads. Almost 300 similar missiles are in France, and almost half as many - in the UK.

However, 5,000 deployed warheads are just the tip of the world nuclear iceberg. The number of combat nuclear warheads mothballed in military depots exceeds this figure by three times. The strategic nuclear stockpiles of the big atomic five - Russia, the USA, France, Great Britain and China - as well as India, Pakistan and Israel that have joined them, amount to 15,500 warheads.

Russia remains the undisputed leader here as well, capable of equipping 8,570 missiles with nuclear warheads. The United States is not far behind, with 6,350 warheads stored in its warehouses. On account of the UK and France, respectively, 65 and 10 nuclear shells. China's entire nuclear arsenal of 200 warheads is kept in a non-deployed state. The military nuclear potential of Delhi and Karachi is estimated at 80-100 warheads in India and 90-100 in Pakistan. Israel, according to experts, has 80 nuclear warheads.

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

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

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

Meanwhile, the implementation of START-3 remains under threat due to disagreements between Russia and the United States over American missile defense in Europe. In mid-May, the Russian Foreign Ministry threatened to withdraw from the treaty if the Americans continued to deploy their weapons in European countries. Earlier, Andrey Tretyak, head of the main operational department of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, said that the deployment American system missile defense(ABM) close Russian borders our nuclear deterrence forces (SNF). The research organizations of the Ministry of Defense came to such conclusions in the course of analyzing plans for the modernization of the US missile defense system.

To begin with, let's remember that nuclear weapons can destroy all living organisms, including people, in the shortest possible time. And accordingly, it is this type of weapon that is capable of destroying our entire world within a few seconds.

The second question that arises before the creation of the list is why did these countries still create nuclear weapons, despite the fact that this is an active form of destructive material? The answer to this question is that this species energy is useful for mankind, but if it is used for peaceful purposes. Basically, the reason for the appearance of nuclear weapons in the country is the desire to protect itself from external aggressors. Interestingly, only the Americans actually used nuclear weapons in World War II against Japan, but the effect of this is still felt in the relevant areas of the country.

Here is a list of ten countries with the largest number nuclear weapons around the world.

Today, Iran is not a country with nuclear weapons, since there is only one Islamic country in the world that is considered as nuclear - and that is Pakistan. But before that, it was believed that Iran had created several types of nuclear or chemical weapons. The Islamic Republic of Iran signed a treaty with the United States to eliminate nuclear weapons, as more than 1,000,000 people were killed during the Iran-Iraq war.

After the fatwa of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran stopped the creation of nuclear and other types of weapons, and everything created earlier was destroyed by the UN Security Agency. But all the same, rumors do not cease that Iran still has undestroyed nuclear weapons, but no one knows exactly how many.

The country's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. We hear about North Korea all the time in the news as it seeks to build up its nuclear weapons. It was also reported that North Korea issued three ballistic missiles towards the USA. This country cannot boast of a good reputation, as it is considered the most hated of all countries in the world.

It is rather difficult to determine the level of well-being of the people due to the closed nature of North Korea, but huge amounts of money are regularly spent on defense. This country created nuclear weapons for defense, tests have already been carried out and the Koreans have about 10 nuclear warheads. But for life, this country is considered one of the most dangerous.

Another popular country in the world, officially called Israel, is also considered a Jewish state. On the other hand, Israel is another one of the most hated countries in the world because of its continuous war with Palestine, which is why it is not only fiercely hated in Muslim countries, but in others too.

It has been reported that Israel has a large number of nuclear weapons, but mainly they are developed with the help of America, which is considered a strategic partner of Israel. The state was formed in 1947 and does not increase its territory due to the war with Palestine, so this country still has about 80 nuclear weapons.

India, officially the Republic of India, is one of the most important countries in the world and is one of the most major countries, the second largest in terms of population in the world with about 1.3 billion people.

If we talk about the defense of this country, then it has surpassed many countries in the world, because last year it acquired a large number of types of weapons in Russia, now there are from 90 to 110 nuclear weapons - this is the third indicator for all countries in the world. Many of this country's nuclear experiments have failed, but they are ongoing due to the state of the Cold War on the border with Pakistan.

France

France is an extraordinarily beautiful country that is officially called the French Republic and has about 67 million people; its capital is Paris, which is also the most beautiful, largest and cultural center peace. The country itself is also considered the cultural center of Europe and has a dominant position regarding defense.

If we talk about past wars, then this country took part in both the First and Second World Wars. France is known as a country of nuclear energy, there are about 300 nuclear weapons, so the defense of this beautiful country is also considered the best in the world, as a highly organized army has new technological weapons.

Great Britain

Great Britain is one of the oldest countries in the world, which is also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In addition, it is a wealthy country with a population of 65.1 million, it ranks fourth among the most populated countries in Europe. The capital of Great Britain is London, it is an important financial center for different peoples peace.

The defense capability of this country is considered one of the highest in the world, this country is also a nuclear power, which has about 225 nuclear or chemical weapons. The army is also known all over the world as one of the best - due to the presence of highly qualified personnel. And this is one of best countries according to the conditions of life, even in spite of nuclear energy.

China is the most developed country in the world, because almost everything that is used on our planet is produced here. It is the leader in terms of population with more than 1.38 billion inhabitants. This happy country officially called People's Republic China, also the largest electronics manufacturer, ships its products to almost every country in the world.

China is also a country using nuclear energy, so there are 250 nuclear weapons here, so the defense of this country is at a very high level due to the use of new technologies in the manufacture of weapons or other equipment used in the army. China is the world's oldest state and occupies the third largest territory in the world, after Russia and Canada.

Pakistan - one of the most beautiful and important countries in the world, appeared on the map in 1947, in accordance with the constitution of 1973 is called the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is the second largest Islamic country in the world due to its population of almost 200 million.

Thus, Pakistan is the only Islamic country in the world with nuclear weapons. Defense is a priority, so they do not save money on the purchase of weapons. Pakistan's stockpile is about 120 nuclear weapons.

The United States of America is considered one of the most powerful and influential countries in the world. The country includes 52 states and a total population of 320 million. If we talk about defense capability, here is the most highly organized army, which has a new and the best weapon, and also this country is number one among the nuclear powers of the world, having almost 7,700 nuclear weapons.

It is the only country that used nuclear weapons against the population - in Japan in 1945 during World War II. The US has many disagreements with many countries including Russia, China and Pakistan hence is also considered the most hated country in the world.

Russia

Russia is also one of the most influential countries in the world, known high quality produced weapons. Official name – Russian Federation. This is the most big country in the world by area, but the population is about 146 million.

One of the most ancient countries in the world. Russia is the largest arms producer in the world. Its stockpiles of nuclear weapons are the largest among all countries in the world, amounting to about 8,500 units. Russia sells weapons to all countries of the world, so there is no doubt about their quality. This allows the country to claim the title of superpower.