A big cloud of smoke mushroom shaped. It is one of the most iconic images and the one that best graphically represents the explosion of a nuclear bomb. The nuclear fungus is what is seen in the distance at the site of the explosion. The consequences of nuclear weapons are worse. As the United Nations explains on its official website, “a single (nuclear weapon) can destroy an entire city, with the possibility of causing death of millions of peopleand endanger the natural environment and lives of future generations due to its catastrophic long-term effects.
The first nuclear explosion It took place on July 16, 1945. The code name was Trinity and it was included in the then highly secret Manhattan Project. And those responsible, the United States Navy. Since then, countries around the world started an arms race to see who had nuclear weapons. And, consequently, who had the most power in the world that remained after the end of the Second World War. To the present day.
According to United Nations reports, there are about 22,000 nuclear weapons. A recent article from CNN reduces it to 13,400. And more than 2,000 nuclear tests have been carried out. It’s more. Since its birth, the United Nations has tried, with little success, to eliminate nuclear weapons from the planet. From this struggle arose the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), as well as other agreements and treaties that prohibit nuclear weapons tests in the atmosphere, in outer space and under water, such as the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (TPPE). On the other hand the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), more ambitious and signed in 1996, has not yet entered into force. Almost 30 years later.
Nuclear weapons became fashionable during the cold war. And they seemed like something from the past. More than anything, because its use by several countries would entail some irreparable damage in lives, material losses and in human and natural consequences for several decades. But the new Cold War between the United States and Russia has once again brought up an issue that the politicians of the day on both sides speak too lightly of.
What do we understand by nuclear weapons?
what we know for nuclear weapons they are explosives use the force generated by nuclear reactions to destroy in its path. But not all nuclear weapons are created equal. In principle, there are two types of nuclear bomb: fission bombs and the thermonuclear bombs. They are often known as A-bomb (a-bombatomic bomb) and H-bomb (h-bomb, hydrogen bomb). To these we can add a third type, the dirty bombs or radiological bombs. They are not considered nuclear or atomic but use radioactivity as an element to cause the greatest number of human and material damage.
The atomic bombs or nuclear bombs are also known as fission bombs, because they use this method or atomic reaction to generate the explosion. Its power can be one kiloton or several hundred kilotons. And it is that the explosive power is measured in tons of TNT. The well-known explosive whose initials mean trinitrotoluene. For their part, the hydrogen bombs or thermonuclear bombs, are larger than the previous ones, up to a thousand times larger. And its results can be measured in million tons of TNT or megatons.
The only country that has used the atomic bomb in war has been, to date, USA. And twice. On August 6, 1945 in Hiroshima, Japan. And on August 9 in Nagasaki, Japan. The first, nicknamed little boy, had a power of 15 kilotons. The second, named fat man, had an explosion power of 20 kilotons. The hydrogen bomb has not yet been used in warfare. Yes, it was successfully tested by the United States in 1952 with a power of 10 megatons. The good news is that making H-bombs is more difficult than making A-bombs. Otherwise, their destructive power is greater.
Over the decades, nuclear weapons technology has been perfected despite the absence of any conflict. Rather, their existence has been a deterrence tool and a way to have more relevance in the international arena. Both technologies have been reducing the size of their missiles. Missiles that can be launched over long distances from land, from submarines, or from aircraft.
From the miniaturization of hydrogen bombs came the neutron bombs. In theory, they should be used on the battlefield, not on the civilian population. Their range is shorter and they work by generating minimal explosion and heat. On the other hand, it releases large amounts of radiation, as occurs with dirty bombs.
the nine club
Currently there nine countries they have nuclear weapons. By way of official or unofficial. And we can divide them into three groups. let’s start with Israel. Officially, it does not have this technology, but all countries “know” that it does have it, since at least 1966, and that it could use it. According to various sources, it is estimated that it has between 80 and 400 nuclear weapons. His ambiguity in not acknowledging that he has this technology it saves the United States from having to sanction him.
Of this club of nine, only five officially recognized that has nuclear weapons. Are United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France Y China. And of them, only United States and Russia they have signed treaties to verify their nuclear arsenal independently. However, the available numbers on nuclear weapons for each country are estimates. Next, we list the countries with their respective arsenals with data from Nuclear Threat Initiativea non-profit organization that fights against nuclear and biological threats.
USA He was the first to discover this technology (1945) and the only one to apply it to the civilian population. According to CNNin October 2021, the Biden Administration gave official figures: 3,750 nuclear warheads and 2,000 waiting to be dismantled.
Russia It was the second country to have nuclear weapons during its time as USSR (1949). It is estimated that it has 1,444 nuclear warheads. Of these, 527 ballistic missiles to be launched from submarines (for its acronym in English SLBM). Counting nuclear weapons in the process of being dismantled, the total is 6,370 weapons. As a curiosity, at the time of the USSR, the then Soviet and current republics Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukrainepossessed nuclear weapons that were later repatriated to Russia.
United Kingdom It is the third country to achieve nuclear weapons (1952). It has approximately 225 nuclear warheads, according to Nuclear Threat Initiative. Almost all of the type SLBM to launch from nuclear submarines.
France it joined the “club” in 1960. It has approximately 290 nuclear warheads that can be launched from the sea and from the air. And this first list ends with China, which officially discovered the nuclear bomb in 1964 and has 290 nuclear warheads. Of these, 90 are nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, known by their acronym in English. ICBM.
The most controversial nuclear powers
In addition to these five countries, which officially declare they have nuclear weapons, and the ambiguous Israel, there are three other countries that claim to possess this technology. Furthermore, these three countries have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that the five aforementioned countries signed in 1968 and that has been in force since 1970. Other countries joined this treaty, up to a total of 190. They are only outside Israel, India, Pakistan, North Korea Y South Sudan. Precisely, four of the five possess nuclear weapons.
India He claims to have the atomic bomb since 1974. Pakistan since 1998 and North Korea made it official in 2006 with up to six nuclear tests. It is estimated that it has plutonium and enriched uranium to make up to 12 warheads. On the other hand, it is estimated that India it has between 130 and 140 nuclear warheads. Pakistan, between 90 and 110 nuclear warheads. And they have been at odds officially and unofficially for decades. In particular, for strategic border territories such as Kashmir. What’s more, they have already waged four short-lived wars. The last one, in 1999.
Countries familiar with nuclear weapons
We can add other countries to this list for different reasons. South Africa developed nuclear weapons during the 1970s but abandoned its nuclear program in 1991. Japan announced in 2996 that it had the ability to create nuclear weapons in response to the announcement of North Korea. But, as far as we know, he has no nuclear weapons going. And, for years, USA denounces that Iran It has nuclear capacity. What has led to successive economic sanctions without, for the time being, having material evidence.
Finally, countries like Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands Y Turkey, members of NATO, could use nuclear weapons from allied countries in the event of a war. Something that, to date, has not been necessary. Yes indeed. Since 2009, these countries have kept nuclear weapons from the United States. It is estimated that a total of 150 distributed among these territories. Something they already did in the past Canada until 1984 and Greece until 2001.