Nuclear Arsenals - AR15.COM

Posted: 8/24/2006 2:55:09 PM EDT

I was just reading an article about the Israelis buying some new German nuclear capable subs, and it included this line;

"It (Israel) is believed, however, to have the world's sixth-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, including hundreds of warheads."

So I'm curious who the top five are?

It seems like the U.S. and Russia are no brainers. After that? China, Great Britain, maybe Germany or France?

Posted: 8/24/2006 2:57:13 PM EDT

[#1]

My guess, in order

US
Russia
China
GB
France
Israel
India
Pakistan

Anyone else?

ETA North Korea?

Posted: 8/24/2006 2:57:39 PM EDT

[#2]

Wiki

US
Russia
UK
France
PRC
India
Pakistan
NK

Posted: 8/24/2006 2:59:20 PM EDT

[#3]

Note that Israel has never tested a nuclear weapon, nor do they confirm/deny having any nuclear weapons.

From the above-linked Wiki article:

Israel is not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and refuses to officially confirm or deny having a nuclear arsenal, or to having developed nuclear weapons, or even to having a nuclear weapons program. Although Israel claims that the Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona is a "research reactor," no scientific reports based on work done there have ever been published. Extensive information about the program in Dimona was also disclosed by technician Mordechai Vanunu in 1986. Imagery analysts can identify weapon bunkers, mobile missile launchers, and launch sites in satellite photographs. It is believed to possess nuclear weapons by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Israel may have tested a nuclear weapon along with South Africa in 1979 (see Vela Incident). According to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Federation of American Scientists, they may possess 300-400 weapons, a figure which would put them above the median in the declared list.

Posted: 8/24/2006 3:03:30 PM EDT

[#4]

The list isn't 100% accurate because it's only counting
devices that states admit to having . There are several countries
that have the materials to construct weapons in a short time .
Or countries that had them in the past and dismantled them
back to components .

Japan admits to having 43 TONS of Plutonium , about half of which is
weapons grade , but some tracking agency's put that number at 1/3 of
their actual stockpile .

Posted: 8/24/2006 4:20:05 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
It seems like the U.S. and Russia are no brainers. After that? China, Great Britain, maybe Germany or France?

Germany has no nuclear weapons of its own.

Posted: 8/24/2006 4:28:30 PM EDT

[#6]

Without any research, here is my guess....

U.S.
Russia
UK
France
China
Israel

Posted: 8/24/2006 4:32:34 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
My guess, in order

US
Russia
China
GB
France
Israel
India
Pakistan

Anyone else?

ETA North Korea?

South Africa

Posted: 8/24/2006 4:37:39 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Quoted:
My guess, in order

US
Russia
China
GB
France
Israel
India
Pakistan

Anyone else?

ETA North Korea?

South Africa

Nope…

web.mit.edu/ssp/seminars/wed_archives_01spring/albright.htm

Posted: 8/24/2006 4:39:10 PM EDT

[#9]

Isn't there another one lately though....I'm sure of it...somewhere in the middle east isn't it?

[church lady]Hmmmm....who could it be?

Could it be...~~SATAN???~~ Iran???[/church lady]

Posted: 8/24/2006 4:43:30 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Isn't there another one lately though....I'm sure of it...somewhere in the middle east isn't it?

[church lady]Hmmmm....who could it be?

Could it be...~~SATAN???~~ Iran???[/church lady]

No, Iran has no nuclear weapons, and is still years away from having the capability to produce them.

Posted: 8/24/2006 5:42:18 PM EDT

[#11]

What about the capability to purchase them?

Posted: 8/24/2006 5:44:54 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
What about the capability to purchase them?

Mexico has the capability to purchase them. Should we be worried about a nuclear attack from Mexico?

Posted: 8/24/2006 6:01:37 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:
My guess, in order

US
Russia
China
GB
France
Israel
India
Pakistan

Anyone else?

ETA North Korea?

South Africa

Didn't read Andy's link, but before the whites gave up power in South Africa, they got rid of all their nukes.
South Africa is nuke free.

Posted: 8/24/2006 6:02:05 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:

Quoted:
What about the capability to purchase them?

Mexico has the capability to purchase them. Should we be worried about a nuclear attack from Mexico?

Mexico hasn't declared an intent to destroy the United States and Israel. They just want to suck off our welfare and say 'minyana'.

Posted: 8/24/2006 6:08:15 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:

Quoted:
What about the capability to purchase them?

Mexico has the capability to purchase them. Should we be worried about a nuclear attack from Mexico?

Mexico hasn't declared an intent to destroy the United States and Israel. They just want to suck off our welfare and say 'minyana'.

I believe that Iran is seeking to produce nuclear weapons, and it would be a danger to the US if they do so. However, they do not have nuclear capabilities yet, despite the daily rantings by the sensationalist media.

Posted: 8/24/2006 6:16:35 PM EDT

[#16]

If Iran bought some U-235, they could produce a gun type fission bomb, in a matter of days or weeks.
Just as powerful as the one we dropped on Hiroshima.

Posted: 8/24/2006 9:53:33 PM EDT

[#17]

why does Germany not have any nuclear weapons?

Posted: 8/24/2006 10:04:19 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
why does Germany not have any nuclear weapons?

Don't know...but I wouldn't trust them with them either way.

Posted: 8/24/2006 10:13:21 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:

Quoted:
why does Germany not have any nuclear weapons?

Don't know...but I wouldn't trust them with them either way.

Because of that whole Nazi thing?

Posted: 8/24/2006 10:22:32 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:
why does Germany not have any nuclear weapons?

Don't know...but I wouldn't trust them with them either way.

Because of that whole Nazi thing?

WWI & WWII

Posted: 8/24/2006 10:45:56 PM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:
why does Germany not have any nuclear weapons?

Don't know...but I wouldn't trust them with them either way.

Because of that whole Nazi thing?

WWI & WWII

Actually, German had access to nuclear weapons from NATO stocks during the Cold War, both nuclear mines and lay down bombs.

ANdy

Posted: 8/24/2006 10:55:31 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
If Iran bought some U-235, they could produce a gun type fission bomb, in a matter of days or weeks.
Just as powerful as the one we dropped on Hiroshima.

Iran is not going to be producing any crude gun types nukes. Like North Korea, it will use the A Q Khan implosion design he sold them. This is the design of the tested and proven Pakistani bomb that is actually a fairly straight copy of a Chinese miniaturised warhead, weighs in @ 400lbs.

ANdy

Posted: 8/24/2006 11:00:42 PM EDT

[#23]

FWIW, Saudi Arabia financed much of the development of Pakistans 'Islamic' Bomb. Saudi Arabia also bought @150 CSS-2 IRBM's but no warheads, which are based al-Sulaiyil, about 500 km south of Riyadh and al-Joffer, 100 km south of Riyadh. With a CEP of a mile or so, these missiles are completely useless with a conventional warhead.

It is widely believed that if Iran goes nuclear there is an arrangement in place whereby Pakistan will supply the neccessary nuclear warheads for these missiles.

This arrangement is all the more plausible when you consider the huge expansion of Pakistans nuclear facilities recently. Pakistans ability to manufacture nuclear weapons now far exceeds it's own needs.

I think we will see the 'Islamic' Bomb will become one of Pakistans big export earners in the not too distant future.

ANdy

Posted: 8/24/2006 11:07:15 PM EDT

[#24]

Yeah, But didn't two of the Paki Nuke tests Squib Fire and were considered failures and isn't that probably why the North Korean's, feel the need to test their Paki derived design?

Posted: 8/24/2006 11:11:56 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Yeah, But didn't two of the Paki Nuke tests Squib Fire and were considered failures and isn't that probably why the North Korean's, feel the need to test their Paki derived design?

It's thought they did have a few 'fizzers', but IIRC, the Chinese sorted things out for them and did a test shot at Lop Nor.

I think the NK test is more is more to do with politics than physics. However, some commentators have postulated that the test in NK may well be of an Iranian device… makes sense, a test on 'home turf' by Iran could have 'exciting' consequences.

ANdy

Posted: 8/25/2006 6:12:23 AM EDT

[#26]

I guess we should hope that whoever said "an armed society is a polite society" was right

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