Brussels, (Brussels Morning) – It is a hot topic to discuss which country in Europe has nuclear weapons. France and the UK are the countries that have nuclear weapons. They both have five hundred and fifteen warheads. And according to the research of SIPRI, out of 515, 400 are deployed.
Nuclear weapons are sometimes also known as atomic bombs, nuclear bombs, or atom bombs. It is an explosive device that is operated with the process of nuclear fission, fusion, or a combination of both. Atomic bombs release large amounts of force, approximately in kilotons and megatons. Besides this force, nuclear weapons also unleash large amounts of heat and radiation. One can easily destroy the whole world with nuclear weapons. The atomic bomb is capable of producing more death and injury as compared to other weapons.
What Country Has Nuclear Weapons in Europe?
As we discussed earlier, France and the UK are the countries in Europe that have nuclear weapons. Combinedly, both have an estimated 515 warheads. Four hundred warheads are deployed, which means they are located on bases with operational forces.
Does US Has Deployed Nukes in Europe?
Besides this, the United States has approximately 100 nuclear warheads. They are stored Across Europe on air bases in:
- Belgium
- Germany
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Turkey
Total Nuclear Weapons Across The Globe
There are about 13,080 nuclear weapons across the globe. If we make a comparison, then Russia has the highest number of nuclear weapons, approximately 6,257 warheads. Out of 6,257, 3039 are inactive but accessible to make active.
Estimated Amount of Nuclear Weapons in Different Countries
This section will discuss the estimated nuclear weapons that different countries have.
- Approximately 290 nuclear weapons are available in France
- At the same time, 225 are available in the United Kingdom
- Pakistan has approximately 165 nuclear weapons
- 156 estimated nuclear weapons are available in India
- China has approximately 350 nuclear weapons
- The United States has 5550 nuclear weapons. All are not active
Approximately 2361 available, 1389 active and 1800 retired
- Russia has 6257 nuclear weapons. All are not active
Out of 6527, the active number of nuclear weapons is 1458. At the same time, 3039 were available, and 1760 retired
- North Korea has approximately 40 to 50 available nuclear weapons
- Israel has 90 available
Usage of Nuclear Bomb During World War II
If we talk about the usage of nuclear weapons, then it has been used only twice in war. The US dropped nuclear weapons at the end of World War II.
- The first bomb called Little Boy on Hiroshima, Japan, on august 6, 1945
- 2nd bomb called Fat Man on Nagasaki, Japan, on august 9, 1945
The first bomb cause to explode with an explosive force of about 15 kilotons. In this blast, a shock wave was followed by a heat of approximately 6,000. Shock waves are basically those waves in which the speed of the source exceeds the speed of the sound wave. This large amount of heat turned the blast zone into a firestorm.
Rapid Increase in Nuclear Power During Cold War
Nuclear weapons became the ultimate weapons of war after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It kicked off an arms race between the two countries mentioned below:
- United States
- Soviet Union
This race reached its peak level in 1986. At that time, the Soviet Union had more than 40,000 nuclear warheads. At the same time, the United States had 23,000 warheads. After this, both sides concluded that the best way to prevent the nuclear war was to have a large number of nukes. With these nuclear weapons, opponents would not attack the targeted country due to fear of destruction through an atomic bomb. Many atomic bombs on both sides were dismantled in 1991.
Limit Nuclear Weapons
Nuclear weapons are the major cause of destructive potential. This is the reason that governments have negotiated agreements of arms control such as:
- In 1970, NPT( Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
- SALT( Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty in 1972
- And the 1991 START( Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)
The main purpose of the Nuclear Non-Professional Treaty is to restrict the spread of atomic bombs. As NWS( Nuclear Weapon State), five countries are designated:
- United States
- Russia
- China
- France
- United Kingdom
The rest of the countries were classified as NNWS (Non-Nuclear Weapon States). It was decided that the Nuclear Weapon States agreed not to assist the Non-Nuclear Weapon States in developing atomic bombs. Countries in both categories also agree to assist one another in the production of nuclear energy for good purposes. So, most countries having nuclear are mentioned below:
- China
- Russia
- France
- UK
- The United States!
