Nuclear weapons

While multiple nations have sought nuclear weapons, by 1970, only six are confirmed to possess them.

Germany was the first country to test a nuclear bomb, detonating *Barbarossa*, a small device, in a test on the Curonian Spit, East Prussia, in 1944. It now possesses the world´s largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, including land-based, air-based and submarine-launched weapons. German nuclear doctrine relies heavily on land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, most of them deployed in silos in eastern Germany. The German nuclear-armed submarine fleet is the largest in the world. Germany has promised never to strike first, but the German military has often conducted exercises to prepare for nuclear war, including *Operation Kirschbaum,* a scenario in which the Baltic sea is turned into a "bastion" to protect the German sea-launched strike capacity in the event of an American first strike on the European mainland. In the past Germany stationed nuclear-armed bombers on Spanish and Portuguese islands in the Atlantic, but has ceased to do so after the Icelandic missile crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Germany first tested its nuclear weapons on the Curonian Spit, but after concerns about the effects of radiation, it has moved them to Finnish Lapland, under an agreement with Helsinki.

The United States was the second nation to detonate a nuclear bomb, testing its own weapon, *Trinity*, in 1945, about six months after Germany. Now, the USA possesses an arsenal that challenges Germany´s, although some say that their missiles, while fewer in number, have a higher accuracy and yield and thus have parity, or maybe even an edge, over their rival. The American strike capacity is heavily invested in land-based intercontinental missiles, like Germany. Its submersible fleet is relatively small. It has a relatively large number of nuclear-armed bombers which are mostly based in the UK. The United States has invested significant resources into anti-ballistic missile technology in the hope of reducing the impact of a German nuclear attack on the American heartland. American nuclear weapons are tested in remote Pacific islands.

France was the third country to acquire a nuclear capacity, with its first weapon, *Rubis,* tested in Algeria in 1949. France´s nuclear deterrent is quite small and relies chiefly on land-based missiles based in the French alps and the *Thetis* class of ballistic missile submarines. France clings fiercely to its nuclear weapons, and they are the only military forces belonging to the Europabund which would not be subject to the authority of the German commander-in-chief in event of a war. France previously tested its weapons in Algeria but growing insecurity in French Africa saw the tests transferred to Nam Du island off Vietnam.

The United Kingdom acquired nuclear weapons shortly after France did, testing their first weapon, *Arthur*, at the Woomera range in Australia in mid 1950. Like France the UK maintains a relatively small nuclear force, although unlike France they deploy most of their nuclear weapons with the RAF. The UK does not maintain the same formally independent control over its nuclear weapons that France does, and American and British nuclear weapons are tightly integrated. The UK continues to test its nuclear weapons in Australia.

Japan was late to the nuclear club, testing its first weapon in 1952. The *Amaterasu* bomb was tested on Etorofu island. SInce then, Japan has rapidly caught up, and now has the third largest arsenal of nuclear weapons - while significantly short of the USA or Germany, it is much greater than either France or the UK. Both German and American strategists worry that, in the event of a nuclear exchange between the two superpowers, the true "winner" would be Japan, whose presumably intact arsenal would allow them to easily dominate whichever superpower survived. Whether or not this reflects Japanese nuclear weapons policy is unknown. Japan has a full triad of land-based, airborne and seaborne missiles, most of which are based in the Japanese home islands. They continue to test nuclear weapons in the Etorofu and Shikotan islands.

The USSR detonated its first nuclear weapon in 1967. The bomb, named *First Lightning*, was tested successfully at Semipalatansk. It is rumoured that the Soviets were assisted by the Americans in designing the weapon, but the USA has always denied this. The USSR has the smallest nuclear arsenal and is believed to have between ten and twenty bombs that would presumably be delivered by aircraft - Soviet missile technology is not thought to be reliable enough to deliver a bomb via missile without either the detonator or the propulsion failing. The possibility of Soviet bombs falling into the hands of some kind of violent political group, due to the generally poor level of security and high level of corruption in the USSR, is something that bedevils security experts in Berlin and Washington alike.

In addition to the six *known* nuclear-armed states, there are several countries that are believed to be either pursuing nuclear capacity or may have even attained it in secret.

Argentina has made an open secret of its desire to obtain nuclear weapons. Blessed with fairly substantial indigenous uranium reserves, Argentina has tried to acquire the necessary equipment and scientific expertise to exploit it. Several Argentinian physicists who studied in France and Germany are known to be applying what they learned to this end. It is not clear whether or not Germany supports this goal, although given the very close relationship between the two countries it is unlikely that Argentina could develop its weapons without, at least, Germany turning a "blind eye".

Brazil is also semi-openly seeking nuclear weapons, chiefly because it knows Argentina is doing so. Brazil has also had no trouble acquiring uranium, but has not been able to buy the necessary equipment to refine and weaponise uranium on the open market and has struggled to do so covertly. Brazil´s American patron has not supported its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Guomindang China is generally believed to be seeking a nuclear capacity as a deterrent to further Japanese adventurism, but the generally poor state of infrastructure and education in this country has made for little progress. In 1969 German satellites detected a mysterious energy source in the Taklamakan desert which some believe may have been a nuclear test, although it was never conclusively proven and the Chinese government denied it. If China did test a weapon, the consensus is it must have had technical assistance, possibly from the Soviets, although some analysts have speculated that "rogue" German or American scientists might have assisted China purely out of financial motives.

Iran received significant aid from Germany in the 1950s with the goal of setting up civilian nuclear power stations. The Shah, who aspires to regional hegemony, and who has benefited from major German economic, military and scientific aid, may wish to supplement his already formidable armed forces with nuclear weapons. While Germany does not officially support this, given Iran´s importance to German foreign policy as a bulwark against Anglo-American domination of the Middle East and Soviet southward expansion, there are rumours of semi-official German support for Iranian weapons development. There are also rumours that Iran and Argentina may be working together, with Argentina providing the raw material while Iran provides the technical skill.

German foreign minister Heinz Kissinger has recently announced that he plans to bring together all the confirmed nuclear-weapons states in an agreement to prevent the further spread of nuclear weapons. American, Japanese and even Soviet diplomats have shown cautious interest.