"Journal of Military Observation": Who is now casting the world in nuclear fear - An overview of global nuclear arsenals

Military Watch Magazine: Who is Making the World Live in Nuclear Fear — An Overview of Global Nuclear Arsenals

B-52H strategic nuclear bomber.

The American military magazine Military Watch Magazine (MWM) points out that 80 years have passed since humans first used nuclear weapons. Pravda.Ru published a translated version of an article from the magazine, revealing the hidden nuclear arsenals of various countries and classifying nations based on their nuclear capabilities.

More countries now possess various means of delivering nuclear weapons. Although the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) only allows five countries — the United States, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom — to possess nuclear warheads, there are currently 15 countries that at least have known nuclear delivery capabilities. These 15 countries include four that have not signed the NPT and six that participate in nuclear sharing agreements.

These countries are preparing to use U.S. or Russian nuclear weapons stationed on their territories, envisioning the possibility of accessing these weapons in the event of a large-scale conflict. Depending on the size of the nuclear arsenal, nuclear capabilities, weapon diversity, and delivery methods, countries with nuclear weapons can be roughly divided into four levels. The following is a detailed overview of the global nuclear arsenal.

First Tier: The United States, Russia, and China

The United States, Russia, and China are the only three countries in the world that possess a complete "triad" of nuclear forces and intercontinental strike capabilities. This means that all three countries have deployed nuclear weapons on land-based missile systems, strategic bombers, and nuclear submarines, and these weapons can strike targets more than 5,600 kilometers away. All three countries have both tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. However, China's nuclear arsenal is less than one-fifth the size of the two other nuclear superpowers, and its nuclear use policy is one of the most cautious and defensive in the world.

Each of these three countries has its own strengths and weaknesses: Russia deploys a larger number of nuclear warheads, possesses a large number of tactical ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads, and has intercontinental hypersonic glide vehicles; the United States is the only country currently deploying tactical nuclear weapons on stealth fighters and bombers. However, the U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile inventory is significantly aged, with its basic model developed as early as the 1970s. In contrast, Russia has equipped its interceptors with the only air-to-air nuclear missiles in the world to counter the threat posed by U.S. bombers.

Second Tier: North Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel

North Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel have developed nuclear weapons outside the framework of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Israel achieved this goal with significant support from France. These four countries each have multiple means of delivering nuclear weapons. Except for North Korea, the air-based nuclear strike capabilities of the other three countries have been confirmed. North Korea and Israel are two of the five countries in the world that possess intercontinental ballistic missiles.

North Korea's nuclear arsenal is often considered the strongest in this tier: its missile forces have a level of weapon diversity that is only slightly less than China's. North Korea has ballistic and cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, medium-range missiles equipped with hypersonic warheads, nuclear-powered underwater unmanned submersibles (nuclear torpedoes), and cruise missile frigates capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Among these four countries, North Korea is the only one that primarily uses its nuclear forces for intercontinental strikes rather than deterring neighboring countries. Pakistan is the only country in the world that has nuclear warheads equipped on artillery systems, which gives it the capability for tactical-level nuclear strikes.

Third Tier: The United Kingdom and France

The nuclear capabilities of the United Kingdom and France are relatively limited, mainly relying on nuclear submarines equipped with ballistic missiles. France also retains a certain degree of tactical nuclear capability, which can be implemented through the "Rafale" fighter jet, but this aircraft is gradually aging and lacks stealth capabilities, severely limiting its nuclear strike effectiveness.

The UK plans to restore its tactical nuclear capability through a nuclear sharing agreement with the U.S., which would allow the UK's F-35A fighters to use the B61-12 nuclear bombs stationed in the UK during a full-scale war. However, the UK currently does not have an independent tactical nuclear force. Although both the UK and France have autonomous strategic deterrence forces, their nuclear delivery methods are extremely limited, and they suffer from serious shortcomings in tactical nuclear capabilities.

Fourth Tier: Germany, Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium, Italy, and Belarus

The U.S. has signed nuclear sharing agreements with five allies — Germany, the Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium, and Italy — and may soon reach a similar agreement with the UK. These agreements effectively allow the U.S. to expand the deployment of nuclear weapons. This practice is highly controversial, as Western analysts generally point out that it essentially creates new "nuclear states," violating Articles I and II of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

All countries participating in the nuclear sharing agreements use only the B61 air-dropped nuclear bombs, which can be mounted on F-16 or F-35A fighters, with Germany using the outdated Tornado jets to carry these bombs.

Belarus signed a nuclear sharing agreement with Russia in 2023 and deployed nuclear warheads on the "Iskander-M" missile system. It is expected that by the end of 2025, Belarus' nuclear arsenal will be further expanded, possibly adding the "Kinzhal" medium-range hypersonic missiles, and even possibly equipping them with nuclear rocket artillery systems.

Countries participating in the nuclear sharing agreements do not have autonomy in using their nuclear arsenals, and the U.S. or Russia can terminate their access to nuclear weapons at any time.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7552370282074309183/

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