Although Israel has possessed nuclear weapons since the 1960's, it maintains a policy of nuclear opacity, never officially confirming the existence of its nuclear program.
It was France, in particular, enraged by the failure in 1956, that began building Israel's bomb. By the end of the 1950s, there were hundreds of French scientists and technicians living in Dimona, teaching Israelis how to master the nuclear fuel cycle. Later, other western countries, including Britain, helped.
The single greatest factor explaining how Israel got the world to accept its nuclear program may be timing. The first nuclear weapon was detonated in 1945, by the United States. In 1970, most of the world agreed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which forbids any new countries from developing nuclear weapons.
Nine countries possess nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, France, China, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea. In total, the global nuclear stockpile is close to 13,000 weapons.
Australia does not possess any nuclear weapons and is not seeking to become a nuclear weapon state. Australia's core obligations as a non-nuclear-weapon state are set out in the NPT.
Japan does not possess any programs for the development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), but it is the only non-nuclear weapon state in possession of a full nuclear fuel cycle and has advanced WMD-relevant industries.
Although Germany has the technical capability to produce weapons of mass destruction (WMD), since World War II it has generally refrained from producing those weapons. However, Germany participates in the NATO nuclear weapons sharing arrangements and trains for delivering United States nuclear weapons.
In a 2007 National Intelligence Estimate, the United States Intelligence Community assessed that Iran had ended all "nuclear weapon design and weaponization work" in 2003.
France began its nuclear weapons program in the early 1950s in an effort to restore political and military parity with their perceived peers and potential adversaries. In the wake of the United Kingdom and Russia acquiring nuclear capabilities, France moved quickly and produced its first plutonium bomb on July 1, 1963.
The GFP index denotes Israel as a Top 20 world power. For 2023, Israel is ranked 18 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.2757 (a score of 0.0000 is considered 'perfect'). This entry last reviewed on 01/02/2023.
The first Chinese nuclear test was conducted at Lop Nur on October 16, 1964. It was a tower shot involving a fission device with a yield of 25 kilotons. Uranium 235 was used as the nuclear fuel. In less than 32 months, China detonated its first hydrogen bomb on June 14, 1967.
Taiwan does not possess nuclear weapons, although it historically possessed a nuclear weapons program. Taiwan is not believed to have biological or chemical weapons programs, but it has been accused of possessing such programs in the past.
Capabilities. Israel is estimated to have a nuclear stockpile of approximately 90 warheads; while production of plutonium for weapons purposes is thought to be continuing. On the basis of unconfirmed reports, Israel could be in possession of the nuclear triad for delivery of its nuclear capability.
As of 2022, there were estimated to be approximately 4,178 nuclear warheads belonging to three NATO allies, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom.
Although Saudi Arabia does not possess weapons of mass destruction, Saudi officials have expressed that they will acquire nuclear weapons if their regional rival, Iran, does. Since its 2015 intervention in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has been the target of regular missile attacks by Houthi militias.
Can the US stop a nuclear attack? According to The Week, while it is not impossible to create a system that could stop a nuclear attack, it is extremely difficult. One challenge faced by engineers attempting to build these systems is the small size of missiles.
How many nuclear devices does North Korea have? Experts estimate that North Korea has assembled 40 to 50 nuclear warheads, the fewest among the nine nations with nuclear weapons. However, one estimate, from a 2021 study by the RAND Corp. and Asan Institute, put the number as high as 116.
France tested its first nuclear weapon in 1960 and is one of five nuclear weapon states recognized under the NPT. It currently possesses the world's fourth largest nuclear stockpile, deliverable by submarine and air-launched cruise missiles.
Canada does not have nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons or relevant delivery systems, and is a member in good standing of all relevant nonproliferation treaties and regimes.
Japan does not have its own nuclear weapons. The Japanese government considered developing them in the past, but decided this would make Japan less secure. Japanese opinion polls consistently express strong public opposition to nuclear weapons. So do their elected representatives.
South Korea has formally declared that it possesses submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBM's), and is the only country to possess them that that does not also possess nuclear weapons.
Little of the land area covered by the five southern Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones extends north of the Tropic of Cancer: only northern Mexico, northern Bahamas, northern Myanmar, and North Africa. However, the Central Asian and Mongolian zones are entirely in the North Temperate Zone.
Missile Defense (MD)
Japan has steadily built up its own defense system against ballistic missile attacks, by such means as installing ballistic missile defense capability in the Aegis destroyers and deploying the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3).