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.
The two atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 killed and maimed hundreds of thousands of people, and their effects are still being felt today. By the end of 1945, the bombing had killed an estimated 140,000 people in Hiroshima, and a further 74,000 in Nagasaki.
Since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan has been a staunch upholder of antinuclear sentiments. Its postwar Constitution forbids the establishment of offensive military forces, and in 1967 it adopted the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, ruling out the production, possession, or introduction of nuclear weapons.
United States nuclear weapons were stored secretly at bases throughout Japan following World War II. Secret agreements between the two governments allowed nuclear weapons to remain in Japan until 1972, to move through Japanese territory, and for the return of the weapons in time of emergency.
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.
Does Australia Have or Want Nuclear 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. They include a solemn undertaking not to acquire nuclear weapons.
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.
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).
The GFP index denotes Japan as a Top 10 world power. For 2023, Japan is ranked 8 of 145 out of the countries considered for the annual GFP review. The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.1711 (a score of 0.0000 is considered 'perfect'). This entry last reviewed on 01/09/2023.
Currently, there is no evidence of Taiwan possessing any chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons; but nuclear weapons from the United States have been deployed in the past during periods of heightened regional tensions with China, such as during the First Taiwan Strait Crisis.
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.
It is possible that U.S. President Harry Truman ordered the atomic bomb to be dropped on Nagasaki not only to further force Japan to surrender but also to keep the Soviets out of Japan by displaying American military power.
Of course, Japan has all the capabilities to be a nuclear power and already is in possession of 45.5 tonnes of reparated Plutonium, enough to produce 6,ooo nuclear bombs. Japan could go nuclear within six to 12 months; nevertheless, Japan will not acquire nuclear weapons for several reasons.
Constitutional limitations
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution prohibits Japan from establishing a military or solving international conflicts through violence.
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.
The ADF has a strength of just over 85,000 full-time personnel and active reservists and is supported by the Department of Defence and several other civilian agencies. During the first decades of the 20th century, the Australian Government established the armed services as separate organisations.
Of course, economically and militarily, China is ahead of Japan. The former has a greater number of conventional weapons and personnel, but Japan hopes to counter these with more sophisticated weapons supplied by its ally the United States.
The Japanese armed forces enjoy a special position that gives them practical control of the government. Japan is located at the center of the rich Asiatic-Pacific area and had the strongest and most successful army and navy in Asia.
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution (日本国憲法第9条, Nihon koku kenpō dai kyū-jō) is a clause in the national Constitution of Japan outlawing war as a means to settle international disputes involving the state. The Constitution came into effect on 3 May 1947, following World War II.
A new study sponsored by the American Physical Society concludes that U.S. systems for intercepting intercontinental ballistic missiles cannot be relied on to counter even a limited nuclear strike and are unlikely to achieve reliability within the next 15 years.
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.
The choice fell with the new fighter. All the plans for a Swedish nuclear weapon were scrapped by 1968, when Sweden signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In 1972, the last remnants of a plan for nuclear weapons was discontinued when the FOA stopped their experiments with plutonium.
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.