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World Total: ~10-12,000
Air Land Sea
Nuclear Delivery Systems
Global Nuclear Postures
Nine countries possess nuclear weapons. Each has a different declaratory posture outlining the circumstances under which it would use nuclear weapons. Of the remaining 186 countries, some share the nuclear postures of allies through mutual deterrence arrangements (e.g., NATO), while others oppose all nuclear weapons through mechanisms like the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty.
~200
China
N. Korea
20-60
France
~300
~100
India
Israel
Pakistan
5-7,000
Russia
UK
~180
~4,700
USA
You promise “never under any circumstances” to be the first to use nuclear weapons. But in case someone does, you have about 200 nuclear weapons for missiles based on land and sea to mount a limited but effective counter-attack.
You have great food, great wine, and 300 nuclear weapons for use in “extreme circumstances.” You have missiles on submarines and gravity bombs for aircraft. Best of all, you did it all by yourself. (Mostly.) They’ll pry nuclear weapons from Marianne’s cold, dead hands.
Your nuclear weapons program has expanded significantly since your first “peaceful nuclear explosion” in 1974, and you now have an arsenal of about a hundred nuclear weapons, spread across a triad of ballistic missiles, submarines and aircraft. You are building an ICBM for reasons no one understands, given the distinctly regional nature of your security concerns. You like the idea of no first use, but won’t promise to abide by it if an adversary uses biological or chemical weapons against you.
You won’t be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East. But you won’t be the second, either. The fact that you have about a hundred nuclear weapons is the world’s worst-kept secret. But we don’t talk about that.
North Korea
With between 20 and 60 nuclear weapons, you are working hard to “deter and [repel] aggression.” You have an extensive arsenal of ballistic missiles, including an ICBM that can deliver nuclear weapons anywhere in the United States. Maddeningly, few world leaders seem to take you seriously despite your repeated and mostly successful nuclear and missile tests.
South Korea
You share a border with a country aiming its nuclear and conventional weapons directly at you, but you don’t need your own nuclear arsenal because you are part of the U.S. extended deterrence “nuclear umbrella.” You are inclined to believe the United States is serious about its commitment to you since it stations over 20,000 American troops on your territory, directly in the line of fire.
New Zealand
Congratulations, you are an island of sanity amidst the madness of the nuclear age. You are a strong supporter of global nuclear disarmament. In 1987, you passed the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act, banning nuclear weapons and nuclear powered seacraft from your territory. Also, hobbit houses make great bomb shelters.
You have around one hundred nuclear weapons, including nuclear-armed short- and medium-range missiles. You are willing to use nuclear weapons in any situation where they might be needed for your “survival” – and you hope your neighbor understands that.
You have between 5,000 and 7,000 nuclear warheads, including a healthy stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons (so healthy that you may not even be sure where all of them are). You are ready to use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear attack, or in any situation where the “existence of the state is in jeopardy.” Also, you have a thing for missiles on trucks.
United Kingdom
You have around 180 submarine-deliverable nuclear weapons for use in “extreme circumstances” and think a triad would be unnecessary overkill. You lease your missiles from the United States but build your own nuclear warheads. The fact that the warheads look exactly like the U.S. W76 is just a bloody coincidence.
United States of America
You have more than 4,000 strategic nuclear weapons deployed across a triad of missiles, bombers and submarines. Even your backup systems have backups. You also have a few dozen tactical nuclear weapons stationed on the territory of select NATO allies. You are ready to use nuclear weapons for any “extreme circumstance” that comes your way, which may or may not include cyberattacks. But for some strange reason you really hate missiles on trucks.
Is it legitimate to base your security on nuclear weapons?
Absolutely!
No, but it’s nice if you have a friend who does.
No, nuclear weapons are abhorrent.
Source: Giphy.com
How do you feel about sharing more information about your nuclear weapons?
Good. Let's Talk.
< looking silently at your shoes >
Source: giphy.com
Would you ever contemplate using nuclear weapons first?
What’s the point of going second?
No.
Are you sure? What if you were attacked with chemical or biological weapons?
No, never under any circumstances!
Maybe. It depends.
Source: Cover for the board game Nuclear War is a trademark of Flying Buffalo Inc., used with permission.
When would you consider using nuclear weapons?
Extreme circumstances
You talkin’ to me?
How many nuclear weapons do you need?
The more the merrier.
A "minimum deterrent" of 100 or so would be fine.
Source: Fat man bomb graphics produced by Nate Taylor, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
How do you feel about tactical nuclear weapons?
Battlefield nuclear weapons are great – you never know when you will need one.
A nuclear weapon is a nuclear weapon – it doesn’t matter.
Hypothetical "Suitcase nuke" (nuclearweaponarchive.org); "Davy Crockett" nuclear weapon (Wikipedia)
In that case, do you just want to borrow some missiles?
We prefer to call it “leasing.”
It’s not a real deterrent if you don’t build your own.
Source: “Churchill De Gaulle” United Kingdom Government, commons.wikimedia.org
How far away is the country that you feel threatened by?
Right next door, short and medium-range missiles will be fine.
Really far… We are going to need a bigger missile!
Source: Graphic created by Nate Taylor and David Steiger, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
You promise “never under any circumstances” to be the first to use nuclear weapons. But in case someone else does, you have about 200 nuclear weapons for missiles based on land and sea to mount a limited but effective counter-attack.
Your nuclear weapons program has expanded significantly since your first “peaceful nuclear explosion” in 1974, and you now have an arsenal of about 100 nuclear weapons, spread across three systems - a triad - of ballistic missiles, submarines and aircraft. You like the idea of no first use, but you leave some ambiguity to respond to a chemical or biological attack.
You say that you won’t be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East. But you won’t be the second, either. The fact that you have about a hundred nuclear weapons is the world’s worst-kept secret. But we don’t talk about that.
With about 20 to 60 nuclear weapons, you are working hard to “deter and [repel] aggression.” You have an extensive arsenal of ballistic missiles, including one that can deliver nuclear weapons anywhere in the United States. Maddeningly, few world leaders seem to take you seriously, despite your repeated and mostly successful nuclear and missile tests.
You are a strong supporter of global nuclear disarmament! In 1987, you passed the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act, banning nuclear weapons and nuclear-powered seacraft from your territory. You are a strong supporter of the 2017 Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty—also, hobbit houses.
You have around 100 nuclear weapons, including nuclear-armed short- and medium-range missiles. You are willing to use nuclear weapons in any situation where they might be needed for your “survival” – and you hope your neighbor, India, understands that.
You have between 5,000 and 7,000 nuclear warheads, including a healthy stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons (so healthy that you may not even be sure where all of them are). You are ready to use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear attack, or in any situation where the “existence of the state is in jeopardy.” The suitcase bomb probably isn’t real though.
You have around 180 submarine-deliverable nuclear weapons for use in “extreme circumstances.” You lease your missiles from the United States but build your own nuclear warheads. The fact that the warheads look strangely like their U.S. cousins is just a coincidence, right?
You have more than 4,000 nuclear weapons deployed across a triad of missiles, bombers and submarines, and a few dozen gravity bombs stationed on the territory of select NATO allies. Even your backup systems have backups. You are ready to use nuclear weapons in any “extreme circumstance” that comes your way, which may or may not include cyberattacks.
You are China.
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Next
You have around 180 submarine-deliverable nuclear weapons for use in “extreme circumstances” and think a triad would be unnecessary overkill. You lease your missiles from the United States but build your own nuclear warheads. The fact that the warheads look strangely like the U.S. W76 is just a bloody coincidence.
Source: Eugene Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People, commons.wikimedia.org
You are France.
Source: “Prime minister Levy Eshkol”, Government Press Office of Israel, commons.wikimedia.org
You are Israel.
Indian military parade - Source: giphy.com
You are India.
Source: Tom Hall, “Hobbiton, New Zealand”, September 2014, commons.wikimedia.org
You are New Zealand.
You are North Korea.
Source: Shaheen-2 test, Ministry of Defense –Pakistan
You are Pakistan.
(Source: twitter.com)
You are Russia.
Osan exercise optimizes communication between forces (Source: www.af.mil)
You are South Korea.
You share a border with a country aiming its nuclear and conventional weapons directly at you, but you don’t need your own nuclear arsenal because you are part of the U.S. extended deterrence “nuclear umbrella.” You are inclined to believe the United States is serious about its commitment to you, since it stations over 20,000 American troops on your territory, directly in the line of fire.
Prince William Visits HMS Alliance Submarine (Source: gettyimages.ca)
You are the United Kingdom.
NUKE
You are the United States.
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no first use
deter and repel aggression
"extreme circumstances"
opacity
"if needed for our survival"
"when existance of state is in jeopardy"
Unconditional Conditional None
No First-Use Policy?
