Diagram dated around October 2014 courtesy Jane's, International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), FAS and WSJ.
On the occasion of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima 70 years ago today it is relevant to look at SSBNs - the ultimate first-strike and second strike-nuclear deterrence weapons.
- SSBNs are the vehicles carrying most of the world's rapidly usable and most protected nuclear warheads.
- Since the end of the Cold War (1991) there has been a small reduction in SLBM warheads (or at least megatonnage (explosive energy)) over-all in SSBNs from the US and Russia.
- The UK and France have remained the same depending on whether one is counting number of warheads or raw megatonnage.
- The new SLBM powers, China and India, have added to the warhead numbers, megatonnage and danger of mistakes.
- added to the known SLBMs is the highly secret issue of nuclear armed submarine cruise missiles that may belong to all of the countries in the diagram and also to Pakistan, Israel and perhaps North Korea.
It is a difficult to argue whether the value of deterrence is worth the risk of even one nuclear detonation mistake or intentional exchange. Yes nuclear deterrence probably prevented World War Three between the US and Russia (and China) in the Cold War? But is the risk of World War still as acute as in the Cold War? And who is going to disarm (stand-down) first anyway?
These are counter-factual questions for which there are no answers.
These are counter-factual questions for which there are no answers.
Only humour is left.
Dr Strangelove (above) may be faintly based on Edward Teller and Wernher von Braun.
Dr Strangelove (above) may be faintly based on Edward Teller and Wernher von Braun.
Pete