The list of nuclear powers in the world for 2022 includes ten main states. Information on which countries have nuclear potential and in what units it is expressed quantitatively is based on data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and Business Insider.
Nine countries that are officially owners of weapons of mass destruction form the so-called “Nuclear Club”.
10. Iran
Number of nuclear warheads: no data. First test: no data. Last test: no data. Today it is officially known which countries have nuclear weapons. And Iran is not one of them. However, he did not curtail work on the nuclear program and there are persistent rumors that this country has its own nuclear weapons. The Iranian authorities say that they are quite capable of building one for themselves, but for ideological reasons they are limited only to the use of uranium for peaceful purposes. So far, Iran’s use of the atom is under the control of the IAEA as a result of the 2015 agreement, but the status quo may soon be subject to change. C 6 On January 2020, Iran abandoned the last restrictions under the nuclear deal in order to develop nuclear weapons for a possible strike on the United States.
9. DPRK (North Korea)
Number of nuclear warheads: 10-60 First test: 2006 Last test: 2018 The DPRK was included in the list of countries with nuclear weapons in 2022, to the great horror of the Western world. Flirting with nuclear power in North Korea began in the middle of the last century, when Kim Il Sung, frightened by US plans to bomb Pyongyang, turned to the USSR and China for help. The development of nuclear weapons began in the 1970s, stopped as the political situation improved in the 90s, and naturally continued as it worsened. Already since 2004, nuclear tests have taken place in the “mighty, prosperous country.” Of course, as the Korean military assures, for purely harmless purposes - for the purpose of space exploration. Adding to the tension is the fact that the exact number of nuclear warheads in the DPRK is unknown. According to some data, their number does not exceed 20, according to others, it reaches 60 units.
8. Israel
Number of nuclear warheads: 80 First test: 1979 Last test: 1979 Israel has never said that it has nuclear weapons - but it has never claimed the opposite either. What adds piquancy to the situation is that Israel refused to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Along with this, the “promised land” vigilantly monitors the peaceful and not so peaceful nuclear power of its neighbors and, if necessary, does not hesitate to bomb the nuclear centers of other countries - as was the case with Iraq in 1981. According to rumors, Israel has every opportunity to create a nuclear bomb since 1979, when light flashes suspiciously similar to nuclear explosions were recorded in the South Atlantic. It is assumed that either Israel, or South Africa, or both of these states together are responsible for this test.
7. India
Number of nuclear warheads: 120-130 First test: 1974 Last test: 1998 Despite the successfully detonated nuclear charge back in 1974, India officially recognized itself as a nuclear power only at the end of the last century. True, having detonated three nuclear devices in May 1998, just two days after that India announced its refusal to further tests.
6. Pakistan
Number of nuclear warheads: 130-140 First test: 1998 Last test: 1998 It is no wonder that India and Pakistan, having a common border and being in a state of permanent hostility, strive to overtake and surpass their neighbor - including in the nuclear area. After the Indian bombing of 1974, it was only a matter of time before Islamabad developed its own. As the then Prime Minister of Pakistan said: “If India builds its own nuclear weapons, we will make ours, even if we have to eat grass.” And they did it, albeit twenty years late. After India conducted tests in 1998, Pakistan promptly carried out its own, exploding several nuclear bombs at the Chagai test site.
5. UK
Number of nuclear warheads: 215 First test: 1952 Last test: 1991 Great Britain is the only country in the nuclear five that has not conducted tests on its territory. The British preferred to carry out all nuclear explosions in Australia and the Pacific Ocean, but since 1991 it was decided to stop them. True, in 2015, David Cameron gave in to the fire, admitting that England was ready to drop a bomb or two if necessary. But he didn’t say who exactly.
4. China
Number of nuclear warheads: 270 First test: 1964 Last test: 1996 China is the only country that has committed not to launch (or threaten to launch) nuclear strikes on non-nuclear states. And at the beginning of 2011, China announced that it would maintain its weapons only at a minimum sufficient level. However, since then, China's defense industry has invented four types of new ballistic missiles that are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. So the question of the exact quantitative expression of this “minimum level” remains open.
3. France
Number of nuclear warheads: 300 First test: 1960 Last test: 1995 In total, France conducted more than two hundred nuclear weapons tests - from an explosion in the then French colony of Algeria to two atolls in French Polynesia. Interestingly, France consistently refused to take part in peace initiatives of other nuclear countries. It did not join the moratorium on nuclear testing in the late 50s of the last century, did not sign the treaty banning military nuclear tests in the 60s, and joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty only in the early 90s.
2. USA
Number of nuclear warheads: 6800 First test: 1945 Last test: 1992 The country, which has the most powerful army in the world, is also the first power to carry out a nuclear explosion, and the first and only one to date to use nuclear weapons in a combat situation. Since then, the United States has produced 66.5 thousand atomic weapons of more than 100 different modifications. The bulk of US nuclear weapons are submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Interestingly, the United States (like Russia) refused to participate in the negotiations on the complete renunciation of nuclear weapons that began in the spring of 2017. US military doctrine states that America retains a sufficient number of weapons to guarantee both its own security and the security of its allies. In addition, the United States promised not to strike at non-nuclear states if they comply with the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
1. Russia
Number of nuclear warheads: 7000 First test: 1949 Last test: 1990 Number 1 nuclear power in the world in 2022. Russia inherited some of the weapons after the collapse of the USSR - existing nuclear warheads were removed from the military bases of the former Soviet republics. According to the Russian military, they may decide to use nuclear weapons in response to similar actions. Or in the event of conventional weapons strikes, as a result of which the very existence of Russia will be threatened. Statement by the leaders of the “nuclear five” countries in 2022 On January 3, 2022, the leaders of Russia, China, Great Britain, France and the United States issued a joint statement on preventing the use of nuclear weapons in war."We declare that in a nuclear war there can be no winners and should never be fought. Since the use of nuclear weapons would have far-reaching consequences, we also affirm that nuclear weapons - while they continue to exist - must serve defensive purposes, deterring aggression and preventing war. We believe that the further proliferation of such weapons must be prevented,” stated a statement published on the Kremlin website.basetop.ru.
Nine countries that are officially owners of weapons of mass destruction form the so-called “Nuclear Club”.
10. Iran
Number of nuclear warheads: no data. First test: no data. Last test: no data. Today it is officially known which countries have nuclear weapons. And Iran is not one of them. However, he did not curtail work on the nuclear program and there are persistent rumors that this country has its own nuclear weapons. The Iranian authorities say that they are quite capable of building one for themselves, but for ideological reasons they are limited only to the use of uranium for peaceful purposes. So far, Iran’s use of the atom is under the control of the IAEA as a result of the 2015 agreement, but the status quo may soon be subject to change. C 6 On January 2020, Iran abandoned the last restrictions under the nuclear deal in order to develop nuclear weapons for a possible strike on the United States.
9. DPRK (North Korea)
Number of nuclear warheads: 10-60 First test: 2006 Last test: 2018 The DPRK was included in the list of countries with nuclear weapons in 2022, to the great horror of the Western world. Flirting with nuclear power in North Korea began in the middle of the last century, when Kim Il Sung, frightened by US plans to bomb Pyongyang, turned to the USSR and China for help. The development of nuclear weapons began in the 1970s, stopped as the political situation improved in the 90s, and naturally continued as it worsened. Already since 2004, nuclear tests have taken place in the “mighty, prosperous country.” Of course, as the Korean military assures, for purely harmless purposes - for the purpose of space exploration. Adding to the tension is the fact that the exact number of nuclear warheads in the DPRK is unknown. According to some data, their number does not exceed 20, according to others, it reaches 60 units.
8. Israel
Number of nuclear warheads: 80 First test: 1979 Last test: 1979 Israel has never said that it has nuclear weapons - but it has never claimed the opposite either. What adds piquancy to the situation is that Israel refused to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Along with this, the “promised land” vigilantly monitors the peaceful and not so peaceful nuclear power of its neighbors and, if necessary, does not hesitate to bomb the nuclear centers of other countries - as was the case with Iraq in 1981. According to rumors, Israel has every opportunity to create a nuclear bomb since 1979, when light flashes suspiciously similar to nuclear explosions were recorded in the South Atlantic. It is assumed that either Israel, or South Africa, or both of these states together are responsible for this test.
7. India
Number of nuclear warheads: 120-130 First test: 1974 Last test: 1998 Despite the successfully detonated nuclear charge back in 1974, India officially recognized itself as a nuclear power only at the end of the last century. True, having detonated three nuclear devices in May 1998, just two days after that India announced its refusal to further tests.
6. Pakistan
Number of nuclear warheads: 130-140 First test: 1998 Last test: 1998 It is no wonder that India and Pakistan, having a common border and being in a state of permanent hostility, strive to overtake and surpass their neighbor - including in the nuclear area. After the Indian bombing of 1974, it was only a matter of time before Islamabad developed its own. As the then Prime Minister of Pakistan said: “If India builds its own nuclear weapons, we will make ours, even if we have to eat grass.” And they did it, albeit twenty years late. After India conducted tests in 1998, Pakistan promptly carried out its own, exploding several nuclear bombs at the Chagai test site.
5. UK
Number of nuclear warheads: 215 First test: 1952 Last test: 1991 Great Britain is the only country in the nuclear five that has not conducted tests on its territory. The British preferred to carry out all nuclear explosions in Australia and the Pacific Ocean, but since 1991 it was decided to stop them. True, in 2015, David Cameron gave in to the fire, admitting that England was ready to drop a bomb or two if necessary. But he didn’t say who exactly.
4. China
Number of nuclear warheads: 270 First test: 1964 Last test: 1996 China is the only country that has committed not to launch (or threaten to launch) nuclear strikes on non-nuclear states. And at the beginning of 2011, China announced that it would maintain its weapons only at a minimum sufficient level. However, since then, China's defense industry has invented four types of new ballistic missiles that are capable of carrying nuclear warheads. So the question of the exact quantitative expression of this “minimum level” remains open.
3. France
Number of nuclear warheads: 300 First test: 1960 Last test: 1995 In total, France conducted more than two hundred nuclear weapons tests - from an explosion in the then French colony of Algeria to two atolls in French Polynesia. Interestingly, France consistently refused to take part in peace initiatives of other nuclear countries. It did not join the moratorium on nuclear testing in the late 50s of the last century, did not sign the treaty banning military nuclear tests in the 60s, and joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty only in the early 90s.
2. USA
Number of nuclear warheads: 6800 First test: 1945 Last test: 1992 The country, which has the most powerful army in the world, is also the first power to carry out a nuclear explosion, and the first and only one to date to use nuclear weapons in a combat situation. Since then, the United States has produced 66.5 thousand atomic weapons of more than 100 different modifications. The bulk of US nuclear weapons are submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Interestingly, the United States (like Russia) refused to participate in the negotiations on the complete renunciation of nuclear weapons that began in the spring of 2017. US military doctrine states that America retains a sufficient number of weapons to guarantee both its own security and the security of its allies. In addition, the United States promised not to strike at non-nuclear states if they comply with the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
1. Russia
Number of nuclear warheads: 7000 First test: 1949 Last test: 1990 Number 1 nuclear power in the world in 2022. Russia inherited some of the weapons after the collapse of the USSR - existing nuclear warheads were removed from the military bases of the former Soviet republics. According to the Russian military, they may decide to use nuclear weapons in response to similar actions. Or in the event of conventional weapons strikes, as a result of which the very existence of Russia will be threatened. Statement by the leaders of the “nuclear five” countries in 2022 On January 3, 2022, the leaders of Russia, China, Great Britain, France and the United States issued a joint statement on preventing the use of nuclear weapons in war."We declare that in a nuclear war there can be no winners and should never be fought. Since the use of nuclear weapons would have far-reaching consequences, we also affirm that nuclear weapons - while they continue to exist - must serve defensive purposes, deterring aggression and preventing war. We believe that the further proliferation of such weapons must be prevented,” stated a statement published on the Kremlin website.basetop.ru.