"A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion."
This topic covers the cost of developing, maintaining, and deploying nuclear weapons and related infrastructure.
Nuclear physics: An understanding of the fundamental principles of nuclear reactions, including fission and fusion, is essential to understanding how nuclear weapons function.
Nuclear weapons technology: The design, development, and testing of nuclear weapons, including missile delivery systems, nuclear warheads, and fusion technologies.
Nuclear proliferation: The spread of nuclear weapons to countries outside the original nuclear powers, and the efforts to prevent this from happening.
Arms control and disarmament: The efforts to limit or reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world, including bilateral and multilateral negotiations, arms-control agreements, and disarmament initiatives.
Nuclear strategy and deterrence: The ways in which nuclear weapons are used to achieve political and military objectives, including the concept of "Mutual Assured Destruction" (MAD) and the role of nuclear weapons in deterrence.
Nuclear war planning: The strategies and tactics employed by military planners in the event of a nuclear war.
Nuclear accidents: The potential for accidents and incidents involving nuclear weapons, the risks posed by these accidents, and the measures taken to prevent them.
Nuclear non-proliferation treaties: The treaties and agreements designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, including the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
National military budgets: The amount of money spent by different countries on their military, including their nuclear arsenals.
Nuclear disarmament and arms control initiatives: The various initiatives aimed at reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons, including the Nuclear Weapons-Free Zones, the Global Zero movement, and the United Nations' disarmament efforts.
Atomic bombs: This is a type of nuclear weapon that derives its power from the release of nuclear energy when the nucleus of an atom is split into two parts. The explosion generated by the splitting of the atom produces a great amount of heat, pressure, and radiation.
Hydrogen bombs: This nuclear weapon is also known as a thermonuclear bomb. It derives its energy from the fusion of two atomic nuclei. The fusion reaction produces a much bigger explosion compared to an atomic bomb.
Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs): This is a missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead over long distances. It travels at an incredibly high speed and can deliver a nuclear attack on a target location within a few minutes.
Strategic bombers: These are bombers designed to carry nuclear weapons over long ranges. They can fly at high altitude and at supersonic speed to deliver a nuclear attack on any target location.
Submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs): These are ballistic missiles that can be launched from a submarine. They offer a second-strike capability as they can remain hidden underwater and can retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack.
Nuclear artillery: These are artillery shells that come with a nuclear warhead. They can be fired from a cannon and have a range of a few miles.
"A fission bomb derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions through fission, while a thermonuclear bomb combines fission and fusion reactions."
"The first test of a fission bomb released an amount of energy approximately equal to 20,000 tons of TNT (84 TJ)."
"The first thermonuclear bomb test released energy approximately equal to 10 million tons of TNT (42 PJ)."
"Nuclear bombs have had yields between 10 tons TNT (the W54) and 50 megatons for the Tsar Bomba (see TNT equivalent)."
"A thermonuclear weapon weighing as little as 600 pounds can release energy equal to more than 1.2 megatonnes of TNT (5.0 PJ)."
"A nuclear device no larger than a conventional bomb can devastate an entire city by blast, fire, and radiation."
"Nuclear weapons have been deployed twice in war, by the United States against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 during World War II."
"The proliferation of nuclear weapons is a focus of international relations policy."
"A nuclear weapon is an explosive device."
"A nuclear weapon derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions."
"Either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb)."
"A fission bomb released an amount of energy approximately equal to 20,000 tons of TNT, while a thermonuclear bomb released energy approximately equal to 10 million tons of TNT."
"A thermonuclear weapon weighing as little as 600 pounds can release energy equal to more than 1.2 megatonnes of TNT."
"A nuclear weapon can cause blast, fire, and radiation."
"Nuclear weapons have been deployed twice in war."
"The United States used nuclear weapons against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki."
"The proliferation of nuclear weapons is a focus of international relations policy."
"A nuclear device no larger than a conventional bomb can devastate an entire city by blast, fire, and radiation."
"The Tsar Bomba had a yield of 50 megatons."