U.S. And Friends Reveal Nuclear Figures

There is some good news and bad news if you are wanting to feel optimistic about the future of mankind. The bad news is that there are tons of nuclear warheads that are still possessed by the world's nuclear nations and a bunch of other unstable countries that either have or are trying to join the club. The good news is that the number of nukes is way down from its highs during the Cold War. The U.S. announced the total number of warheads that are currently in its nuclear arsenal to date. The number now is 5113 in total. This figure represents a serious decline from its high of 31,255 in 1967. The French and British also released their nuclear figures too. France lists its total number of nuclear warheads at 355. Most of them are bomber based and not based in missile silos or anything of that kind. They also report that they have about 4 nuclear subs. The British list their total at 225 and that their warhead stockpile is largely bomber based as well. An important thing to understand about nuclear warheads is that many of the ones in the U.S. stockpile are MIRV capable. MIRV is short for Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicle. What that means is that one missile that has MIRV capability may have as many as ten separate nuclear warheads in its missile head that can be each programmed to hit a separate target city. Its kind of like a gun with more than one bullet. Although it is just one gun each bullet inside the chamber can be shot at a different target. The U.S. nuclear arsenal that is land based in silos in the Midwest features this capability. It is also present in its submarine based nuclear force. So when The U.S. states that it has 5113 warheads it does not mean that it possesses 5113 nuclear missiles. It means that its missile force contains a total of 5113 warheads. That is to say 5113 nuclear bullets in all its guns.