How many nukes in the US arsenal?

[schwarzchildradius]

anybody have a round number on this one? Also, I'd like to know how many of those are actually ready to fly (by bomber or ICBM, doesn't matter).
Does anyone know what the most powerful weapon is in the US arsenal?

 

[LogicalAtheist]

Originally posted by schwarzchildradius
anybody have a round number on this one? Also, I'd like to know how many of those are actually ready to fly (by bomber or ICBM, doesn't matter).
Does anyone know what the most powerful weapon is in the US arsenal?

Well, although the U.S. probably wouldn't flat out lie about this, I doubt anyone here would have a good estimate!

My generalized guess is a lot, meaning probably over 20 for sure, ready to fly. But it's a tough question, honestly maybe it's none, maybe it's 100. I would guess they're most likely all by bomber as ICBM is much more dangerous (I think).

But what if, perhaps, some of them are kept at sea? For safety and obviously so they're more quickly ready for an attack.

 

[kat]

"Currently we estimate that there are almost 8,000 active/operational nuclear warheads, with nearly 2,700 additional warheads kept in inactive status for a total of over 10,600 warheads in the stockpile (see table). In addition to these intact warheads, there are in storage at Pantex and Oak Ridge, respectively, approximately 5,000 plutonium pits and approximately the same number of canned subassemblies, i.e., thermonuclear secondaries, which are retained as a "strategic reserve." There are another 7,000 pits at Pantex that have been declared excess from warheads dismantled during the first Bush and Clinton administrations. The more than 10,600 intact warheads, and the 5,000 "strategic reserve" pits, so far have not been included in the Bush administration plans for nuclear reductions. What will change is how they are categorized and counted."
Table of US Strategic Nuclear Forces, 2002



http://www.nuclearfiles.org/redataandgraphs/inventory-us.html

 

[Mulder]

At least the US and Russia don't have over 30,000 nukes each anymore. Only a few thousand now, just enough to wipe the Earth out a few times over.

D'oh!

 

[plus]

What would be the use of such a number of nukes?

The only possible use I could think of is that you could have one in a lot of different places, to enhance speed of deployment.

 

[enigma]

Originally posted by plus
What would be the use of such a number of nukes?

Other than Mutually Assured Destructon?

None.

Sickening, really.

 

[Zero]

Those nukes represent lost opportunity in America. THey represent children without food, schools without heat, people without jobs.

 

[LogicalAtheist]

1. Yes, the nukes serve only the purpose of total destruction of a given area.
2. People usually think a nuclear bomb is much more powerful than it really is
3. Be afraid, be very afraid. Not of other countries, be afraid of the U.S.
4. I'd place my bet that the U.S. is the next country to drop a nuclear bomb. Most people wouldn't say that inside the U.S., but we're the most pushy arrogant and angry attacking country currently on the planet.

 

[schwarzchildradius]

Thanks, Kat. over ten thousand, wow. I've heard that the Russians have a lot more tactical nukes that we do, and that the Pentagon wants to roll back arms control treaties so that they can test & develop tactical nukes. I wonder how fast the warheads degrade in the silos. For the past 30 years, the US has been decomissioning defense stations. I live a few tens of kilometers from an ex- NIKE missile battery, a cold war version of 'star-wars' where anti-aircraft missiles launch against soviet nuclear bombers.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

I had used a reference that had mentioned that the last of the strategic arms limitations talks(?) had had Bush, and Premiere Putin, agreeing to reductions in the "7000" nukes that were available, thought I would trust kat's numbers, without any further questions.

What the heck do you need a MIRV'ed weapon for, WOW, genetic/somatic radiation devices that adulterate the gene pool of all life, Hummm, what are they good for...?






Nothin!...No-Nuke'm all!

 

[maximus]

Originally posted by schwarzchildradius
anybody have a round number on this one? Also, I'd like to know how many of those are actually ready to fly (by bomber or ICBM, doesn't matter).
Does anyone know what the most powerful weapon is in the US arsenal?

does anyone else find it ****ing humiliating that we (the US) has the audacaty to declare that other nations can't have weapons of mass destruction (especially nukes) seeing as how america is the only nation on Earth to have ever used them on an enemy (i.e. hirosima and nagasoki)??! this war makes me sick.

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by maximus
does anyone else find it ****ing humiliating that we (the US) has the audacaty to declare that other nations can't have weapons of mass destruction (especially nukes) seeing as how america is the only nation on Earth to have ever used them on an enemy (i.e. hirosima and nagasoki)??!

No.

 

[schwarzchildradius]

Its crazy though that we're provoking other countries to build weapons to balance our aparently limitless power. I wonder though, how long it takes for nuclear weapons to decay. Not to worry, they won't help us against suicidal terrorism will they>!<

 

[Zero]

Originally posted by schwarzchildradius
Its crazy though that we're provoking other countries to build weapons to balance our aparently limitless power. I wonder though, how long it takes for nuclear weapons to decay. Not to worry, they won't help us against suicidal terrorism will they>!<

...and maybe terrorism is the natural product of a one-sided arms race?

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by schwarzchildradius
Its crazy though that we're provoking other countries to build weapons to balance our aparently limitless power.

No. Since its not possible to balance our power, why even try? Clearly no one else is trying or has been trying for quite some time.

one-sided arms race

Is that like a one sided coin? A two wheel tricicle? Or other oxymorons?

The arms race is over. It ended in 1991 when the OTHER COMPETITOR the USSR collapsed.

Bush announced early (maybe it was part of his campaign, I can't remember) that in addition to funding ABM defense, he would unilaterally slash our nuke inventory. But he's since become friends with Putin and decided, eh, what the heck, its better PR if I sign a treaty about it (As Mr. Robin Parsons aluded to). Either way, our inventory of nukes is being seriously cut.

 

[schwarzchildradius]

Certainly you're joking. North Korea is fully capable of and perhaps has already developed warheads for their beautifully practical 3-stage rockets. China has just last sunday dammed the Yangtse river (hydropower at Hanford was a critical step to this country's arms race). And Russia has a formidable number of strategic weapons, as well as many tactical weapons, where the US has of course, no tactical weapons.
Russia (and China) is benefiting from global paranoia because it is stepping up manufacturing/exports of conventional weapons.

Bush announced early (maybe it was part of his campaign, I can't remember) that in addition to funding ABM defense, he would unilaterally slash our nuke inventory. But he's since become friends with Putin and decided, eh, what the heck, its better PR if I sign a treaty about it (As Mr. Robin Parsons aluded to). Either way, our inventory of nukes is being seriously cut.

OK, but there's some noise at the Pentagon that they want tactical nuclear weapons, so I hear. In any case, It would be wise to expect other countries to respond to the example of Iraq by arming themselves with ... something.

 

[Zero]

Originally posted by russ_watters
No. Since its not possible to balance our power, why even try? Clearly no one else is trying or has been trying for quite some time. Is that like a one sided coin? A two wheel tricicle? Or other oxymorons?

The arms race is over. It ended in 1991 when the OTHER COMPETITOR the USSR collapsed.

Bush announced early (maybe it was part of his campaign, I can't remember) that in addition to funding ABM defense, he would unilaterally slash our nuke inventory. But he's since become friends with Putin and decided, eh, what the heck, its better PR if I sign a treaty about it (As Mr. Robin Parsons aluded to). Either way, our inventory of nukes is being seriously cut.

Oh yeah, the arms race ended in 1991...so why did everyone complain when Clinton slashed the military budget? Why should be keep designing bigger(or smaller, as the case may be) faster, and more powerful weapons, if there is no arms race? And, if we are the undivided winner in the race to be able to murder the world, do we really think everyone else will just shrug their shoulders and give us all their stuff?

 

[FZ+]

Originally posted by russ_watters
No. Since its not possible to balance our power, why even try? Clearly no one else is trying or has been trying for quite some time. Is that like a one sided coin? A two wheel tricicle? Or other oxymorons?

The arms race is over. It ended in 1991 when the OTHER COMPETITOR the USSR collapsed.

Bush announced early (maybe it was part of his campaign, I can't remember) that in addition to funding ABM defense, he would unilaterally slash our nuke inventory. But he's since become friends with Putin and decided, eh, what the heck, its better PR if I sign a treaty about it (As Mr. Robin Parsons aluded to). Either way, our inventory of nukes is being seriously cut.

1. Add to this china's recent testing of new MIRV nuclear missiles that are specifically designed to go through any anti-missile shields we may try to employ. They don't exactly trust the US a lot at this moment.

2. The arms race is far from over. You said it yourself in "Slahsh military funding now". Didn't you say that "our allies are ahead of us in underwater stealth technology"? Even if the actual neccessity of the arms race is over, politicans will continue to build weapons because of (a) paranoia at being overtaken and (b) macho appeal to their native nationalists.
Everybody likes big bangs.

3. But simultaneous we are retrofitting older low yield bombs for use as "bunker busters" and tactical area denial devices. We argue that the design of such weapons bypasses charters on the use of nuclear weapons, though the nuclear test ban (pretty ironically) mean that these weapons may well be deployed completely untested, with no real idea of the damage that it would cause. This reclassification of nuclear arms as tactical weapons would in fact increase their danger, and the risk of a nuclear war. Cutting nuclear stocks doesn't matter when we are still left with enough to destroy the war several times over.

 

[Mr. Robin Parsons]

Thats why we say...

No Nuke'm all!

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by Zero
Oh yeah, the arms race ended in 1991...so why did everyone complain when Clinton slashed the military budget?

Because Clinton had no regard for the MISSION of the military. He was indiscriminately slashing th budget and making the military incapable of fulfilling its mission. US military doctrine post cold war calls fo the ability to fight two simultaneous large regional conflicts, IE Iraq. By the end of Clinton's term, we were not capable of even ONE in the scale of the 1991 war. Those carrier battle groups that spent 9+ months at sea have Clinton to thank for that.

Why should be keep designing bigger(or smaller, as the case may be) faster, and more powerful weapons, if there is no arms race?

Because we still have enemies to defend against. Thats NOT the same as an arms race. An arms race is a race against a SPECIFIC enemy to match/exceed the capabilities of that enemy.

And, if we are the undivided winner in the race to be able to murder the world, do we really think everyone else will just shrug their shoulders and give us all their stuff?

[?] [?] Give us all their stuff? [?] WTF are you talking about?

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by FZ+ 1. Add to this china's recent testing of new MIRV nuclear missiles that are specifically designed to go through any anti-missile shields we may try to employ. They don't exactly trust the US a lot at this moment.

China has a LOOOONG way to go if they want to provoke an arms race with US.

2. The arms race is far from over. You said it yourself in "Slahsh military funding now". Didn't you say that "our allies are ahead of us in underwater stealth technology"?

Actually, I said on the water. Stealth ships. But you are correct that I said ALLIES. We're not competing with our allies for overall military prowess. They all dropped out of that race at the end of WWII.

This reclassification of nuclear arms as tactical weapons would in fact increase their danger, and the risk of a nuclear war. Cutting nuclear stocks doesn't matter when we are still left with enough to destroy the war several times over.

Actually, we have had tactical nukes for a long time. But (though it may sound like an oxymoron, it isn't) even tactical nukes are strategic nukes. Your conclusion however is correct. The overall danger level isn't really affected by cutting our stocks. But you have to start somewhere.

You guys seem to be saying that each individual weapon system is part of its own little arms race. Didn't you guys learn ANYTHING about the Cold War?

 

[FZ+]

You missed out the big key part of that post. It is not necessary for their to be real competition from other world powers. (And I remind you that you used that fact about our allies to justify increasing military spending to "catch up") It is only necessary for the politicians to have the view in their minds that it is in their best interest to build more arms. An one sided arms race is certainly possible. Remember, the illusion of the missile gap with the soviets existed for decades without any hard evidence, and caused ballooning of spending on nuclear arms.

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by FZ+
You missed out the big key part of that post. It is not necessary for their to be real competition from other world powers.

I didn't miss that part, that part is just WRONG. By definition, a race has to have more than one participant.

 

[FZ+]

Haven't you heard of a race against time? Well, there are such things as an arms race against the fruits of your own imagination.

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by FZ+
Haven't you heard of a race against time? Well, there are such things as an arms race against the fruits of your own imagination.

In your first example, the second participant is time. In your second example, the second participant is your imagination. So in both examples, you are still racing AGAINST something.

Any other guesses?

 

[schwarzchildradius]

It doesn't matter if you call it a "race" or not! China, Russia, and a slew of other countries are manufacturing a lot of weapons in anticipation of a US attack. Russia recently exported some nuclear fuel to your favorite country, Iran. Russia has missiles and other devices that can destroy GPS satellites, and China has nearly completed its own GPS system. (GPS guides JDAMS and hikers lost in the woods)

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by schwarzchildradius
It doesn't matter if you call it a "race" or not!

Thats true as long as we are talking about the same things. "Arms race" has a very specific connotation in the history books. I was objecting to the broadening of the term.

China, Russia, and a slew of other countries are manufacturing a lot of weapons in anticipation of a US attack.

I don't think there are many countries that are seriously anticipating an attack (not even Kim Jong Il is that dumg).

Russia recently exported some nuclear fuel to your favorite country, Iran. Russia has missiles and other devices that can destroy GPS satellites, and China has nearly completed its own GPS system. (GPS guides JDAMS and hikers lost in the woods)

Call it progress. But its non-specific. In order to counter a specific threat there has to be a specific threat to counter.

 

[FZ+]

Because we still have enemies to defend against. Thats NOT the same as an arms race. An arms race is a race against a SPECIFIC enemy to match/exceed the capabilities of that enemy.

Russ: So you accept that you were talking BS when you wrote this then, as you now say it is possible to race against an abstract opponent or a non-existent one.

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by FZ+
Russ: So you accept that you were talking BS when you wrote this then, as you now say it is possible to race against an abstract opponent or a non-existent one.

No. Wow. You so thoroughly missed the point that I don't know what to say other than you should reread the whole thread and maybe you'll understand it the second time.