Who Has Nukes?

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Indian soldiers at the Shakti 1 test site in Pokaran, India, after testing five nuclear devices in 1998. (Photo: Ajit Kumar/AP WideWorld)

Only a few countries have nuclear weapons, but that’s scary enough.

The list of countries with the bomb is small. Only the United States, Russia, China, France, United Kingdom, India, Israel, and Pakistan have the world’s most dangerous weapon. Yet officials worry that as the list of nuclear-armed nations expands, so will the possibility of materials ending up in the hands of dictators or terrorists.

The more countries that have the bomb, the greater chance there is that it will spread to other countries. That’s the philosophy behind the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The treaty requires countries without the bomb to pledge that they won’t try to develop nuclear weapons. And it also requires nations with the bomb not to sell nuclear secrets.

Keeping the World Safe
International cooperation is the key to keeping bombs from being built. “We have an obligation to future generations to do everything we can to keep these dangerous weapons out of the world’s most dangerous hands,” says Sam Nunn. Nunn is a former U.S. Senator and the co-chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, an organization that works to reduce the threat of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons worldwide.

Making a weapon of mass destruction isn’t easy. America was the first to build a bomb almost 60 years ago. But few countries followed America's lead because the knowledge and materials needed to manufacture nuclear weapons are hard to get.

The international community must also keep an eye on countries with the bomb to make sure that they don't sell it. For instance, many are concerned with the security of Russia’s aging nuclear weapons. Others question whether China has supplied nuclear technology and equipment to developing nations.

India and Pakistan are also a worry. Both countries refuse to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. India first tested the bomb in 1974, and followed with five more tests in 1998. Pakistan followed the same month with its own tests.

Still, not all is doom and gloom. The efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons have had some success. South Africa has abandoned its nuclear program. Nearly all of South America promised not to pursue any nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, a group of eight countries has pledged $20 billion for projects over the next decade to help prevent further spread of nuclear weapons. The group includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

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