compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last modified 3 June 2005
| U.S.A. | U.S.S.R./Russia | U.K. | France | China | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| peak number of warheads year | 32,500 1967 | 45,000 1986 | 390 1975-1979 | 610 ~1996? | ~540 2003 |
| total warheads built, NRDC est., to 1993 | 70,000 | 55,000 | 835 | 1,110 | 600 |
| total warheads built, compiler's est., to August 1998 | 66,000 | ~68,000 | 1,100 | 1,200 | 900 |
| peak total megatonnage year | 20,500 mt 1960 | ~19,400 mt ~1976 | 200 mt 1965 | 125 mt 1991 | 570 mt ~2003? |
| number of warheads in June 1954 total yield | 1,703 339.01 mt | 135 7 mt | 5 0.09 mt | 0 | 0 |
| number of warheads in October 1962 (Cuban Missile Crisis) total yield | 28,000 13,900 mt | 3,400 4,500 mt | 230 150 mt | 0 | 0 |
| number of warheads in May 1972 (signing of SALT I) total yield | 27,000 8,536 mt | 16,500 15,300 mt | 260 53 mt | 75 13 mt | 125 125 mt |
| number of warheads in June 1984 total yield | 23,600 5,200 mt | 43,000 15,000 mt | 270 58 mt | 290 110 mt | 415 490 mt |
| number of warheads in August 1998 total yield | 11,800 2,200 mt | 24,000 10,000 mt | 300 50 mt | 580 93 mt | 520 560 mt |
| number of warheads in January 2000 total yield | 11,500 2,100 mt | 23,000 10,000 mt | 190 19 mt | 580 89 mt | 540 530 mt |
| U.S.A. | U.S.S.R./Russia | U.K. | France | China | |
| first deliverable weapon deployed date | Little Boy 31 Jul 1945 | RDS-1 Tatyana ~Nov 1951 | Blue Danube 1953 | AN-11 1 Oct 1964 | (CHIC-1) ~Jul 1965 |
| first nuclear-armed missile date type | Matador Apr 1955 GLCM | R-5M Pobeda 1955 IRBM | Blue Steel Dec 1962 ASM | S-2 2 Aug 1971 IRBM | Dong Feng 2A ~Nov 1966 IRBM |
| first bomber capable of reaching US/USSR date | B-45 Jun 1952 | Mya-4 Bison 1955 | Valiant B.1 ~Feb 1957 | Mirage IVA 1 Oct 1964 | Tu-4 Bull ~Jul 1965 |
| first ballistic missile capable of reaching USSR date type | Thor 22 Jun 1959 IRBM | N/A | Polaris A3T Jun 1968 SLBM | S-2 2 Aug 1971 IRBM | Dong Feng 2A (CSS-1) ~Nov 1966 IRBM |
| first ballistic missile capable of reaching US date type | N/A | R-7 Semyorka (SS-6 Sapwood) Dec 1959 ICBM | N/A | N/A | Dong Feng 5 (CSS-4) Aug 1981 ICBM |
| first operational thermonuclear weapon date type yield | EC14 Feb 1954 NGB 6.9 mt | RDS-37? 1956 NGB 3.0 mt | Yellow Sun Mk 1 ~Jul 1958 NGB 2 mt | M-20 Jan 1977 SLBM 1.2 mt | (CHIC-6) 1967 NGB 3.3 mt |
| first operational ICBM date | Atlas D 31 Oct 1959 | R-7 Semyorka (SS-6 Sapwood) Dec 1959 | none | none | Dong Feng 5 (CSS-4) Aug 1981 |
| first operational SLBM submarine date | Polaris A1 USS George Washington 15 Nov 1960 | R-11FM (SS-1 Scud) 611AB (Zulu V) ~ Feb 1959 | Polaris A3T Resolution Jun 1968 | M-1 Le Redoutable 28 Jan 1972 | Julang 1 (CSS-N-3) 09-2 Xia ~Sep 1988 |
| first SSBN SLBM date | USS George Washington Polaris A1 15 Nov 1960 | K-19, type 658 (Hotel I) R-13 (SS-N-4) Oct 1960 | Resolution Polaris A3T Jun 1968 | Le Redoutable M-1 28 Jan 1972 | 09-2 Xia Julang-1 (CSS-N-3) ~Sep 1988 |
| first MRVed missile date type | Polaris A3 28 Sep 1964 SLBM | R-36 Tsiklon (SS-9 Mod 4) 1971 ICBM | Polaris A3T Jun 1968 SLBM | N/A | Dong Feng 3 (CSS-2) ~2000? MRBM |
| first MIRVed missile date type | Minuteman III 19 Aug 1970 ICBM | RS-18 Voevoda (SS-19 Mod 1) Dec 1974 ICBM | Trident II Dec 1994 SLBM | M-4A 25 May 1985 SLBM | Dong Feng 5 (CSS-4) ~2000? ICBM |
| highest yield weapon deployed yield type when deployed | Mk-41 (high yield version) 25 mt NGB Sep 1960-~1970 | Chelyabinsk-70 device? 50 mt NGB 1960s? | Yellow Sun Mk 1 2 mt NGB ~Jul 1958-~Mar 1961 | M20 and S-3D Durcie 1.2 mt SLBM/MRBM Jan 1978-Feb 1991 Aug 1981-today | Dong Feng 5 (CSS-4) ~5 mt ICBM ~Jun 1980-Sep 1996 |
| lowest yield weapon deployed yield type when deployed | Falcon 0.01 kt AAM 1962-1972 | RA-115? under 1 kt ADM ~1975-~1991 | Red Beard (low yield) 5 kt ~Oct 1991-1971 NGB | AN-52 (low yield) 6.6 kt Oct 1972-Sep 1991 NGB | tactical warheads ~8 kt ~1975?-today NGB/SRBM/ADM |
| highest yield weapon deployed in 2001 yield type | B83 1.2 mt NGB | RS-20 Voevoda (SS-18 Mod 6) 20 mt ICBM | Trident II 100 kt SLBM | ASMP TN-81 300 kt ASM | Dong Feng 5 (CSS-4) ~5 mt ICBM |
| lowest yield weapon deployed in 2001 yield type | B61 (lowest yield option) 0.3 kt NGB | tactical warheads under 1 kt ? | Trident II (low yield) ~10 kt? SLBM | M-45 ~110 kt SLBM | tactical warheads ~8 kt NGB/SRBM/ADM |
| Israel | India | South Africa | Pakistan | North Korea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| peak number of
warheads year | ~230 2001 | ~130 2001 | 6 1990-1991 | ~25 2001 | ~13 2001 |
| total warheads built, NRDC est., to 1993 | 100? | ? | 6 | ? | 0 |
| total warheads built, compiler's est., to August 1998 | ~290 | 130 | 6 | 25 | 6 |
| peak total megatonnage yield | ~23 mt 2001 | ~4 mt 2001 | 0.08 mt 1990-1991 | 1.0 mt 2001 | 0.5 mt 2001 |
| number of warheads in May 1972 total yield | 13 0.3 mt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| number of warheads in June 1984 total yield | 70 4 mt | 4 0.06 mt | 2 0.03 mt | 0 | 0 |
| number of warheads in August 1998 total yield | 220 23 mt | 120 4 mt | 0 | 20 0.7 mt | 6 0.2 mt |
| number of warheads in January 2000 total yield | 230 23 mt | 130 4 mt | 0 | 25 1.0 mt | 13 0.5 mt |
| projected number of warheads in June 2003 total yield | 300 50 mt | 165 8 mt | 0 | 40 2 mt | 23 0.9 mt |
| Israel | India | South Africa | Pakistan | North Korea | |
| first deliverable weapon deployed date | NGB ~Dec 1966 | NGB ~1980? | NGB 1982 | NGB 1986? | (Scud Mod C?), SRBM 1996? |
| first nuclear-armed missile year type | Jericho I 1973 SRBM | Prithivi ~1992? SRBM | N/A | M-11? ~1996? SRBM | (Scud Mod C?) 1996? SRBM |
| first ballistic missile capable of reaching US year type | N/A | Surya (~2008) ICBM | N/A | N/A | (Taepo Dong) ~2002? MRBM |
| first ballistic missile capable of reaching Russia year type | Jericho II 1990 IRBM | N/A | N/A | N/A | (Scud Mod C?) 1996? SRBM |
| highest yield weapon deployed yield type when deployed | Jericho II or NGB ~200 kt? IRBM/NGB ~1989 to present | NGB? ~100 kt? ~1995 to present | NGB 14 kt NGB 1982-1990 | NGB ~60 kt? NGB ~1991 to present | (Nodong 1) ~50 kt SRBM 1998 to present |
| lowest yield weapon deployed yield type | ADM? 0.1 kt? | AFAP? 0.3 kt? | NGB ~3 kt? | ? | ? |
| highest yield weapon deployed in 2001 yield type | Jericho II or NGB ~200 kt? IRBM/NGB | NGB? ~100 kt? | N/A | NGB ~60 kt? NGB | (Nodong 1) ~50 kt SRBM |
© 2000-2003, 2005 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 3 June 2005.
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