Nuclear threat
The threat of nuclear weapons is the focus of international efforts to prevent proliferation, reduce their numbers and limit their destructive potential. The destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki showed how massive a military attack with nuclear weapons would be. The consequences of such an attack, especially if it was directed against a city or other densely populated areas, would be catastrophic. Human suffering and death would be widespread, and the environment, climate, food production, and social development would suffer irreparable damage.
Currently, nine countries have nuclear weapons, with Russia and the United States having the largest arsenals. The total from all nuclear stockpiles peaked at over 64,000 nuclear warheads in 1986 and has since dropped significantly.
These weapons of mass destruction are usually delivered by aircraft, submarines, missiles, and nuclear bombers. Some are stored in underground silos for long-range strategic nuclear missiles and others are carried on theater tactical nuclear weapons that can be used against enemy combatants or to deter hostile attacks.
While the fear of a terrorist nuclear attack has been played up in the media and movies, the fact is that a successful attack is extremely difficult to accomplish. Terrorists can’t even steal a nuclear weapon, and so far no such attack has happened.