The ‘N’ in CBRNe stands for Nuclear (weapons). The destructive force of a nuclear weapon is based on nuclear reactions, either through fission or fusion of atoms. In the history of warfare, only two nuclear weapons were ever detonated as part of military operations, both during World War II.
History of Nuclear Weapons
The invention of atomic weapons was the result of the political and scientific progress made in the 1930s. The development of fascist regimes, scientific progress and the need to counter the alleged intentions of Nazi Germany to create an atomic bomb, led to the collective decision of the US, the UK, and Canada to develop their own powerful weapons based on nuclear fission. The product of their collaboration – called the Manhattan Project – culminated in the Trinity test detonation, the first ever nuclear explosion. The Trinity test took place on the 16th of July in 1945 in the Alamogordo Desert.
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Types of Nuclear Weapons
There are two basic types of nuclear weapons.
Atomic bombs
The explosive energy of the atomic bomb is based on nuclear fission reactions. Detonation occurs if two subcritical masses of fissionable material are joined together extremely quickly, so that the combined mass exceeds the critical mass. Apart from the blast, the explosion of an atomic bomb generates powerful neutron and gamma radiation, both of which are very harmful and destructive.
Thermonuclear weapons
Thermonuclear weapons are based on a different process. Their power comes from nuclear fusion reactions between hydrogen isotopes, hence the name hydrogen bombs. Still, much of their energy is derived from nuclear fission. The only countries that carried out thermonuclear weapon tests are the US, Russia, the United Kingdom, China, France and India.
Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons aims at limiting the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It came into force on the 5th of March 1970. The treaty was initially signed by Ireland and Finland and currently comprises 189 states. The treaty recognises five countries as possessors of nuclear weapons: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. These five states have consented, as part of the treaty, not to transmit nuclear weapons to non-nuclear weapon states and not to encourage them to acquire these weapons.