Introduction
One of the largest and most controversial topics pertaining to nationwide and homeland security is the issue concerning nuclear weapons. Being one of the most deadly and effective war tactic known to man, nuclear arsenals have the potential to wipe out a major part, if not all, of humankind and as such they pose a major threat to countries and societies at large.
It is interesting—and quite alarming—to note that even though people are majorly aware of the destruction that nuclear weapons have, most of the major countries keep a nuclear arsenal for potential use in military warfare. As of late, the issue of nuclear weapons is bringing put into light once again, with the issue of North Korea possibly nuclear bombs to its enemy states and the president of the United States Donald Trump investigating the issue of nuclear arsenal as well.
In order to discuss at length the issue of nuclear weapons, perhaps a general overview of the nuclear phenomenon can be given, including concepts behind it and a brief history. In the same vein, the nuclear arsenal of the first country to utilize nuclear weapons, United States, will also be given a discussion. Finally, the relevance of nuclear arsenal to national security and defense will also be explained.
Nuclear Weapons: An Overview
A nuclear weapon is a term used to mean any weapon of mass destruction that utilizes the power of nuclear energy in order to unleash a destructive force. It was developed shortly after it was discovered that splitting the particles of an atom could generate a tremendous amount of energy, hence the term nuclear weapon. What makes nuclear weapons very destructive is that it does not only cause a wide-scale explosion, but it spreads harmful radiation due to the nuclear fission involved in the process. The radiation generated by nuclear weapons can be detrimental for all life forms in the area, mutating living cells to the extent that they no longer function properly.
The first nuclear weapons used in warfare were the atomic bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan during the Second World War. After witnessing the destructive effects of the atomic bomb, a treaty was signed in the 1960s that would make countries agree on the end of the nuclear arms race and to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes only. Nevertheless, countries still continue to test and develop their nuclear weapons. As of the present, eight countries have been declared a nuclear weapons state. Among these countries, the United States is the only one known to have nuclear arsenal developed enough to hit any target on the planet (“A Brief History on Nuclear Weapons States”, n.d.)
Nuclear Weapons and the United States
One of the countries to have developed nuclear weapons is the United States. Being the one who initiated the attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it can be said that the USA is the first country to use nuclear weapons during wartime. After the war, USA further developed its nuclear capabilities throughout the years. In addition, it also increased its number of nuclear warheads. As of the 1990s, the nuclear system of the United States is also deployed in wartime devices such as intercontinental ballistic missile warhead, ground-launched cruise missile warhead, and bombs (“United States Nuclear Weapons”, n.d.)
In 2002, United States and Russia signed the Moscow Treaty that made them reduce their nuclear warheads. In 2010, the Nuclear Posture Review Report focused on five objectives regarding nuclear weapons: the proliferation of nuclear threat and terrorism would be prevented, the role of nuclear weapons in the security of the USA will be greatly reduced, the nuclear force levels while maintaining strategic deterrence will be reduced as well, s deterrence on a regional and allied level will be strengthened, and the safety and security of the nuclear arsenal is ensured (“United States Nuclear Weapons”). However, there is a certain risk on the stored nuclear arsenal of the USA. Only one of them, the W84 nuclear warhead, was considered fully safe. In order to develop the safety measures of the other nuclear warheads, there has been a call for the United States to resume nuclear testing.
Nuclear Weapons and National Security
It has been said that total abolition of nuclear weapons would completely reduce the threat of nuclear war and destruction. However, it arguably does nothing for security at all. It is interesting to note that nuclear arsenal does pose an important role in national defense. For one, nuclear weapons can be used as a deterrent for larger scale attacks. The thought that a country can retaliate using nuclear weapons is frightening in itself, and thus countries do not attack in the first place. Also, the presence of nuclear weapons themselves make the countries involved to exercise caution when handling these weapons. The most defining example would be the Cold War, in which the US and the Soviet Union were compelled to be careful with their tactics in the fears that the other side might respond with nuclear weapons at any moment (McMahon & Lowter, 2015).
At any rate, nuclear weapon use will always be one of the pertinent issues in homeland security, and careful deliberation regarding the matter should be done in all cases.
References
“A brief history on nuclear weapons states” (n.d.) Center for Global Education. Retrieved from http://asiasociety.org/education/brief-history-nuclear-weapons-state
McMahon, B., & Lowther, A. (2015). The lessons of Hiroshima: We still need nuclear weapons. Breaking Defense. Retrieved from http://breakingdefense.com/2015/08/the-lessons-of-hiroshima-we-still-need-nuclear-weapons/
“United States nuclear weapons” (n.d.) Global Security. Retrieved from http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/systems/nuclear-intro.htm
