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The precise number is classified, & not publicly available...
Probably there are 150-200 British built nuclear warheads for the American supplied Trident SLB Missile system. It's also possible that some smaller nuclear warheads have been developed for the Tomahawk cruise missiles also carried by Royal Navy nuclear submarines, but this is speculative!
Officially, all the "free-fall" nuclear bombs once carried by the RAF's "Strike Command"/ "V Force" aircraft have been decommissioned, but many suspect that some (maybe a hundred or so) have been upgraded & retained for "contingencies".
There are no longer any US controlled nuclear warheads based permanently in Britain, although nuclear armed American submarines operate routinely from UK naval bases under joint facility agreements between UK & US Governments.
The British Army (as per current NATO doctrine/ international arms control agreements/ treaties) no longer maintains/ controls any tactical nuclear weapons systems.
Bottom line, however, is that no-one apart from the Prime Minister, Intelligence & Defence Chiefs, & probably some very senior Civil Servants, knows the exact number of nuclear weapons currently retained by the UK: in order effectively to deter, it's best to keep potential enemies guessing...
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Is there nuclear energy in nuclear bombs?
Yes, nuclear bombs utilize nuclear energy. They rely on the process of nuclear fission or fusion to create an explosive release of energy.
What is the different between a nuclear bomb and an atom bomb?
A nuclear bomb is a generic term for any explosive device that relies on nuclear reactions to produce a large amount of destructive force, while an atomic bomb specifically refers to a type of nuclear bomb that relies on nuclear fission reactions to release energy. Therefore, all atomic bombs are nuclear bombs, but not all nuclear bombs are atomic bombs.
How many nuclear bombs would it take to kill everyone in the world if all detonated at the same time?
It is difficult to determine the exact number of nuclear bombs it would take to kill everyone in the world, as many factors such as location and size of the bombs would come into play. However, it is estimated that a few hundred strategically placed nuclear bombs could have catastrophic global consequences.
Are nuclear bombs made with nuclear fusion?
Nuclear bombs can use either nuclear fission or nuclear fusion as the primary mechanism of energy release. Most nuclear bombs in current arsenals rely on nuclear fission reactions, while thermonuclear bombs use a fission reaction to trigger a fusion reaction.
Is there gamma radiation in nuclear bombs?
Yes, nuclear bombs produce gamma radiation as a result of the nuclear fission or fusion reactions that release high-energy photons. Gamma radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation that accompanies the explosion of nuclear devices.
