Top 7 Nuclear Power Nations in the World

4. France: Among the five ‘Nuclear Weapons States’ under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, France possesses one of the world's third-largest nuclear arsenals. At present, the French military is currently thought to retain a weapons stockpile of around 300 operational nuclear warheads on its four nuclear submarines.

The rest are either meant for aircraft, in maintenance or awaiting dismantlement, says the Federation of American Scientists. According to the report, there are 300 warheads, 290 operational weapons and about 240 are nuclear submarines, while the other 50 are ready to be deployed on aircraft. In January 2006, President Jacques Chirac stated that a terrorist act or the use of weapons of mass destruction against France would result in a nuclear counterattack.

5. China: With 240 estimated warheads, China has come up in the list of top nuclear power countries in the world. This country has developed and possessed weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and nuclear weapons. China's hunt for nuclear weapons started in 1950s after the U.S. moved nuclear assets into the Pacific during the Korean War. After successfully testing the first nuclear device in 1964, China conducted its first thermonuclear test in 1967. Till date, this country is estimated to have about 140 warheads assigned to land-based missiles and 40 warheads assigned for aircraft. The rest are kept ready for dismantlement or being held for a future nuclear submarine.

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