the united states has over 200 inter continental ballistic missiles with up to 10 nuc war heads apiece. why?

Question

how can we demonize the other countries trying to create the same deterrent system?

ICBM’s are not mobile.

We never used nuc's as an offensive weapon? so who was it that dropped two atomic bombs on Japan?

im a former missile monkey. usaf

Answer 1

It's called "nuclear deterance". That means that we maintain our missile systems to the point where it would deter, or prevent any other nation from launching it's missiles at us- the shorthand version:
If you launch at us, we'll launch at you- (and have time to do so before your missiles reach us), and then you're just as dead as we are. So only a fool would want to instigate a nuclear war. It's because "they", (whoever "they" might be), know that if we can strike back with our missiles if they've fired at us- that "they" will suffer the same fate as we will. We also have bombers that are designed like the B-52 or B-1B, designed specifically to destroy incoming missiles BEFORE they could impact the U.S. I am a 1st Lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol- the official Auxiliary of the United States Air Force.
AND ICBMs ARE WAY MORE THAN MOBILE- THEY CAN BE REPROGRAMMED MID-FLIGHT TO DESTROY ANOTHER TARGET OR TO SPLASHDOWN IN THE OCEAN!
We (the United States) dropped 2 nuclear weapons on Japan.
Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the 2 cities that we destroyed. 11 million people died in 4 days.

Answer 2

The whole Nuclear cababilitiy between the 9 nations that possess nuclear weapons is just a pointless club. Nowadays The U.S or the U.K would only attack another with a nuke if that other country had attacked first, with it's own nuclear weapon- If that was the case, then there would literally be no victor- it is impossible to win a nuclear war, a true enemy with nuclear capabilities cannot be defeated- the world would not longer be inhabitable. How would any country win a nuclear war with russia? it has over 19000 nuclear warheads, the US has over 10000? The whole deterent arguement by some is just some dumb stalemate- and a bankrupt arguement.

Answer 3

Does this 200 include those on the subs? There are some great comments here, but very worried about all the demonising of Iran. This follows the pattern from 1776. Britain, the "special" relationship, was No 1 enemy for many years. Spain, France, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Korea, Russia, China, Vietnam all followed. Let us not forget the indigenous population of North America, they were demonised and 13 million of them paid for that. Countries must not be demonised, they in the main are populated by innocents who wish to live a life in peace, have shelter, food and water. A job would be nice as well. But peace comes high on the list. It is politicians, business people and bored military high-ups who cause the problem. There is no deterence in nuclear weapons, it is an expensive dead end. How our world would be changed if the wasted money was spent on real problems. Of course, if we had no demonic nations, there is still the threat of (whisper softly) ALIENS. We gotta keep them just in case!!

Answer 4

Good Question. America is the only country that ever dropped a nuclear bomb killing more than 100,000 civilians, America has killed more people on the planet than any country in recent history.. and by recent I mean the last 400 years. America has no right to tell any free country what to do or what they can or cannot have. plain and simple. America is a terrorist state if ther e ever was one... there has not been more than 30 years between America's wars at any time. America has to create an enemy or else there would be no justification for spending 1/3 of its GDP on the military weapons. IT has already been proven that all their so-called military superiority is a joke F-111s being shot down by WWII era shoulder fired rocket launchers, getting their butts kicked by a rag tag group of teen agers in Iraq. who are equipped with little more than an a A-k47 and a crude pipe bomb. I am not advocating the death f any one.. ever.. But as long as America keeps trying to rule the world then there will always been countries willing to risk attack from U.S bombers to build a bomb! Not to attack America or even Israel with,, but to show the world just how evil American politicians really are.. And one day the entire world will tire of it.. and we all remember what happend to Hitler..

Answer 5

I'm sorry. Who have we threatened with them?

What entire people have we threatened to eliminate? Any?

**
In fact, what entire people has any of the major nuclear powers threatened to eliminate?

ah -- the difference is that we've demonstrated over decades that we won't use those weapons unless the other guy uses them first.

Britain had the opportunity during the Falklands War to use nukes in a far away place where the fallout would all have landed in the ocean. Demonstrating that they are civilized, they did not use them.

**
No one, afaik, seriously believes that India is going to first attack anyone. Ever.


The same can't be said for Iran or North Korea.

Answer 6

First of all we have far more than 200 ICBMs available.

Also it is called deterrence. Besides, who would rather have all that firepower? Iran?

NOTE:

ICBMs can be mobile. Ever heard of the Peacekeeper MX and ALL ICBMs on submarines are mobile by definition.

I am a former US army missile and nuclear weapons officer.

Answer 7

Because we can see that the only reason Iran and North Korea would want ICBMs is for Offense.

Iran is an aggressive little nation, they do not need better weapons. They need to pull their craniums from their rectums and realize that they do not hold all the cards.

Answer 8

Because we developed it during the arms race with the soviet union. This was the ability that we had was called mutually assured destruction. In other words any attack on the us would be met with a counterstrike in fact killing everything on earth.

Answer 9

we have them because we have the ability and technology to have them. pretty simple isn't it?
would you seriously want Iran to have nuclear weapons? the crackpot they have running the place would probably use them. even though it's very remote that they would win, would you want to convert to Islam in a nuclear wasteland?

Answer 10

we need those weapons.because we are hated so bad throughout the rest of the world.if we demobilize our nuclear weapons.all the countries that hate us will surely come and take over this country for sure.and we can thank our fine outstanding politicians who can;t learn to mind there own damn business.we all have to suffer because of their mingling in other peoples affairs.and trying to push our way of thinking on them.