by jimw4881 » Thu Mar 05, 2015 4:36 pm
“But to put things in perspective, the United States has a total inventory of 4,650 nuclear weapons, including nearly 2,000 actively deployed warheads. Russia has roughly the equivalent and is working with the United States to reduce stockpiles. In contrast, China possesses an estimated 300 nuclear weapons, or roughly 6 percent of the U.S. stockpile. Just one of the U.S. Navy's 14 Ohio-class nuclear submarines can hold as many as 288 warheads (although they are only permitted to carry 192, still more than enough to level cities and kill tens of millions)”…………………… The Week, 01/20/14, E. K. Chow
First strike? Not likely. It would be more of a self-imposed death blow AT THIS TIME. Additionally, while China could wreak havoc on some of our allies in the region, and even our bases and some US ships at sea, a mainland strike would be limited by the current range capabilities, since sending a warhead over Russia to reach us (shortest route) probably would not be viewed favorably by the Russians. And what would be the target? Our nuclear strike forces not our population centers.
“But to put things in perspective, the United States has a total inventory of 4,650 nuclear weapons, including nearly 2,000 actively deployed warheads. Russia has roughly the equivalent and is working with the United States to reduce stockpiles. In contrast, China possesses an estimated 300 nuclear weapons, or roughly 6 percent of the U.S. stockpile. Just one of the U.S. Navy's 14 Ohio-class nuclear submarines can hold as many as 288 warheads (although they are only permitted to carry 192, still more than enough to level cities and kill tens of millions)”…………………… The Week, 01/20/14, E. K. Chow
First strike? Not likely. It would be more of a self-imposed death blow AT THIS TIME. Additionally, while China could wreak havoc on some of our allies in the region, and even our bases and some US ships at sea, a mainland strike would be limited by the current range capabilities, since sending a warhead over Russia to reach us (shortest route) probably would not be viewed favorably by the Russians. And what would be the target? Our nuclear strike forces not our population centers.