What Happens If There Are No Nuclear Weapons?

Across the globe, nuclear weapons are considered as the ultimate deterrence. As per the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), US, UK, Russia, France and China are the five nuclear-weapon states (NWS).

NATO countries Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Turkey have nuclear weapons sharing agreement. Countries like India, Pakistan and North Korea also have nuclear weapons. Some countries like Israel are assumed to have nuclear weapons, but it has not been officially announced.

Nuclear weapons have been used just once. They serve as an effective deterrence tool against enemy forces. That’s why some countries are trying to develop nuclear weapons. At the other end of the spectrum, there’s an emerging thought that all countries can agree to denuclearize.

Progressives believe that the world would be a safer place without nuclear weapons. But is that true? Is nuclear disarmament good for planet earth? To answer the question, let’s take a look at what happens if there are no nuclear weapons.

Safety from nuclear terror attacks – With thousands of nuclear weapons, there’s always a lingering fear that nuclear weapons may fall into the hands of terrorists. They may not be able to launch it like it is meant to be, but a dirty bomb is always a possibility. A dirty bomb can cause widespread radioactive contamination, making the area unlivable for humans. Imagine if such a bomb is used in a city. When there are no nuclear bombs, the risk of nuclear terror attacks will be reduced significantly.

Shift to biological warfare – When nuclear weapons are no longer available, some countries may invest in other lethal alternatives such as biological warfare. While nuclear capabilities are widely publicized, biological warfare capabilities can be kept a secret. It can be used covertly and steps can be taken to ensure that the source is never found. Some experts are already calling Covid-19 a biological warfare, but a definitive proof is not available.

Significant cost savings – Developing nuclear weapons, keeping them safe and maintaining them is a costly affair. Nuclear deterrence is effective when it is available across land, sea and air assets. The overall cost of equipment and manpower needed for nuclear weapons easily runs into billions of dollars. For any country, removing the nuclear weapons can result in major cost savings.

Countries may fight more often – Without the protection of nuclear deterrence, countries may no longer be held back by the fear of nuclear war. This can actually lead to more fights between countries. However, at least, there won’t be any risk of a nuclear war.

As evident from above, complete nuclear disarmament has its pros and cons. It can be useful, but won’t prevent future wars and battles. But the world will definitely be safer without nuclear weapons, as large-scale destruction can be avoided.