Nuclear weapons are very potent weapons that produce their devastation by nuclear processes such as fission ot fusion, which split or combine atoms. While most of the nuclear bombs are based on nuclear fusion, hydrogen bombs have nuclear fission which again requires a fission bomb to detonate.
Due to their enormous destructive capabilities and potential for mass destruction, they are frequently seen as a deterrent to aggression. The only known use of nukes in warfare occurred in World War II when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Nuclear Weapons have become really important for global superpowers and they play an important role in restoring balance of power between superpowers. These weapons dictated the power dynamics and global events of the second half of the 20th century (Cold War era) and the modern day power balance.
There are total of 13,865 nuclear warheads on earth today owned by only 9 countries. These countries are:
- United States
- Russia
- China
- United Kingdom
- France
- India
- Pakistan
- Israel
- North Korea.
To know more, you can refer to this article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_weapon