The History of the U.S. Nuclear Stockpile 1945-2013

The History of the U.S. Nuclear Stockpile 1945-2013
PDF Version
The United States has produced approximately 66,500 nuclear weapons from 1945 to mid-2013, of approximately 100 types. The historic high of the U.S. stockpile was reached in 1967 with 31,255 nuclear warheads. This article examines three main factors which led to the growth and diversity of the U.S. nuclear program: rivalry between the branches of the armed forces, belief that the United States could achieve security through superiority with nuclear weapons and a hyperactive definition of deterrence. By Robert S. Norris.http://blogs.fas.org/pir/2013/08/the-history-of-the-u-s-nuclear-stockpile-1945-2013/